Senior Scientist - Material Science

Do you have expertise in, and passion for characterisation methods such as powder rheometry, particle size by laser diffraction among other methods? Would you like to apply your knowledge within powder flow and bulk powder characterization in one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies? Then join us in this exciting opportunity!

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-focused biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines for some of the world's most serious disease. But we're more than one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies.

Pharmaceutical Technology and Development (PT&D) is the organization that turns brilliant science into actual medicines that help millions of people. We work across the entire value chain, designing and delivering active ingredients, formulations and devices for new medicines and providing expert technical support to all AstraZeneca's commercial drug substances and products to ensure we successfully supply medicines to patients.

Inhalation Product Development (IPD) in Gothenburg sits within PT&D and is responsible for the development of inhalation products including combinations. Inhalation Product Development delivers the therapies of the future through scientific leadership in drug delivery, formulation and manufacturing the final drug product.

We now have an exciting opportunity for you to join us as Senior Scientist in Material Science.

This role has high focus on physical characterisation of critical properties of the drug substances, excipients and formulations in the field of inhalation and be active in the laboratory and generating of data. The role holder will be key at the interfaces of raw materials to drug product process & in vivo performance in the field of inhalation, supporting drug projects in the clinical phases as well as technical and feasibility projects.



What you'll do

You will provide material science expertise in product development while also planning and executing material science and solid-state characterization of drug substances, excipients and inhaled formulations.

In this role, you will work collaboratively with colleagues in other functions to identify and define drug substance critical attributes, contribute to the end-to-end control strategy and reduce end-product testing. Task will include identifying and assessing materials risks, developing understanding of the link between critical material attributes and processing robustness and product performance.

Other tasks include, but are not limited to:

* Clearly communicate plans, experimental data and conclusions to project teams.
* Tackle complex scientific problems and provide lean and innovative solutions.
* Develop appropriate methods to support formulation development, and perform phase appropriate validation as required, in accordance with relevant guidelines.
* Join matrix style project delivery teams and work closely together with scientists specialised in formulation, analytics, and biopharmaceutics.

Essential Requirements

* PhD level education (or BSc/MSc with proven industry experience) in material science or a relevant subject area.
* An excellent understanding of principles of physical chemistry related to surface properties and particle characterization and bulk behaviour.
* Proven experience in material science characterisation (size, surface, morphology, imaging and flow properties) of products resulting from either size reduction, blending or spray drying processes.
* Advanced practical expertise in characterisation methods such as powder rheometry, particle size by laser diffraction or dynamic light scattering, pycnometry, specific surface area by BET and SEM imaging.
* Develop methods aligned to pharmaceutical industry quality assurance and experience in technical transfer.
* Provide with relevant experience in GMP compliance.
* Strong oral and written communication skills and the ability to discuss complex ideas in a simple, easy to understand way.
* The ability to tackle complex scientific problems and troubleshooting.
* A proven track record of working collaboratively in a team environment to deliver project objectives

Desirable Requirements

* Experience in advanced characterization methods related to material science (microstructure and surface topography, chemical composition, tribocharging and surface energy)
* Knowledge of powder flow and bulk powder characterization linked to process design and optimization.
* Knowledge of real-time in-situ rheological assessment of temperature and humidity of powdered products
* Knowledge and experience of powder flow in hoppers, volumetric and/or gravimetric filling operations, spray drying and micronisation.
* Proven track record in influencing product design using scientific material science data and experience of direct impact on decisions during pharmaceutical product development.
* Experience of regulatory file submissions or agencies interactions.
* Knowledge of tools for multivariate analysis, design of experiments, data visualization and predictive modelling packages such as mathematical and numerical modelling of powders and their rheological properties.

Why AstraZeneca

At AstraZeneca, we're dedicated to being a Great Place to Work. Where you are empowered to push the boundaries of science and unleash your entrepreneurial spirit. There's no better place to make a difference to medicine, patients and society. An inclusive culture that champions diversity and collaboration, and always committed to lifelong learning, growth and development. We're on an exciting journey to pioneer the future of healthcare.

So, what's next?

Are you already imagining yourself joining our team? Brilliant! We have one seat available and we hope it's yours. We welcome your application no later than April 16th, 2023.