Associate Scientist/Sr. Associate Scientist/Scientist, Islet Process Sciences

About the role

We are seeking a highly motivated Associate Scientist, Senior Associate Scientist, or Scientist to join the Research organization in a process science role supporting the CNTY-813 beta islet cell therapy program. This position sits at the intersection of islet differentiation biology, upstream process development, and scale translation, with a focus on improving the islet cell therapy process across key development stages, including protocol optimization, media and feed strategy, 3D culture, bioreactor scale-up, cryopreservation, recovery, and manufacturing readiness.

Responsibilities

• Execute routine iPSC maintenance, scale-up preparation, 3D aggregate culture, and directed differentiation toward pancreatic islet-like cell populations.
• Design, run, and troubleshoot suspension-based differentiation experiments in scalable formats, including PBS Vertical Wheel bioreactors when appropriate.
• Operate controlled bioreactor systems and monitor key process inputs such as pH, dissolved oxygen, agitation, inoculation density, feeding strategy, media exchange, and culture timing.
• Innovate across the islet cell therapy development workflow by evaluating signaling timing, growth factor and cytokine conditions, media and feed strategies, aggregate handling, cryopreservation and recovery approaches, and culture-format changes that improve cell fate, scalability, and process performance.
• Develop and optimize process parameters that improve endocrine commitment, beta cell identity, process reproducibility, cell recovery, cryopreservation compatibility, and scalability through late-stage differentiation and downstream process handling.
• Use Quality by Design and DOE principles to connect biological outcomes with controllable process variables and to support rational process optimization.
• Help define critical quality attributes, critical process parameters, operating ranges, and process risk areas that support scale-up readiness and future manufacturing translation.
• Generate and interpret analytical readouts, including RT-qPCR, intracellular flow cytometry, immunofluorescence imaging, ELISA, viability, metabolite, and aggregate-size measurements.
• Support development of standardized, closed or semi-closed, and manufacturing-relevant workflows using single-use components, sterile connections, tubing assemblies, and related process equipment as needed.
• Partner closely with Research, Process Development, Analytical, CMC, and manufacturing-facing teams while maintaining a strong research mindset focused on learning, innovation, and mechanism-informed improvement.
• Maintain high-quality documentation in electronic lab notebooks and contribute to SOPs, batch records, technical reports, and process development summaries.
• Present data in technical forums, propose next-step experiments, and contribute to process strategy discussions.
• Maintain a safe, organized, and compliant laboratory environment.

Qualifications

• Associate Scientist: BS or MS in bioengineering, chemical engineering, biology, stem cell biology, or a related field with approximately 2-5+ years of relevant experience.
• Scientist: MS or PhD in bioengineering, chemical engineering, biology, stem cell biology, or a related field with approximately 3-8+ years of relevant experience.
• Hands-on experience with human pluripotent stem cell culture, including 2D maintenance and 3D aggregate or suspension culture formats.
• Practical experience operating suspension bioreactors or comparable controlled culture systems for mammalian or stem cell applications.
• Experience designing, executing, and optimizing directed differentiation workflows, ideally in a scalable or process-development setting.
• Scientific curiosity and interest in improving both differentiation biology and process scalability, rather than simply executing established protocols.
• Working knowledge of bioreactor setup, sampling, monitoring, and process control concepts, including dissolved oxygen, pH, agitation, feeding, and culture timing.
• Experience using flow cytometry, RT-qPCR, imaging, ELISA, or related assays to characterize differentiation outcomes and process performance.
• Able to analyze experimental data, identify trends, troubleshoot variability, and convert findings into clear process recommendations.
• Strong scientific documentation, organization, and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently while staying closely aligned with cross-functional collaborators.

Requirements

• Direct experience with pancreatic, endocrine, beta cell, or islet-like differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells.
• Experience optimizing differentiation yield, on-target purity, maturation state, media or feed strategy, cryopreservation/recovery, or reproducibility across scales or platforms.
• Hands-on experience with PBS Vertical Wheel bioreactors, stirred-tank bioreactors, perfusion-enabled systems, or larger-scale single-use bioreactor platforms.
• Demonstrated ability to connect mechanistic biological questions with practical process development decisions.
• Familiarity with closed or semi-closed cell culture workflows, including tube welders, sealers, sterile connectors, single-use assemblies, and aseptic process design.
• Experience with DOE or statistical process development tools such as JMP, MODDE, GraphPad Prism, FlowJo, ImageJ/Fiji, or similar platforms.
• A strong process-engineering mindset, including comfort defining CPPs, CQAs, control strategies, and process failure modes.
• Strong collaboration skills and enthusiasm for advancing stem cell-derived therapies toward clinical development.