Lead Scientist - Media Development

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize animal-component-free media formulations to support all relevant cell culture processes, including seed trains, proliferation, and differentiation
• Develop specifications, procedures, and testing protocols for new media formulation development, validation, and quality control
• Establish and execute high-throughput workflows to analyze media performance, collect metabolic data from our cell culture systems, and evaluate media formulations
• Collaborate with suppliers to source components and materials for media development
• Coordinate with other functional teams to define target criteria for media improvement, including improved product yield and quality and enhanced bioprocess performance
• Build and manage a team of motivated, passionate scientists
• Align with senior leadership to implement critical decisions
• Conduct rigorous experimental design, documentation, and data analysis 
• Provide concise and effective reporting on project deliverables and presentation of data
• Provide creative solutions to challenging technical problems and demonstrating critical thinking

Requirements :

• M.S. or PhD in a relevant field (Biochemistry, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Cell Biology, or equivalent
• 8+ years postgraduate (MS) or 6+ years post-doctoral experience in industry are preferred
• Direct experience in development and optimization of novel mammalian cell culture medias and high-throughput screening systems, including assay development and execution
• Proficiency with Design of Experiments (DOE) methodology for, including experiment design and data analysis
• Experience with media development and optimization and familiarity with mammalian metabolic pathways
• Track record of successfully leading small teams is strongly preferred
• Strong track record of peer-reviewed publications is preferred
• Demonstrated scientific rigor toward continuous improvement
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and skills to prioritize and deliver against timelines
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including strong command of the English language
• Statistical background to design, run, and evaluate DOE along with understanding pros/cons of different DOE approaches
• Experience designing screening experiments via DOE, executing in high-throughput formats, and carrying out rigorous analysis of results
• Proficiency in statistical analysis tools and data science for media analysis
• Experience with common analytical methods for media development, including HPLC and LC-MS
• Basic understanding of bioreactor operations and scale-up