Process Development Scientist

The Fountain Group; North Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A national staffing firm is seeking a Process Development Scientist for a prominent client in North Chicago. This hands-on role focuses on injectable drug product development, requiring strong formulation experience and the ability to work cross-functionally. Candidates need a degree in a relevant field and must have proven lab experience in process development. The role includes designing experiments, analyzing data, and supporting the scale-up process from clinical to commercial stages, offering limited remote flexibility.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in injectable drug product development.
• Hands-on lab experience with formulation and process development required.
• Proven ability to design experiments and analyze data independently.

Responsibilities

• Perform hands-on laboratory work including compounding, filtration, and filling.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with analytical and manufacturing teams.
• Support process development and scale-up from clinical to commercial stages.

Skills

Injectable formulation experience

Process development mindset

Strong communication skills

Collaboration skills

Education

Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related field

Tools

HPLC

Excel

JMP

Minitab

Job description

The Fountain Group is a national staffing firm and we are currently seeking a Process Development Scientist for a prominent client of ours. This position is in North Chicago, IL 60064.

Process Development Scientist – Injectable Drug Products (Biologics)

Overview

We are seeking a Process Development Scientist to support parenteral (injectable) drug product development, with a primary focus on biologics. This is a hands‑on, lab‑based role within Product Development Science & Technology (PDS&T), responsible for formulation development, process optimization, and scale‑up activities from clinical through commercial stages.

This position is ideal for candidates with strong injectable formulation experience, a process development mindset, and the ability to work cross‑functionally in a fast‑paced pharmaceutical environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform hands‑on laboratory work including compounding, filtration, filling, and tangential flow filtration (TFF)
• Design and execute small‑scale experiments to evaluate formulation and process conditions
• Assess stability under various conditions (pH, temperature, stress, freeze‑thaw, etc.)
• Analyze experimental data, draw conclusions, and document findings in an Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN)
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with analytical, CMC, and manufacturing/scale‑up teams
• Support process development and scale‑up from clinical to commercial stages
• Contribute to technical reports, presentations, and internal documentation

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related field
• Experience with parenteral / injectable drug product development
• Hands‑on lab experience with formulation and process development (must have direct ownership)
• Proven ability to design experiments, analyze data, and interpret results independently
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across teams

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with biologics (e.g., monoclonal antibodies, proteins)
• Lyophilization experience (highly preferred)
• Exposure to freeze‑thaw, mixing, filtration, and filling processes
• Familiarity with HPLC / chromatography techniques
• Experience with Design of Experiments (DOE) using tools such as JMP or Minitab
• Understanding of process scale‑up and technology transfer

Technical Skills

• Laboratory techniques: pH, osmolality, viscosity, density measurements
• Data analysis: Excel (required), JMP/Minitab (preferred)
• Documentation: ELN experience preferred
• Approximately 75% lab‑based / 25% data analysis and reporting
• Standard laboratory environment with PPE
• Limited remote flexibility for reporting tasks

Additional Information

• This role focuses on development‑scale work, not routine QC or manufacturing
• Relocation may be considered at the candidate’s expense
• Candidates with extensive experience (e.g., PhD + 5+ years) may be considered overqualified