Trace Impurity MS Scientist – Drive Pharma Insights

ASTRAZENECA UK LIMITED; Macclesfield; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

AstraZeneca UK Limited in Macclesfield seeks a Mass Spectrometry Scientist to quantify trace impurities and support product understanding and regulatory documentation. You will design and apply MS methods across development and commercial products, delivering robust data for decision making.

Join an analytical team that partners across development and commercialisation, translating complex signals into clear conclusions, with opportunities to mentor colleagues and advance digital tools for

Qualifications

• Significant practical mass spectrometry experience in pharma analysis.
• Ability to develop and troubleshoot MS methods for trace impurities.
• Strong data interpretation and cross-functional communication.
• Experience interpreting complex analytical data across disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Trace Impurity Quantification: Develop, review and apply mass spectrometry methods to quantify trace-level components in complex matrices, supporting both development projects and marketed products with reliable, sensitive and specific assays.
• Separation Science and Sample Preparation: Design and optimise sample-preparation and chromatographic approaches that resolve challenging low-level analytes, ensuring reproducible outcomes and robust method performance.
• Investigation and Characterisation: Investigate unexpected results and unknown impurities; conduct targeted characterisation and structure confirmation to explain signals and strengthen scientific rationale.
• Data Interpretation and Decision Influence: Translate analytical outputs into clear, defensible conclusions that drive product understanding, impurity control strategies and regulatory documentation.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration and External Oversight: Work closely with project teams and partner functions to deliver on timelines; transfer methods or oversee external laboratories to ensure consistent execution and data integrity.
• Quality, Compliance and Safety: Operate to Safety, Health and Environment expectations and applicable GMP, GLP and data-integrity standards; contribute to inspection-ready documentation and ways of working.
• Capability Building and Continuous Improvement: Share knowledge, mentor colleagues and advance scientific capability, including opportunities to apply automation and digital tools for efficiency and insight.

Skills

Mass spectrometry

Pharmaceutical analysis

Data interpretation

Method development

Education

Relevant scientific degree

Tools

LC-MS

Job description

AstraZeneca UK Limited in Macclesfield seeks a Mass Spectrometry Scientist to quantify trace impurities and support product understanding and regulatory documentation. You will design and apply MS methods across development and commercial products, delivering robust data for decision making.

Join an analytical team that partners across development and commercialisation, translating complex signals into clear conclusions, with opportunities to mentor colleagues and advance digital tools for