Director, Bioconjugation

AL Solutions; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Bioconjugation Development Unit, a leading biologics CDMO in Philadelphia, is seeking a Director of Bioconjugation to lead discovery and development activities across conjugation, purification, analytical characterization, scale-up, and GMP transfer.

You will mentor scientists, manage projects, and partner with Manufacturing, QA/QC, and Commercial teams to deliver innovative biotherapeutics. This is a senior leadership role focused on strategic execution and client collaboration.

Qualifications

• PhD with 5+ years (or BS/MS with 8+ years) in biotherapeutic development or bioconjugation.
• Strong knowledge of bioconjugation reactions and development strategies.
• Hands-on purification of biological molecules (antibodies, carrier proteins, viruses, vectors).
• Experience with normal flow filtration and tangential flow filtration (TFF/UF-DF).
• Familiarity with preparative chromatography systems (ÄKTA Pilot/Ready/Explorer).
• Understanding of cGMP, GxP, and FDA guidelines.
• Proven leadership and direct client communication experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead bioconjugation development programs from project assignment through completion.
• Oversee conjugation process development, downstream purification, scale-up, and resource planning.
• Perform and guide chromatographic purification using affinity, hydrophobic interaction, and ion-exchange chromatography.
• Develop and optimize filtration processes, including NFF and TFF/UF-DF.
• Lead bioconjugation analytics using HPLC/LC-MS and related methods.
• Act as SME for internal teams and external clients; mentor staff.
• Lead tech transfer of bioconjugation processes into GMP manufacturing.
• Support risk assessments, batch records, and troubleshooting.
• Collaborate with Commercial teams on client scoping, proposals, and costings.
• Prepare and review development reports, SOPs, and technical presentations.

Skills

Bioconjugation expertise

Chromatography

Process development

Analytical characterization

Leadership/people management

GxP knowledge

Education

PhD in relevant field

BS/MS with 8+ years in biotherapeutic development

Tools

ÄKTA systems

HPLC/UPLC

LC-MS

Job description

George Higginson is currently partnered with a leading biologics CDMO that is expanding its Bioconjugation Development team in Philadelphia, PA.

As part of this growth, they are looking to hire a Director of Bioconjugation. This is an excellent opportunity to take a senior leadership role within a growing organization supporting the development and manufacture of innovative biotherapeutics.

This position will lead bioconjugation discovery and development activities, including conjugation process development, downstream purification, analytical characterization, scale-up, and technical transfer into manufacturing.

You will serve as a technical subject-matter expert for internal teams and clients while managing and mentoring scientists within the Bioconjugation Development group.

Responsibilities:

• Lead bioconjugation development programs from project assignment through completion
• Oversee conjugation process development, downstream purification, scale-up, and resource planning
• Perform and guide hands-on chromatographic purification using affinity, hydrophobic interaction, and ion-exchange chromatography
• Develop and optimize filtration processes, including normal flow filtration and TFF/UF-DF
• Lead bioanalytical characterization using techniques including HPLC, UPLC, LC-MS, MALDI, MALS, and colorimetric assays
• Act as the bioconjugation technical lead and SME for internal teams and external clients
• Manage, train, and mentor direct reports while monitoring team performance and departmental KPIs
• Lead the technical transfer of bioconjugation processes into GMP manufacturing
• Support risk assessments, gap assessments, batch record development, and manufacturing troubleshooting
• Partner with commercial teams on client scoping calls, bid defences, project design, costing, and proposal development
• Author and review development reports, protocols, batch records, SOPs, laboratory documentation, and technical presentations
• Work cross-functionally with Manufacturing, QA, QC, and leadership to support toxicology and GLP batch activities

Requirements:

• PhD with 5+ years of relevant industry experience, or a BS/MS with 8+ years of experience in biotherapeutic development or bioconjugation.
• Strong knowledge of bioconjugation reactions, techniques, and development strategies
• Hands-on experience with the preparative purification of biological molecules, including antibodies, carrier proteins, viruses, or viral vectors
• Expertise in normal flow filtration and tangential flow filtration, including TFF and UF-DF
• Experience with preparative chromatography systems such as ÄKTA Pilot, ÄKTA Ready, or ÄKTA Explorer
• Strong understanding of scalable process parameters for filtration and chromatographic separations
• Experience with protein characterization techniques such as HPLC, LC-MS, CE-SDS, and UV spectrophotometry
• Knowledge of cGMP manufacturing operations, GxP principles, and relevant ICH and FDA guidelines
• Demonstrated experience leading technical projects and communicating directly with clients
• Previous people-management, mentoring, or team-leadership experience

Preferred Experience:

• Design of Experiments and bioprocess optimization
• Technical transfer of bioconjugation processes into GMP manufacturing
• Large-scale and single-use bioprocess equipment
• Client scoping, proposal development, and bid-defence activities
• CDMO or client-facing development environment

Why This Role?

This is an opportunity to lead a growing Bioconjugation Development function within a leading biologics CDMO, combining scientific leadership with hands-on technical development. You will take ownership of complex programs from early development through manufacturing transfer, work directly with clients developing innovative biotherapeutic products, mentor and develop a talented scientific team, and collaborate across Development, Manufacturing, Quality, and Commercial functions.