Sr. R&D Scientist

Catalent Pharma Solutions; Manassas (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive PTO and holidays

Benefits from day one (medical, dental

Tuition Reimbursement

Career growth & employee engagement

Job summary

Catalent Pharma Solutions in Manassas, VA is seeking a Senior R&D Scientist to lead formulation development, pre‑formulation, process optimization and stability studies. You will author protocols/reports, interpret results, and support multiple projects with a Patient/Consumer First approach.

The role requires hands-on leadership, GMP/GLP compliance, and collaboration with cross‑functional teams. 100% onsite, Monday–Friday, with extended hours as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in science or related field required.
• Minimum 5–7 years in a formulation role in a lab setting.
• Minimum 3–5 years experience with soft confectionery formats (chew/lozenge).
• Experience in dietary supplement/confection/pharma GMP environments.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Plan, coordinate, and guide development of new products including pre-formulation, compatibility studies, formulation development, and scale-up.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring across functional areas.
• Ensure technical reviews and oversight for portfolio projects.
• Communicate progress and results with management and customers.
• Maintain GMP/GLP compliance and safety standards.
• Lead discussions in meetings at multiple levels and drive portfolio commitments.

Skills

Formulation expertise

Analytical troubleshooting

Project leadership

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in science

Master's degree preferred

Tools

GMP/GLP knowledge

Job description

About Site

The ~70,000-square-foot Manassas facility operates within Catalent’s Consumer Health portfolio, supporting programs from early development through commercial manufacturing and packaging. It is designed for dietary supplement and food‑safety cGMP operations, making it distinct from Catalent’s traditional pharmaceutical and biologics manufacturing sites.

Position Summary

We have an opportunity for a Senior R&D Scientist to join our team and provide technical direction and expertise throughout the entire product development process. This role focuses on pre-formulation studies, process optimization, and stability studies. You will define development studies, author and approve protocols and reports, and interpret analytical results for formulation development. You will also provide technical expertise and support on multiple projects while maintaining a Patient/Consumer First culture.

Shift: Monday to Friday 9am-5:30pm

Location: Manassas, VA 100% Onsite

Role

• Plan, coordinate, and guide the development and evaluation of new products, including pre-formulation excipient selection, compatibility studies, formulation development, process optimization, and scale-up manufacturing
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to individuals, functional areas, and the organization as required
• Ensure appropriate technical review and oversight for portfolio projects and programs
• Communicate effectively and on time with management, other departments, and customers regarding development activities, results, and next steps
• Operate under and maintain Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) conditions and practices
• Maintain and improve compliance with training, best practices, safety, and cleaning requirements
• Represent functional area and projects by leading discussions at local, technical, governance, executive, and customer meetings
• Lead Catalent’s strategies, initiatives, expectations, processes, and portfolio commitments
• Work extended hours and weekends as needed, especially when problems occur or deadlines must be met
• Perform other duties as required

Candidate Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in science or related field
• Minimum 5-7 years of experience in a formulation role in a lab setting
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience with soft confectionery formats, particularly chew and/or lozenge formats
• Experience working in a dietary supplement, confection, and/or pharmaceutical manufacturing and/or GMP facility
• Expertise in soft chew and lozenge technologies for dietary supplement development
• Excellent time management and organizational skills
• Experience in troubleshooting and problem solving
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office
• Strong interpersonal skills to work effectively with people at all levels and in various functional areas; ability to influence and motivate others to achieve results
• While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is often required to sit and use their hands and fingers to handle or feel and to manipulate keys on a keyboard. Use of manual dexterity is required. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with arms and hands, bend or twist, and to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

Preferred Skills & Background

Master’s degree preferred

Why You Should Join Catalent

• Competitive Paid Time Off plus 8 paid holidays
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits effective day one of employment
• Tuition Reimbursement – support to finish your degree or earn a new one
• Site-based Employee Engagement activities such as potlucks, cookouts, and monthly birthday recognitions
• Employee Resource Groups focusing on Diversity and Inclusion
• Environmentally friendly, community engagement green initiatives
• Defined career path and annual performance review process with potential for career growth
• WellHub program to promote overall physical and mental wellness
• Perkspot – exclusive discounts from over 900 merchants in various categories

Catalent offers rewarding opportunities to further your career! Join the global drug development and delivery leader and help us bring over 7,000 life‑saving and life‑enhancing products to patients around the world. Catalent is an exciting and growing international company where employees work directly with pharma, biopharma and consumer health companies of all sizes to advance new medicines from early development to clinical trials and to the market. Catalent produces more than 70 billion doses per year, and each one will be used by someone who is counting on us. Join us in making a difference. personal initiative. dynamic pace. meaningful work. Visit Catalent Careers to explore career opportunities.

Catalent is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and veterans.

If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process due to a disability, you may submit your request by sending an email, and confirming your request for an accommodation and include the job number, title and location to [e-mail]. This option is reserved for individuals who require accommodation due to a disability. Information received will be processed by a U.S. Catalent employee and then routed to a local recruiter who will provide assistance to ensure appropriate consideration in the application or hiring process.

Catalent, Inc. is a leading global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) whose mission is to develop, manufacture, and supply products that help people live better and healthier lives. Catalent is dedicated to delivering unparalleled service to pharma, biotech, and consumer health customers, supporting product development, launch, and full life‑cycle supply. With time-tested experience in development sciences, delivery technologies, and multi-modality manufacturing, Catalent supports the acceleration of development programs and the launch of more than a hundred new products every year. Powered by thousands of scientists and technicians and the latest technology platforms at more than 40 global sites, Catalent supplies billions of doses of life‑enhancing and life‑saving treatments for patients annually.