R&D Fermentation & Bioprocess - Group Lead

Biological E; New Delhi; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 3,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Biological E in New Delhi is seeking a Group Lead - Fermentation & Bioprocess Development to lead upstream and downstream programs for microbial fermentation products and biologics.

You will establish world-class R&D, pilot-scale and future manufacturing capabilities for APIs, while supporting expansion into mAbs, biosimilars and recombinant biologics, with leadership of cross-functional teams and technology transfer.

Qualifications

• PhD/MSc/MTech in Biotechnology, Biochemical Engineering, Microbiology or related.
• Hands-on industrial experience in fermentation, bioprocess development and scale-up.
• Proven expertise in microbial fermentation, process characterization, pilot plant operations and downstream purification.
• Strong knowledge of fluid dynamics, fermentation engineering, metabolomics, PAT tools, DoE and statistical analysis.
• Experience in development and scale-up of APIs or related fermentation-derived products.
• Exposure to mAbs, biosimilars and recombinant biologics manufacturing preferred.
• Demonstrated success in technology transfer, team leadership and problem-solving in a complex R&D environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead upstream fermentation development from cell banking to pilot-scale fermentation.
• Drive process optimization using fermenter dynamics, oxygen transfer and scale-up.
• Apply DoE, QbD and statistical modelling to improve productivity and robustness.
• Lead downstream development and purification to achieve target yields and impurities.
• Provide scientific leadership for future mAb and biosimilar development and tech transfer.
• Support greenfield R&D and pilot manufacturing facilities and technology transfer.
• Lead cross-functional teams and mentor scientists in a culture of excellence.

Skills

Fermentation development

Bioprocess development

Process scale-up

DoE

QbD

Metabolomics

PAT tools

Tech transfer

Leadership

Education

PhD / MSc in Biotechnology or related

MTech in Biochemical Engineering

Tools

Single-use technologies

Job description

BE Biosol is seeking an experienced Group Lead - Fermentation & Bioprocess Development to lead upstream and downstream process development programs spanning microbial fermentation products and biologics. This role will be instrumental in establishing world-class R&D, pilot-scale and future commercial manufacturing capabilities for APIs, while supporting the organization's expansion into monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), biosimilars and recombinant biologics.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead bacterial fermentation process development from cell banking, seed development and shake flask studies through pilot-scale fermentation.
• Drive process optimization using advanced understanding of fermenter fluid dynamics, oxygen transfer, mixing, scale-up, metabolism and process engineering principles.
• Apply advanced Design of Experiments (DoE), Quality by Design (QbD), statistical modelling and metabolomics to improve productivity, robustness and process understanding.
• Lead downstream process development, optimization and scale-up including harvest, filtration, TFF and chromatography to achieve target yields, recoveries and impurity profiles.
• Provide scientific leadership for future mAb and biosimilar process development, pilot manufacturing, technology transfer and commercial readiness activities.
• Support establishment of greenfield R&D and pilot manufacturing facilities, including equipment selection, process design, commissioning and technology transfer.
• Lead cross-functional teams, mentor scientists and engineers, and drive a culture of innovation, scientific excellence and execution.

Candidate Profile

• PhD / M.Tech / M.Sc. in Biotechnology, Biochemical Engineering, Microbiology, Bioprocess Engineering or related discipline.
• Hands-on industrial experience in fermentation, bioprocess development and scale-up.
• Proven expertise in microbial fermentation, process characterization, pilot plant operations and downstream purification.
• Strong knowledge of fluid dynamics, fermentation engineering, metabolomics, PAT tools, DoE and statistical analysis.
• Experience in development and scale-up of APIs or related fermentation-derived products.
• Exposure to mAbs, biosimilars, single-use technologies and biologics manufacturing will be highly preferred.
• Demonstrated success in technology transfer, team leadership, problem-solving and decision-making in a complex R&D environment.

Key Competencies

• Scientific and technical leadership
• Analytical and critical thinking
• Data-driven decision making
• Hands-on troubleshooting and process optimization
• Team building and stakeholder management
• Greenfield project execution and scale-up expertise