Senior Director, Cell Therapy Process Development

ADP, Inc.; Princeton (NJ); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Made Scientific, based in Princeton, NJ, seeks an Associate Director of Process Development to lead cell therapy manufacturing from early-stage development to commercial production. You will oversee cross-functional teams, drive technology transfer, and ensure cGMP compliance across CDMO facilities.

The role requires deep expertise in cell therapy processes, project leadership, and strong collaboration with clients to advance programs and regulatory filings.

Qualifications

• PhD or MS in Biochemical Engineering, Cell Biology, Bioengineering, Biotechnology, or related field.
• 15+ years of experience in biopharmaceutical manufacturing or process development.
• 5+ years of leadership experience in MSAT, technical operations, or process development.
• Strong experience with cell therapy manufacturing (e.g., CAR-T, TCR-T, NK cells, stem cell therapies).
• Experience in CDMO environments strongly preferred.
• Deep knowledge of: Cell culture and expansion technologies; Viral vector transduction or gene editing workflows; Closed and automated cell therapy manufacturing platforms; Cryopreservation and fill-finish for cell therapy.

Responsibilities

• Provide scientific and technical leadership for cell therapy manufacturing processes including upstream cell expansion, gene modification, harvest, formulation, and cryopreservation.
• Serve as the technical subject matter expert (SME) for manufacturing processes supporting client programs.
• Assist in troubleshooting and root cause analysis for manufacturing deviations, investigations, and CAPAs.
• Drive implementation of process development methodologies.
• Develop and review experimental plans, bill of materials, process descriptions, equipment SOPs, risk assessments, and gap analyses.
• Ensure successful scale-up and scale-out of manufacturing processes across CDMO facilities when applicable.
• Assist in process characterization, comparability studies, and validation support.
• Provide real-time support to GMP manufacturing operations for clinical and commercial batches.
• Drive thought Leadership on Cell Therapy Manufacturing
• Provide expertise into business development processes, to include review of proposals, contracts and marketing material.
• Review batch records, deviations, and change controls related to process changes as needed.
• Present technical updates during client meetings and governance reviews.
• Support proposal development, technical due diligence, and new program onboarding.
• Ensure PD activities align with cGMP, FDA, EMA, and ICH regulatory requirements.
• Contribute to regulatory filings including INDs, BLAs, and comparability packages.
• Support regulatory inspections and client audits.
• Build and lead a high-performing PD team, including scientists and engineers.
• Provide mentorship, technical guidance, and performance management.
• Develop PD strategy aligned with organizational growth and client pipeline.
• Performed other duties as assigned by Head of Development.

Skills

Cell therapy manufacturing

MSAT leadership

Process development

CDMO experience

Technology transfer

Data analytics

Project management

Regulatory knowledge

Cross-functional leadership

Education

PhD or MS in Biochemical Engineering, Cell Biology, Bioengineering, Biotechnology, or related field

Tools

CliniMACS Prodigy

Lonza Cocoon

Job description

Made Scientific, based in Princeton, NJ, seeks an Associate Director of Process Development to lead cell therapy manufacturing from early-stage development to commercial production. You will oversee cross-functional teams, drive technology transfer, and ensure cGMP compliance across CDMO facilities.

The role requires deep expertise in cell therapy processes, project leadership, and strong collaboration with clients to advance programs and regulatory filings.