Senior Formulation Scientist - Lead Breakthrough Therapies

Placements24; George; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Professional development support

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Pharmaceutical Formulation Scientist for our client in George, Western Cape. The role focuses on leading formulation development from concept through pre-clinical and early clinical support, shaping drug delivery strategies and selecting excipients to optimize stability and release.

You will mentor a team of scientists, design pre-formulation studies, and drive regulatory-readiness through development reports and submission documents.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmaceutics, Chemistry, or related field.
• 8+ years in pharmaceutical formulation development with at least 2 years in a lead role.
• Hands-on experience with solid oral dosage forms and controlled-release technologies.
• Strong knowledge of drug-excipient interactions and analytical techniques (HPLC, DSC, XRD).

Responsibilities

• Lead formulation development of NCEs and improved drug products across dosage forms.
• Design and execute pre-formulation studies including solubility and stability.
• Select excipients and optimize formulations for release, bioavailability, and stability.
• Develop and optimize manufacturing processes for scalability and reproducibility.
• Oversee preparation of formulations for pre-clinical and early clinical work.
• Conduct literature reviews and stay updated on formulation and drug-delivery advances.
• Provide leadership to a team of formulation scientists, including mentoring.
• Prepare development reports and regulatory submission documentation.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Formulation science

HPLC

DSC

XRD

Education

Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences

M.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences

Tools

HPLC

DSC

XRD

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Pharmaceutical Formulation Scientist for our client in George, Western Cape. The role focuses on leading formulation development from concept through pre-clinical and early clinical support, shaping drug delivery strategies and selecting excipients to optimize stability and release.

You will mentor a team of scientists, design pre-formulation studies, and drive regulatory-readiness through development reports and submission documents.