Postdoctoral Research Assistant (PDRA)

AstraZeneca; Macclesfield; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading biopharmaceutical company in Macclesfield is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Assistant to design robust tablet formulations based on amorphous solid dispersions. The ideal candidate will hold a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences and have strong knowledge of solid and amorphous material characterization. You will work within a team to drive projects focused on improving drug delivery processes while ensuring compliance and safety in operations. This position offers a competitive salary and is a fixed 24-month contract.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Benefits package

Qualifications

• Hold a PhD relevant to oral solid dosage form development.
• Strong knowledge of solid and amorphous material characterization.
• Experience with tablet-related operations.
• Familiarity with compressibility and tabletability concepts.

Responsibilities

• Drive the project using statistical experimental designs.
• Generate structured datasets on ASD and material properties.
• Collaborate to establish processes affecting manufacturability.
• Ensure compliance and safety in equipment operations.

Skills

X-ray diffraction

Thermal analysis (DSC/TGA)

Statistical design of experiments

Tabletability

Education

PhD in pharmaceutical sciences or related fields

Tools

Spray dryer

Hot melt extrusion (HME)

Compaction simulator

Job description

Postdoctoral research assistant (PDRA),Virtual designing ofrobustamorphous soliddispersion-basedtabletformulations– Early Product Developmentand Manufacturing

24monthfixed term contract

Location: Macclesfield, UK

Competitive salary and benefits

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-centred biopharmaceutical company focusing on discovering, developing, and commercialising prescription medicines for some of the world’s most serious diseases. Butwe’remore than a global leading pharma company. At AstraZeneca,we'rededicated to being a Great Place to Work and empowering koek employees to push the boundaries of science and fuel their entrepreneurial spirit.

Pharmaceutical Sciences is a department within AstraZeneca R&D unit. The vision for Pharmaceutical Sciences is to deliver the therapies of the future through scientific leadership in drug delivery, design of synthetic routes and manufacturing of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) and drug product. Our portfolio of projects includes traditional small molecules, nucleotide-basedtherapiesand nanomedicines across AstraZeneca’s therapy areas.

An opportunity exists in Pharmaceutical Sciences for an exceptional postdoctoral research assistant (PDRA) to investigate andvalidatea predictive modelling approach to virtually design robust tablet formulations based on amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs). You will be exposed to ASD manufacturing techniques (spray drying, hot melt extrusion, co-precipitated amorphous dispersions) and advanced material characterisation, with the aim of predictingtabletabilityand strain rate sensitivity (SRS) of ASD-containing mixtures and guiding rightfirst-timeformulationselection. We are looking for an enthusiastic and highly capable PDRA to join our Early Product Development and Manufacturing (EPDM) team based in Macclesfield, UK. You will strengthen the understanding of ASD material properties, tailor formulation design, and influence polymerselectionand manufacturing route early in projects. In addition, this project supports sustainabilityobjectivesby reducing API/ASD usage during development, improving data capture and knowledge management, and shortening timelines from development to delivery for patients. You will work closely with solid-stateκρα analytical and formulation scientists in EPDM, as well as colleagues in Data Sciences & Modelling (DSM) and Process Engineering & Digital, to drive déclaré science and innovation encargado. This is a fixed term contract for 24 months.

The successful applicant will take initiative and work effectively within multidisciplinary teams, ensuring rigorous execution bēr experimental plans and thetimelydelivery of high-quality data for predictive tool development.

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Accountable for driving the project using statistical experimental design (e.g., factorial designs) toidentifyconditions for ASD manufacture across different polymers and techniques: hot melt extrusion (HME), co-precipitated amorphous dispersions (cPAD), and spray drying.

• Generate structured datasets on ASD and polymer material properties, compression behaviour, CTC profiles (compressibility,tabletability,compactibility), and quantify strain rate sensitivity.

• Work with digitisation and data science colleagues to implement improvements in knowledge management, data standards, and structured data storage; deliver automation and data pipelines to increase productivity and reduce manual tasks.

• Working collaboratively with other functions to establish critical material and process attributes impacting the manufacturability and performance targets.

• Ensure safe and compliant operation of equipment (spray dryer, HME, cPAD, compaction simulator) and tablet characterisation workflows; contribute to risk assessments and mitigation activities.

Qualifications,skillsand Experience:

Essential requirements

• You should hold a PhD, in pharmaceutical sciences, materials science or a related discipline relevant to oral solid dosage form development.

• Strong knowledge of screening and characterisation of solidsand amorphous materials:Xray diffraction, thermal analysis (DSC/TGA), microscopic andotherpowdercharacterisationtechniques.

• Practical experience withtabletingandrelated unit operations. Experience with downstream processing ofASDs would beadvantageous.

• Experience with statistical design of experiments and data analysis; familiarity with compressibility–tabletability–compactibility(CTC) concepts and strain rate sensitivity in pharmaceutical compaction.

• Be a scientifically critical and curious individual able tooperateeffectively in a multidisciplinary environment; self-motivated with initiative to plan, execute, and troubleshoot experiments and analyses;strong communicationskills for crossfunctional collaboration.

• Proactive time management with a flexible approach to prioritising tasks.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience with ASD manufacturing techniques (spray drying, hot meltpertoire, coprecipitation) and compaction simulators/tabtablet presses, including generation and interpretation of CTC profiles and tensile strength–porosity relationships.

• Familiarity with mechanistic and datadriven modelling of powder compaction, percolation behaviour, and predictivetabletability; experience with model validation and deployment as web or desktop tools.

• Evidence of collaborative engagement and influence across functions (formulation, solid state, analytical) and sites.

• Track recordof scientific dissemination (publications, conferences) സ്ഥാപന intervention interest in contributing to highquality external outputs related to ASDs and oral formulation science.

Next Steps أم Apply today!

To be considered for this exciting opportunity, please complete the full application on our website.If you know деңгométr someone who would be a great fit, please share this posting with them.

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Date Posted

13-Jan-2026

Closing Date

27-Jan-2026

Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.