Principal Engineer (Spray Drying)

AstraZeneca; Macclesfield; On-site; GBP 131,000 - 198,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading pharmaceutical company in the UK is looking for a Principal Engineer (Spray Drying) to coordinate and lead the development of spray drying processes for drug products. The ideal candidate will have at least 5 years of relevant experience in pharmaceutical spray drying, strong collaborative skills, and a background in engineering or pharmaceutical sciences. This role involves working across boundaries with a dynamic team to ensure robust processes and compliance, drive technology transfer, and manage regulatory strategies. Competitive salary and benefits are offered.

Benefits

Short-term incentive bonus

401(k) retirement plan

Health benefits including medical, dental, and vision

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in pharmaceutical spray drying.
• Strong background in pharmaceutical drug product development.
• Experience with technology transfer, scale-up, and validation of processes.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate spray drying process design and development.
• Lead engineering capability in spray drying.
• Define regulatory strategy and manage technical risks in projects.

Skills

Pharmaceutical spray drying

Collaborative working

Stakeholder management

Organizational skills

Creative thinking

Education

BSc / PhD in Engineering or Pharmaceutical Sciences

Tools

Predictive science / digital tools

Job description

We have an open position within our Pharmaceutical Technology and Development (PT&D) department. PT&D is the bridge 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 required to support new medicines – from supplies for use in early toxicology studies and clinical trials to developing the technology to ensure drugs can be scaled up for commercial manufacture.

Make a positive impact, in a team where it means more. In Operations, we have a big ambition to deliver more medicines to patients, quicker and more affordable. Backed by investment, leadership, and a clear plan to get there, we bring personal dedication and out‑of‑the‑box thinking.

Summary

As Principal Engineer (Spray Drying), you will be responsible for coordinating and leading spray drying process design, development and optimisation on late‑stage oral solid dose and inhaled drug product development projects. Building manufacturing process robustness, scale‑up, modelling and simulation capability to progress the development of both small and large molecules within a dynamic team environment will be your key focus. To deliver these goals, you will work and coordinate collaboratively across boundaries with colleagues with diverse scientific expertise—analysts, formulators, engineers, data scientists, materials scientists and other disciplines, clinical supply chain, project leadership, regulatory, outsourcing.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead our engineering capability in spray drying, to design and develop robust manufacturing processes for new pharmaceutical formulations, ensuring scalability and compliance with industry standards.
• Evaluate, select, and specify spray drying equipment and technologies that best meet project and production requirements.
• Work effectively with colleagues across Global Product Development and at our manufacturing partners, to define critical process parameters (CPPs) that influence product quality, in consideration of the wider product control strategy.
• Take the lead in defining the regulatory strategy for spray drying in drug products.
• Drive effective technical risk management to ensure that appropriate activities are conducted throughout development to deliver robust commercial manufacture.
• Expedite adoption and advancement of in silico process modelling and control in spray drying.
• Lead technology transfer, scale‑up and process validation approaches in spray drying.
• Provide leadership and coaching to other scientists and engineers within the group, supporting their development to build capability essential to the delivery of the present and future project portfolio.
• Demonstrate creativity and innovation, driving and supporting a culture of scientific excellence in projects.
• Stay updated on industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in spray drying to foster innovation within the organization.

Essential Requirements

• BSc / PhD level education in a relevant Engineering field (Packaging Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering), or in Pharmaceutical Sciences with related experience in the device and biopharmaceutical industry.
• Minimum 5 years relevant experience.
• Industrial experience in pharmaceutical spray drying with a degree in chemical engineering or a closely related scientific discipline.
• Experience and thorough understanding of the overall pharmaceutical drug product development and commercialisation process, particularly in oral solid dose.
• Proven track record of delivering multiple and/or complex late‑stage spray drying drug product development projects, including technology transfer, scale‑up and validation.
• Experience of using predictive science / digital tools.
• Experience in development of drug product control strategies, bringing together different aspects of pharmaceutical sciences.
• Strong collaborative working and communication skills, including ability to work effectively with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and different skill areas.
• Good organisational and planning skills with the ability to deliver to agreed time and quality.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Skills & Knowledge

• Experience in development, scale‑up and technology transfer of a range of other drug product manufacturing processes, e.g. tablet compression, coating.
• Experience in clinical and commercial regulatory authoring and defence.
• Experience of working with external suppliers (such as CMO / CRO for outsourced development and supply) and managing productive relationships.
• Experience with inputting user requirements into capital projects.

Why AstraZeneca

Be part of shaping the future of Operations here at AstraZeneca. Build on our foundations of high performance through agility, responsiveness, reliability, and efficiency to deliver our new modalities and complex pipeline to market at speed. Backed by a supportive team, accelerate our operational excellence with innovations in cutting‑edge science, lean ways of working, and fast‑changing digital technologies.

Benefits

The annual base pay for this position ranges from $175,572 to $263,538 Annual USD. Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition, our positions offer a short‑term incentive bonus opportunity; eligibility to participate in our equity‑based long‑term incentive program (salaried roles), to receive a retirement contribution (hourly roles), and commission payment eligibility (sales roles). Benefits offered included a qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]; paid vacation and holidays; paid leaves; and, health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans. Additional details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an “at‑will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department / team performance, and market factors.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In furtherance of that mission, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please complete the corresponding section in the application form.