Senior Formulation Scientist Solid Dosage & Scale-Up Leader

Placements24; Durban; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Profit sharing

Medical aid

Retirement fund

Annual leave

Professional development

Conference attendance

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking an experienced Senior Formulation Scientist in Durban to lead the design, development and optimization of oral solid dosage formulations from early development to commercialization.

The ideal candidate has a PhD or Master’s in Pharmaceutical Sciences or related field with 7+ years in solid dosage formulation development, including scale-up and tech transfer. Strong problem-solving and communication skills are essential in this role.

Qualifications

• Ph.D./Master’s in Pharmaceutical Sciences or related field.
• 7+ years in pharmaceutical formulation development focused on solid dosage forms.
• Experience with formulation design, process development, and scale-up for tablets/capsules.
• Knowledge of excipients, their functionality and impact on drug product performance.
• Hands-on experience with processing equipment: tablet presses, capsule fillers, granulators, coaters.
• Familiarity with regulatory requirements (ICH, FDA, EMA).
• Strong communication and organizational skills; ability to lead teams.
• Relocation to Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, SA preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of novel and generic oral solid dosage formulations (tablets, capsules).
• Conduct pre-formulation studies on solubility, stability, compatibility.
• Design experiments, optimize formulations, investigate drug-excipient interactions.
• Develop and optimize manufacturing processes for solid dosage forms (granulation, blending, compression, coating).
• Scale-up from bench to pilot plant; support tech transfer to manufacturing sites.
• Characterize powder and product properties using appropriate techniques.
• Prepare development reports, CMC documentation, technical justifications.
• Collaborate with analytical, regulatory, and manufacturing teams; mentor junior scientists.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Communication skills

Education

Ph.D. or Master’s in Pharmaceutical Sciences / Pharmaceutics / Chemistry

Tools

Tablet presses

Capsule fillers

Granulators

Coaters

DSC/analytical instruments

Job description

Placements24 is seeking an experienced Senior Formulation Scientist in Durban to lead the design, development and optimization of oral solid dosage formulations from early development to commercialization.

The ideal candidate has a PhD or Master’s in Pharmaceutical Sciences or related field with 7+ years in solid dosage formulation development, including scale-up and tech transfer. Strong problem-solving and communication skills are essential in this role.