Research Associate I/II, Formulation & Process Development

flagshippioneeringinc; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Flagship Pioneering is seeking a scientist to advance dried powder formulations through lyophilization and spray drying. The role emphasizes experimental rigor, data-driven decision making, and early-stage platform development within a collaborative team.

The ideal candidate will contribute to formulation strategies, process development, and documentation to support scale-up and partnerships in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• BS or MS in chemistry, chemical engineering, pharmaceutical sciences, materials science, biotechnology or related discipline.
• Grounding in physical chemistry or materials science principles relevant to dried systems is preferred.
• Experience with analytical techniques for powders and solid-state materials is preferred.
• Proven ability to work independently in a dynamic, early-stage research environment.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute mixing protocols for solid and liquid mixtures, optimizing uniformity, stability, viscosity, temperature and pH.
• Execute protocols for production of dried formulations by spray drying, freeze drying and milling operations.
• Characterize dried powder products using analytical methods (particle size, morphology, moisture, bulk properties).
• Document critical parameters and generate data for scale-up, tech transfer, or external partnerships.
• Maintain rigorous experimental documentation and develop high-quality summaries and datasets.

Skills

Experimental design

Data analysis

Scientific communication

Independent worker

Education

BS or MS in chemistry/chemical engineering/materials science/biotech

Tools

DSC

TGA

Particle sizing

Microscopy

Job description

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

Flagship Pioneering is a platform innovation company that invents and builds companies that change the world. We bring together the greatest scientific minds with entrepreneurial company builders and assemble the capital to allow them to take courageous leaps. Those big leaps in human health, sustainability and beyond exponentially accelerate scientific progress in areas ranging from disease detection and treatment and nature-positive agriculture to novel applications of AI that are driving the creation of new technologies.

What sets Flagship apart is our ability to advance science and technology by uniting innovation, company creation, and capital investment under one roof in a way that is largely without precedent. Our scientific founders, entrepreneurial leaders, and professional capital managers are each aligned around an institutionalized process that enables us to innovate and transform for the benefit of people and planet.

Many of the companies Flagship has founded have addressed humanity's most urgent challenges: vaccinating billions of people against COVID-19, curing intractable diseases, improving human health, preempting illness, and feeding the world by improving the resiliency and sustainability of agriculture.

Flagship has been recognized twice on FORTUNE's "Change the World" list, an annual ranking of companies that have made a positive social and environmental impact through activities that are part of their core business strategies and has been twice named to Fast Company's annual list of the World's Most Innovative Companies.

THE ROLE

This role will be a foundational hire supporting our formulation and product development efforts, with a primary focus on the development, screening, and optimization of dried powder formulations. The individual will play a critical hands-on role in executing formulation strategies using techniques such as lyophilization and spray drying, while contributing experimental rigor, physical insight, and data-driven decision-making to early-stage platform development.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design and execute mixing protocols for solid and liquid mixtures, optimizing for uniformity, stability, viscosity, temperature and pH during the mixing process;
• Execute protocols for production of dried formulations by spray drying, freeze drying and milling operations. Observe and conduct in process checks to ensure robustness of formulated material.
• Characterize dried powder products using appropriate analytical and physical methods (e.g., particle size and morphology, thermal analysis, moisture content, bulk properties) to inform formulation and process decisions;
• Support process development and scale-awareness by documenting critical parameters, identifying sources of variability, and generating data relevant to future scale-up, tech transfer, or external partnerships;
• Maintain clear, rigorous experimental documentation and generate high-quality summaries, figures, and datasets suitable for internal decision-making;
• Contribute to the establishment of long-term formulation workflows, best practices, and standards that support platform development in a small, highly collaborative team.
• Designs, conducts and maintains stability studies of packaged formulations by timely stability pulls and analyses of stability samples in accordance with internal standards for shelf-life verification.
• Immediate and fluid communication of results, roadblocks, errors, ideas and breakthroughs to team members to ensure fast paced innovation.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• BS or MS degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, pharmaceutical sciences, materials science, biotechnology, or related discipline.
• RA I: BS with up to 2 years of relevant industry experience
• RA II: BS with 2-4 years or MS with 0-2 years of relevant industry experience
• Grounding in physical chemistry or materials science principles relevant to dried systems, including glass transition behavior, crystallinity, moisture interactions, and excipient effects strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with analytical and characterization techniques for powders and solid-state materials (e.g., DSC, TGA, particle sizing, microscopy, bulk property measurements) is preferred.
• Proven ability to work independently in a dynamic, early-stage research environment is preferred.
• Experience designing and executing sound experiments with the ability to interpret results and use data to guide experimental iteration.
• Strong scientific documentation and communication skills.
• Demonstrated curiosity, adaptability, and comfort working a