Adoptive Cell Therapy Lead Scientist

ESCO ASTER PTE. LTD.; Singapore; On-site; SGD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading life sciences company in Singapore is seeking an Adoptive Cell Therapy Lead Scientist. The role involves overseeing innovative programs in cell therapy and collaborating with various stakeholders. Candidates should have a PhD in Life Sciences and experience in a scientific laboratory environment. Strong communication and analytical skills are essential for success in this position. Interested candidates can apply by sending a cover letter and CV.

Qualifications

• PhD preferred in Life Sciences or related disciplines.
• Minimum 2 years work experience in a science laboratory.
• Experience with Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Understand and present Adoptive Cell Therapy programs to stakeholders.
• Design and execute internal experiments for gene delivery.
• Develop processes for smooth tech transfer.

Skills

Ability to read, analyze and interpret scientific data

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Proficient in MS Office Suite

Scientific creativity

Education

PhD in Life Sciences or related disciplines

Tools

qPCR

Flow Cytometry

HPLC

Job description

The Opportunity

Esco Lifesciences Group is Singapore’s most globalized life sciences company, with annual revenues close to SGD 200M and global operations in over 42 locations and 26 direct countries across North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania.

Esco Aster Pte Ltd is an affiliate of Esco Lifesciences Group and was first incorporated in 2017.

Esco Aster is a contract research development and manufacturing organization founded and deeply rooted by scientists enabling fellow scientists to translate their bench work into commercially available products at affordable prices.

Our scientific work is in emerging and frontier biology utilizing cells as a final product or deriving products from cells which often we use cells as the factory to derive our target product.

Our first commercial breakthrough success is Esco Aster is commercially first in class being first in the world to be certified for cultivated/cell-based meat to FSSC 22000 and by a competent food regulatory body.

We are first in the region to operate an end-to-end integrated full cell line creation/immortalization or engineered cell line, cell culture process development, analytical development for stem cells and exosomes with full cGMP Capabilities from Drug Substance and small-scale fill & finish for final Cell Therapy Product.

The work we do creates a remarkable and lasting impact on our world. We offer you an opportunity to be part of this exciting journey to own your career and firsthand exposure to new emerging modalities supporting translational sciences.

Join us as we redefine BioSolutions for One World and One Health for the current and future generations to come.

Esco Aster.

One World Biosolutions for One Health.

Who we’re looking for

Physical/Mental Requirements/Work Environment

• Ability to read, analyze and interpret scientific data and publications.
• Ability to author or review protocols, technical reports and technology transfer documents.
• Ability to author or review standard operating procedures and other related documents.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw conclusions.
• Ability to focus.
• Repetitive motions due to certain laboratory techniques.

Report To: Selected candidate will report to Head of Scientific & Sales Operations, or others as assigned.

The Scope

Esco Aster is looking for an Adoptive Cell Therapy Lead Scientist to ensure the success of our upcoming innovator programs for both autologous and allogeneic adoptive cell therapy, genetically modified (viral and non-viral approaches) cell therapy and build a team that will be able to deliver the projects as well as build up our Virus Producing Cell Line Viral Vector platform for Car-T and In-Vivo Car-T Biomanufacturing platforms (viral vector or nanoparticle based).

Candidate should be familiar from end to end from plasmid design, viral vector production and immune cell culture as well as associated analytics.

Our collaborators and innovators are working in the following areas, Car-T, Car-NK, NK Cell Therapy, Gamma Delta T Cell Therapy, Tatmyctofusp-T, Tatmyctofusp-NK, Tregs, Dendritic Cell, M2 Macrophages. Our collaborators are working in both vivo and ex vivo Car-X and starting material from allogeneic sources such as cord blood or pluripotent/multipotent stem cells.

Primary work location: Ayer Rajah Crescent, Singapore.

