Powder Formulation & Process Dev RA I/II — Early-Stage Impact

Flagship Pioneering; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 94,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary range: $65,000 - $93,500

Healthcare coverage

Annual incentive program

Retirement benefits

Other benefits

Job summary

Flagship Pioneering in Cambridge, MA is seeking a Research Associate to support formulation development focused on dried powder formulations using lyophilization and spray drying. You will execute experiments, contribute to design, and help establish robust workflows in a fast‑moving, early‑stage environment.

The role involves collaboration with process development partners to produce scalable, stable processes, document results, and drive data‑driven decisions to accelerate platform development.

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 across disciplines, with an interest in translating early scientific concepts into robust, scalable technologies.

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;
• Design and conduct 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.

Skills

Scientific documentation

Communication skills

Education

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

Tools

DSC

TGA

Particle sizing

Microscopy

Bulk property measurements

Job description

Flagship Pioneering in Cambridge, MA is seeking a Research Associate to support formulation development focused on dried powder formulations using lyophilization and spray drying. You will execute experiments, contribute to design, and help establish robust workflows in a fast‑moving, early‑stage environment.

The role involves collaboration with process development partners to produce scalable, stable processes, document results, and drive data‑driven decisions to accelerate platform development.