Scientist II - Manager, PD Upstream

About the role

The Scientist II provides active leadership and execution of the laboratory experiments and protocols for upstream process development efforts. This individual will lead projects and complex experiments, train junior scientists, and actively contribute to the advancement of AAV manufacturing processes.

Responsibilities

• Senior-level technical contributor and subject matter expert for upstream systems and process strategy
• Independently manages multiple projects or client programs simultaneously, maintaining a high degree of quality, scientific rigor, and compliance
• Led process development activities for early- to late-stage programs, including scale-up, technology transfer, and validation support
• Designs and executes complex DoE studies, authors technical reports, and contributes to regulatory documentation
• Anticipates challenges in upstream scale-up and proactively develops solutions to ensure technical success
• Acts as a key liaison between Process Development, Manufacturing, and Quality teams to align on strategy and ensure smooth GMP execution
• Contributes scientific rationale for tech transfer packages and GMP documentation without owning official SOPs or batch records
• Mentors junior scientists and associates through day-to-day technical guidance, fostering development in experimental design, documentation standards, and scientific reasoning

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, Biology, or related discipline (or equivalent experience)
• Working knowledge of cell culture techniques utilizing mammalian cells
• Proven ability to operate and troubleshoot bioreactors
• Experience planning, conducting and reviewing experimental data with minimal oversight
• Experience training and development of other team members
• Experience analyzing data sets and utilizing the corresponding data to influence decision making
• Experience working with external collaborators (clients, external technology transfers, etc.)
• Project management experience

Preferred Skills

• Master’s Degree or PhD in Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, Biology, or related discipline (or equivalent experience)
• Experience working with viral vectors (AAV, Lentivirus, etc.)