Formulation Scientist I

About the role

Primary Talent Partners has a 12 month contract opening for a Formulation Scientist I to join a multinational pharmaceutical company for an onsite position operating out of Rahway, NJ. The position is a W-2 contract (12 months, extensions likely, conversion possible). The employer cannot support C2C or provide visa sponsorship; no benefits or PTO are offered, but an ACA‑compliant medical package is available for enrollment.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute hypothesis‑driven formulation and process‑development experiments for sterile pharmaceutical products.
• Prepare common formulation buffers, reagents, and execute development batches/fill finish in appropriate containers using appropriate aseptic techniques and Good Laboratory Practices, as applicable.
• Support processing activities for solution or lyophilized formulations, or other dosage‑form preparation techniques as required.
• Conduct formulation characterization and selected analytical studies, including pH, osmolality, viscosity, particle‑size measurements, dynamic light scattering, and HPLC.
• Support stability and stress studies; analyze data, summarize findings, and document conclusions in laboratory notebooks, protocols, and technical reports.
• Draft, review, and execute protocols supporting laboratory batches and process‑development activities.
• Maintain clear, accurate, and contemporaneous laboratory records.
• Support laboratory readiness through equipment care, material preparation, and maintenance of a clean and organized working environment.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional partners, including analytical operations, manufacturing, and other scientific teams, to meet project timelines and deliverables.
• Continuously learn and apply relevant literature, methods, and technologies to improve formulation compositions and processes.
• Perform all work safely and in compliance with applicable site procedures and safety policies.

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. degree, or equivalent, in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, Chemistry, or a related field is required.
• Bachelor’s with 2‑3 years or master’s with 1‑2 years of experience.

Skills

Required

• Excellent hands‑on laboratory skills in pharmaceutical formulation, sterile product development, process development, or a related field.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Self‑driven, independent, meticulous in execution, organized, attentive to timelines, and motivated to learn.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team and interface with cross‑functional scientific professionals.

Desired

• Experience with biologics and sterile formulation.
• Pharmaceutical industry experience in formulation and/or process development.
• Understanding of formulation and aseptic processes in a non‑GMP/GLP environment.
• Experience with process development and benchtop unit operations, including mixing, pumping, filtration, and lyophilization.
• Familiarity with additional biophysical or biochemical analytical methods such as DLS, DSC, DSF, SDS‑PAGE, or UV/Vis.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment and adapt to changing project needs.
• Statistical software such as JMP.

Key Skills

• Strong hands‑on wet‑lab experience
• Biologics formulation development
• Preparation of formulation buffers, reagents, and protein formulations
• Execution of development batches
• Aseptic filling of vials and prefilled syringes
• Setup and management of stability studies
• Good laboratory practices
• Sample submission and cross‑functional collaboration
• Data analysis, interpretation, graphing, and plotting
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• Experience with osmolality, pH, and viscosity testing

Benefits

No benefits or PTO are provided; however, an ACA‑compliant medical package is available for enrollment.

Pay

$24.00/hr – $34.00/hr based on experience and academia.