Senior Formulation Scientist - Pharmaceutical Development (Richards Bay)

Placements24; Richards Bay; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Formulation Scientist for our client in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal. The role supports the Product Development division and involves developing new dosage forms and optimizing existing formulations in a hybrid work setup.

You will lead pre-formulation studies, solubility and stability assessments, and method development while collaborating with R&D, manufacturing and regulatory teams to ensure smooth technology transfer.

Qualifications

• Senior Formulation Scientist with strong background in pre-formulation and formulation development.
• Experience in characterization of dosage forms (oral solids, injectables, topical).
• Project management from concept to scale-up and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, and optimization of pharmaceutical formulations for diverse dosage forms.
• Conduct pre-formulation studies to characterize drug substances and excipients.
• Perform solubility, stability, and compatibility studies to support formulation development.
• Develop and validate analytical methods for the characterization of drug products.
• Oversee pilot-scale manufacturing and technology transfer.

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a leading pharmaceutical innovator, is seeking a highly skilled Senior Formulation Scientist to join their Product Development division in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal. This hybrid role is central to the development of new pharmaceutical dosage forms and the optimization of existing formulations. You will be instrumental in translating scientific concepts into tangible, market-ready products, working within a state-of-the-art laboratory environment. The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in pre-formulation, formulation development, and characterization of various dosage forms (e.g., oral solids, injectables, topical). This position requires strong analytical skills, a deep understanding of pharmaceutics, and a proven ability to manage projects from concept through to scale-up. You will collaborate with R&D, manufacturing, and regulatory affairs teams to ensure successful product lifecycle management.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and optimization of pharmaceutical formulations for diverse dosage forms.
• Conduct pre-formulation studies to characterize drug substances and excipients.
• Perform solubility, stability, and compatibility studies to support formulation development.
• Develop and validate analytical methods for the characterization of drug products.
• Oversee pilot-scale manufacturing and technology