Senior Scientist, Cell Line Development

AstraZeneca•Gaithersburg, MD

4d•$112,304 - $168,456•Onsite

About The Position

Your work will center on independently accomplishing single-cell isolation, small-scale viral packaging, high-throughput screening, and evaluating clone productivity and product quality to deliver stable and top-performing clones supporting AstraZeneca’s emerging Cell Therapy portfolio. This position is based in Gaithersburg, MD.

Requirements

PhD degree or Master’s degree (or equivalent to 3-4 years of experience) in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, Virology, or a related scientific field.
Extensive, hands-on experience in mammalian CLD, viral vector packaging, and clone screening, with a strong emphasis on cultivating and optimizing HEK293 based host cells in suspension culture for high-yield Lentiviral vector production.
Proficiency in single-cell isolation using cell sorter, advanced imaging systems, and clone characterization via flow cytometry.
Experience with high-throughput titration assays and utilizing, maintaining, and troubleshooting automated liquid handling and high-throughput screening platforms.
Experience with stable genetic modification of mammalian cells using approaches such as CRISPR/cas9.
Effective interpersonal skills, meticulous attention to detail, and independent troubleshooting capabilities and in a fast-paced laboratory environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience in monoclonality validation and expanding stable master cell lines.
Hands-on experience in virus/vector engineering for host cell line optimization or vector performance improvement.
Background in viral vector biology, cell and gene therapy within the pharmaceutical industry, supporting vector design/engineering for maximized titers, quality and overall manufacturability.
Viral vector stable producer cell line development.

Responsibilities

Perform mammalian CLD activities, including single-cell and mini-pool generation, small-scale viral vector packaging and high throughput titration, and clone selection to achieve robust viral productivity for upstream processes.
Establish efficient, scalable workflows for rapid cell characterization and clone evaluation, and high-throughput titer screening; partner with analytical and process development teams to link clone selection choices to critical quality attributes using molecular/cell analytics (e.g., flow cytometry, qPCR/ddPCR, ELISA, titering assays).
Lead and implement cell line engineering to improve cell line performance, including LVV packaging efficiency, vector quality, genetic stability and overall robustness.
Analyze and interpret complex datasets, maintain accurate experimental documentation, and collaborate with upstream Process Development and Analytical teams to support smooth process handoffs.