Research Associate I/II, Formulation & Process Development

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

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

Flagship Pioneering is a platform innovation company that invents and builds companies that change the world. We bring together the greatest scientific minds with entrepreneurial company builders and assemble the capital to allow them to take courageous leaps. Those big leaps in human health, sustainability and beyond exponentially accelerate scientific progress in areas ranging from disease detection and treatment and nature-positive agriculture to novel applications of AI that are driving the creation of new technologies.

What sets Flagship apart is our ability to advance science and technology by uniting innovation, company creation, and capital investment under one roof in a way that is largely without precedent. Our scientific founders, entrepreneurial leaders, and professional capital managers are each aligned around an institutionalized process that enables us to innovate and transform for the benefit of people and planet.

Many of the companies Flagship has founded have addressed humanity’s most urgent challenges: vaccinating billions of people against COVID-19, curing intractable diseases, improving human health, preempting illness, and feeding the world by improving the resiliency and sustainability of agriculture.

Flagship has been recognized twice on FORTUNE’s “Change the World” list, an annual ranking of companies that have made a positive social and environmental impact through activities that are part of their core business strategies and has been twice named to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies.

THE ROLE

This role will be a foundational hire supporting our formulation and product development efforts, with a primary focus on the development, screening, and optimization of dried powder formulations. The individual will play a critical hands‑on role in executing formulation strategies using techniques such as lyophilization and spray drying, while contributing experimental rigor, physical insight, and data‑driven decision‑making to early‑stage platform development.

The Research Associate will work closely with process development partners to produce robust, stable, and scalable processes. In addition to executing experiments, this role will contribute to experimental design, data interpretation, and the establishment of best practices for formulation screening, characterization, and documentation in a fast-moving, early‑stage environment.

KEY 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.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE & 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.

LOCATION

Cambridge, MA

ABOUT FLAGSHIP PIONEERING

Flagship Pioneering invents and builds platform companies, each with the potential for multiple products that transform human health, sustainability, and beyond. Since its launch in 2000, Flagship has originated more than 100 companies. Many of these companies have addressed humanity’s most urgent challenges: vaccinating billions of people against COVID‑19, curing intractable diseases, improving human health, preempting illness, and feeding the world by improving the resiliency and sustainability of agriculture.

Flagship has been recognized twice on FORTUNE’s “Change the World” list, an annual ranking of companies that have made a positive social and environmental impact through activities that are part of their core business strategies and has been twice named to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies. Learn more about Flagship at www.flagshippioneering.com.

At Flagship, we accept impossible missions to enable bigger leaps. Our core values guide us through uncertainty and toward lasting impact.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We recognize that great candidates often bring unique strengths without fulfilling every qualification. If you have some of the experience listed above but not all, please apply anyway. We are dedicated to building diverse and inclusive teams and look forward to learning more about your background and interest in Flagship.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• Salary range: $65,000 - $93,500


• Healthcare coverage


• Annual incentive program


• Retirement benefits


• Other benefits