Senior Associate Scientist - Drug Product Development

Initial Therapeutics, Inc.; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Sanofi Inc. in Cambridge, MA is seeking a Senior Associate Scientist Drug Product Development to support design, development, and optimization of preclinical and clinical solid dosage formulations for small molecules, from early development through scale-up and transfer to GMP manufacturing.

You will work under senior team members, apply hands-on lab skills, perform DoE-guided studies, collaborate with CMC, Analytical, Quality, and Regulatory colleagues, and contribute to the creation of robust,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science, Food Science, or related field.
• 4+ years with Bachelor's or 2+ years with Master's in product/process development in pharma/lab setting.
• Experience with oral solid dosage formulation (tablets/capsules) and dissolution testing.
• Industry experience preferred; academic/research experience acceptable.

Responsibilities

• Support design and development of oral solid dosage formulations for preclinical and clinical programs.
• Execute formulation studies including excipient testing, prototype development, and optimization under guidance.
• Contribute to development of conventional and enabling formulations to address bioavailability challenges.
• Support granulation, blending, compression/tableting, and encapsulation processes.
• Assist in applying DoE methodologies to optimize formulation and process parameters.
• Collaborate with CMC, Analytical, Quality, and Regulatory teams to align development strategies.
• Author and review technical reports, batch records, and documentation.
• Plan and manage multiple experiments with supervision.

Skills

Oral solid dosage

Dissolution testing

Solubility testing

DoE knowledge

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Pharmaceutical Sciences/related field

Tools

Tablet presses

Granulation equipment

Capsule filling machines

Job description

Job Title: Senior Associate Scientist Drug Product Development

• Location: Cambridge, MA

About the Job:

This position supports the development of oral solid dosage formulations for small molecule drug products. The successful candidate will contribute to the design, development, and optimization of preclinical formulations (conventional and enabling) and clinical solid oral dosage forms (tablet and capsule), from early-stage development through scale-up and technology transfer to GMP manufacturing. Working under the guidance of senior team members and in close collaboration with cross-functional CMC teams, the candidate will apply hands-on laboratory skills and foundational scientific knowledge to help advance drug candidates into clinical development.

Join the engine of Sanofis mission where deep immunoscience meets bold, AI-powered research. In R&D, youll drive breakthroughs that could turn the impossible into possible for millions.

About Sanofi:

Were an R&D-driven, AI-powered biopharma company committed to improving peoples lives and delivering compelling growth. Our deep understanding of the immune system and innovative pipeline enables us to invent medicines and vaccines that treat and protect millions of people around the world. Together, we chase the miracles of science to improve peoples lives.

Main Responsibilities:

• Support the design and development of oral solid dosage formulations (tablets, capsules, granules) for preclinical and clinical programs

• Execute formulation studies including excipient compatibility testing, prototype development, and formulation optimization under guidance

• Contribute to the development of conventional and enabling formulations (e.g., amorphous dispersions) to help address bioavailability challenges

• Support formulation and process development activities, including granulation (wet and dry), blending, compression/tableting, and encapsulation

• Assist in applying DoE methodologies to optimize formulation and process parameters, with guidance from senior scientists

• Collaborate within the CMC team as a contributing team member, supporting defined deliverables and milestones

• Work with Analytical, Biopharm, Quality, and Regulatory colleagues to support alignment on development strategies

• Support Research team interactions to help evaluate molecular attributes relevant to drug delivery and formulation design

• Author and review technical reports, batch records, and supporting documentation with guidance from senior staff

• Ensure all documentation is accurate, complete, and compliant with requirements

• Maintain awareness of current scientific literature relevant to assigned projects

• Makes decisions that may require extrapolation of technical knowledge. Decisions generally impact own work and may impact the work group or project team.

• Independently plans standard and moderately complex experiments with relevant controls, with limited guidance from supervisor or subject matter experts. Able to plan and manage a set of concurrent experiments.

• Individual contributor. Understands the responsibilities of being a team member and adheres to appropriate documentation and safety practices.

• Presents internally within the functional group and to other local functions. May present to project or cross-functional teams as appropriate.

• Organizes own daily work to meet deadlines. Contributes to team objectives and short-term operational goals under supervision.

About You:

Basic Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree OR Master's degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science, Food Science, or a related life science/scientific/engineering discipline

Experience:

• 4+ years (Bachelor's holders) OR 2+ years (Master's holders) of hands-on experience in product or process development in a pharmaceutical, laboratory or related environment

• Experience with oral solid dosage formulation (tablets and/or capsules)

• Experience running dissolution studies using standard apparatus (USP2, USP4, USP7) and/or Pion equipment

• Solubility testing experience

• Academic or research experience will be considered but industry experience is required

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with enabling formulations such as amorphous solid dispersions, nanosuspensions, or lipid-based formulations

• Excipient compatibility testing and formulation screening experience

• Hands-on experience with tablet presses (rotary and/or single-station)

• Experience with granulation equipment (high-shear, fluid bed, and/or roller compaction)

• Experience with capsule filling machines and/or coating equipment

• Working knowledge of powder characterization techniques

• Familiarity with Design of Experiments (DoE) methodologies

• Exposure to process scale-up and technology transfer activities

• Experience working with external manufacturing or research partners

• Strong problem-solving skills and scientific curiosity

• Effective oral and written communication skills

• Ability to work collaboratively in a cross-functional team environment

• Good organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously

Why Choose Us?

• Bring the miracles of science to life alongside a supportive, future-focused team.

• Discover endless opportunities to grow your talent and drive your career, whether its through a promotion or lateral move, at home or internationally.

• Enjoy a thoughtful, well-crafted rewards package that recognizes your contribution and amplifies your impact.

• Take good care of yourself and your family, with a wide range of health and wellbeing benefits including high-quality healthcare, prevention and wellness programs and at least 14 weeks gender-neutral parental leave.

• Help improve the lives of millions of people globally by making drug development quicker and more effective.

• Work at the forefront of drug discovery, harnessing cutting-edge AI, data, and digital platforms to push the boundaries of science.

• Achieve genuine work-life balance in a supportive R&D environment.

Sanofi Inc. and its U.S. affiliates are Equal Opportunity and Affinity Action employers committed to a culturally diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; creed; religion; national origin; age; ancestry; nationality; marital, domestic partnership or civil union status; sex, gender, gender identity or expression; affectional or sexual orientation; disability; veteran or military status or liability for military status; domestic violence victim status; atypical cellular or blood trait; genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing) or any other characteristic protected by law.

All compensation will be determined commensurate with demonstrated experience. Employees may be eligible to participate in Company employee benefit programs, and additional benefits information can be found here.