Senior Scientist, Colloids & Suspensions

Pfizer • St Louis, MO

37d • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Scientist will serve as a subject matter expert in colloidal and suspension characterization. The candidate will be an individual technical contributor within the Biotherapeutics Pharmaceutical Sciences organization, supporting formulation and process development for complex biotherapeutic modalities, including vaccines. The role requires strong scientific judgment, advanced material characterization capability, and the ability to derive meaningful structure–property insights that inform formulation design, process robustness, and product understanding. The successful candidate will apply modern characterization and data analysis approaches to interrogate material attributes, product behavior, and processing outcomes. This position requires a high level of technical independence, cross-functional collaboration, and clear scientific communication.

Requirements

• PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Physical Chemistry, or a related discipline with 0–3 years of experience, M.S. with 7+ years of relevant experience; or B.S. with 10+ years of relevant industry experience.
• Demonstrated experience characterizing complex formulations and interpreting physical property data in a mechanistic context.
• Familiarity with techniques used to characterize physical behavior and microstructure (e.g., colloid characterization, microscopy-based methods, quantitative imaging).
• Strong data analysis skills, including statistical interpretation and integration of multimodal datasets.
• Proven ability to independently design, execute, and interpret complex studies with scientific rigor.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present and justify scientific conclusions effectively.
• This position requires permanent work authorization in the United States.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with vaccine formulations or other complex biologic drug products.
• Working knowledge of process development principles, including scaleup considerations, critical attribute identification, and risk-based development frameworks.
• A demonstrated track record of scientific impact through publications, presentations, or technology development.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute studies aimed at developing structure–property relationships that clarify how formulation components, material attributes, and processing conditions influence product performance and manufacturability.
• Apply a range of advanced physical characterization and visualization techniques—including microstructural assessment, targeted rheological evaluation, and quantitative image or morphology analysis—while selecting the appropriate methods based on scientific need.
• Develop and utilize enhanced data processing approaches (e.g., multivariate analysis, computational visualization, image derived metrics) to translate complex data into clear, mechanistic understanding.
• Integrate experimental findings into formulation and process development strategies, supporting identification of critical attributes, definition of design spaces, and establishment of robust process controls.
• Prepare high-quality technical documentation, including study protocols, data summaries, technical reports, and cross-functional presentations, ensuring clear articulation of scientific rationale and conclusions.
• Evaluate and implement emerging analytical technologies or workflows that enhance organizational capability in physical characterization, material assessment, or predictive understanding.
• Provide scientific input to cross-disciplinary project teams, contributing to problem-solving, technical investigations, and data driven decision-making.

Benefits

• eligible for participation in Pfizer’s Global Performance Plan with a bonus target of 12.5% of the base salary and eligibility to participate in our share based long term incentive program
• 401(k) plan with Pfizer Matching Contributions and an additional Pfizer Retirement Savings Contribution
• paid vacation, holiday and personal days
• paid caregiver/parental and medical leave
• health benefits to include medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree