Powder Formulation R&D Associate I/II

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

Job summary

Flagship Pioneering in Cambridge, MA seeks a Research Associate I/II for Formulation & Process Development. You will design mixing protocols, perform spray drying and freeze-drying, and characterize dried powders to guide scalable formulation strategies.

The role involves working with process development partners, documenting critical parameters, and contributing to best practices for platform development in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• BS or MS 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.
• Characterize dried powder products using analytical and physical methods to inform formulation and process decisions.
• Document critical parameters, identify sources of variability, and generate data for scale-up, tech transfer, or partnerships.
• Maintain rigorous experimental documentation and generate high-quality summaries, figures, and datasets for decision-making.
• Contribute to long-term formulation workflows, best practices, and standards for platform development.
• Designs, conducts and maintains stability studies of packaged formulations with timely stability pulls.
• Communicate results, roadblocks, and ideas to team members to ensure fast paced innovation.

Skills

Experimental design

Data interpretation

Scientific communication

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Education

BS in chemistry/chemical engineering/biotech

MS in chemistry/chemical engineering/biotech

Tools

DSC

TGA

particle sizing

microscopy

Job description

Flagship Pioneering in Cambridge, MA seeks a Research Associate I/II for Formulation & Process Development. You will design mixing protocols, perform spray drying and freeze-drying, and characterize dried powders to guide scalable formulation strategies.

The role involves working with process development partners, documenting critical parameters, and contributing to best practices for platform development in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.