Job Description

Summary As Expert / Lab Scientist you will play a key role in the development of formulations and processes for parenteral dosage forms of Biologics (e.g. therapeutic proteins, conjugates and other new modalities) for clinical or commercial use.
You will be working in an international team at our headquarters in Basel, Switzerland and help to bring innovative treatments to patients and global markets around the word. The team is focused on pharmaceutical development of innovative liquid and lyophilisate formulations as well as robust manufacturing processes of syringes, cartridges, vials and other novel presentations including the characterization of formulations using various innovative analytical tools.
Apply now to join our dynamic team!

Your responsibilities:
As Lab Scientist, you will support one or several multifunctional project teams in the Drug Product Development unit within Novartis Biologics. Your responsibilities will be to

• design, plan, organize and perform scientific experiments for the preparation and timely delivery of biologic drug products (DP), processes and procedures independently or with minimum supervision
• design, plan, organize and perform specific analytical tests related to the experiments as well as for related stability studies independently of with minimum supervision
• Documentation of raw data from the scientific experiments including all conducted analytical tests as well as evaluation. interpretation and reporting of all results of the scientific experiments together with the project responsible (Functional Lead).
• Input to the planning and actively support the design of next experiments based on the results and observations.
• Organize, prepare and coordinate shipments of materials (e.g. samples, materials, tools) related
• Based on the project need, participate in function-specific project sub team meetings and discussions

In your role as Lab Scientist, you will further support the Drug Product Science Team with the following responsibilities,

• Review and verify raw data generated by other colleagues including approval of tests / experiments performed by others.
• If required, support the compilation of scientific protocols / reports and lab procedures based on existing templates as well as contribute to compilation of SOPs
• Take over responsibility for specific tools / equipment and utilize special tools / equipment or specialized facilities as an expert. Schedule and perform maintenance and qualification of tools / instruments / equipment as needed.
• Develop new methods or optimize existing laboratory methods/processes as well as contribute to development and implementation of new technologies.
• Where applicable take on roles and responsibilities related to operational excellence and/or innovation.
• Work according to appropriate laboratory standards for quality, ethics, health, safety, environment protection, and information security. Support and participate in initiatives to ensure continuous improvement.
• Actively foster knowledge exchange and contribute to the team objectives

What you'll bring to the role:

• Qualification as Lab Scientist / Lab technician with focus on Pharmaceutical Technology, alternatively Master of Science (MSc) in life sciences or pharmaceutical technology or equivalent.

• Ideally 1-3 years of successful experience as lab scientist in biotech / pharma industry with emphasis on biologics drug product formulation and process development. Experiences with projects in early as well as late phase development or accelerated projects is an advantage.

• Hands-on experience in drug product formulation development (e.g. formulation screening, surfactant effectiveness) as well as experiences in process development for each unit operation, including freeze-thawing, mixing, filtration and fill finish (e.g. syringe or vial filling).
• Hands-on experiences in analytics for biologic modalities with specific focus on biophysical screening using various biophysical analytics tools
• Practical experiences for study design as well as execution of (in-use) compatibility studies
• Ideally strong knowledge and hands-on experiences in development of formulations and processes for special protein deliveries as well as for high and ultra-high concentrated protein formulations (e.g. protein suspensions).
• Knowledge and practical experience in process modeling (e.g. Lyo mapping, CFD) as well as experiences in predictive data analysis (Arrhenius based stability prediction) is an advantage.
• Savviness for data & digital applications and basic knowledge on machine learning and AI approaches. Experiences in (automated) data analysis (e.g. basic programming skills, statistical tools) is an advantage.
• Highly structured and organized working style. Proven track record for working independently in development laboratory environment including basic knowledge on GLP and HSE requirements for development laboratories. Good understanding of data integrity requirements in development environment.
• Strong skill in MS Office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, TEAMS)
• Proficient in English - spoken and written.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.

Skills Desired