Job Responsibilities

• Understand our Adoptive Cell Therapy programs and present to all internal stakeholders such as but not limited to research, clinician and manufacturing scientists, manufacturing science & technology teams, quality teams, shareholders, including preparation and delivery of presentations.
• Understand our Adoptive Cell Therapy programs and be single contact window for external stakeholders such as but not limited to auditors, regulatory, investors, clinicians, academic collaborators, clinical research organizations, clinician scientists, medical centers, patients, insurers and preparing specific presentations of marketing / scientific communications as well as presenting to them.
• Design and execute internal experiments to ensure Esco Aster viral vectors and non-viral gene editing platforms (e.g. mRNA via flow electroporation, fusion proteins, lipid nanoparticles, etc.) can be commercialized and acquire new gene delivery clients for genetically modified cell therapy.
• Oversee collaborators work to ensure that they can meet and align company objectives to understand the mechanism of action linked to potency assay and linked to patient biomarkers to elucidate safety on target or off target or responders for Adoptive cell therapy.
• Develop processes and part of cross functional manufacturing science & technology team and manufacturing scientific team to ensure smooth internal and /or external tech transfer and as needed cell manufacturing within Esco Aster GLP and cGMP Facilities.
• Prepare technical proposals as well as client specific presentations and present them online or in person to convince innovators to contract Esco Aster whilst aligning and working closely with scientists within the research and development services team and other stakeholders to ensure that the contracted work can be completed on time and within budget.
• Develop techno economical models to demonstrate how we can via advanced manufacturing and automation at scale still achieve the lowest cost of goods for end patient autologous Car-T Costing at USD $120,000 and develop the manufacturing technology required to reduce the cogs with still sufficient profit to Esco Aster.
• Execute and ensure development of protocols from Analytical Development and via Analytical Sciences and Technology Methodology smooth tech transfer from method qualification to method validation into Quality Control.
• Understand and work with Manufacturing Sciences & Technology colleagues on new manufacturing technology and impact they have on existing cell critical quality attributes and development of label free as well as other inline and rapid release assays such as but not limited to T Cell Exhaustion, Sterility testing.
• Scientist should be familiar with the following instruments and analytical techniques, qPCR, dPCR, Flow Cytometry, HPLC, Automated Cell Counter, Bioanalyzers, Stunner, nanoparticle analyzers and others.
• Understand and know how to design packaging and helper plasmids and optimize transfection including ratios and transfection reagents (linear PEI)
• Understand and optimize viral sensitizers to enhance yield of viral vectors.
• Understand and know how to optimize viral vector Multiplicity of Infection and transduction efficiency.
• Understand and optimize serum free, animal component free and when relevant feeder free culture, or usage of laminin, retronectin.
• As a CRDMO project teams are formed based on subject matter expertise as well as technical skillsets, hence at various times you may be required to be part of multi-disciplinary, cross functional client specific project team.
• Other work as assigned.
• Participate in multiple projects in the area of cell and gene therapy for process development and analytical development from small to large scale.
• Perform lab work based on the project schedule and assigned tasks from supervisors in a time efficient manner.
• Perform hands-on daily laboratory work including but not limited to primary cell culture (stem cells, immune cells, tumour cells etc.), cell-based assays (cell imaging, flow cytometry assays, killing assays etc.) and other molecular assays (ELISA, metabolite analysis etc.).
• Carry out experiment data collection, record and analysis for projects per request.
• Be involved and contribute to creation of protocols and technical reports.
• Assist in lab duties and administrative work including procurement, record keeping, maintenance of lab equipment etc.
• Maintain a strong interest in scientific principles and appreciate the need for detailed analysis and documentation.
• Exercise scientific creativity and independent thought in research & process development.
• Perform tasks in accordance with applicable regulations and site safety requirements.
• Undertake other tasks as assigned based on project needs.

Requirements

• PhD in Life Sciences or related disciplines is preferred.
• Relevant publications or patents in similar fields.
• Bioreactor experience is preferred.
• Minimum 2 years work experience in a science laboratory.
• Experience with Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) will be an advantage.
• Ability to plan and perform experiments in an interdisciplinary environment independently and efficiently.
• Proficient in MS Office Suite (Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel).
• Able to work independently, self-starter, self-motivated and task oriented.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong team player, develop positive relationships with a strong set of interpersonal skills.
• During the start-up phase of the team/facility, be willing to take on an expanded role to set up workflow/processes as needed.

Apply now by submitting a Cover Letter and CV to [e-mail].