Senior Expert, Material Science Project Leader

Senior Expert, Material Science Project Leader

Job Description Summary

As a Materials Science Project Lead, you will provide scientific and project leadership for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) crystallization and finishing process-development activities, as well as solid-form activities performed at strategic external partners in India. You will define strategies, provide technical direction, critically evaluate experimental plans and results, and ensure that externally executed work delivers scientifically sound, robust and scalable solutions for our development projects.
You will apply your subject-matter expertise to direct and scientifically oversee laboratory studies performed by strategic external partners. Your principal technical focus will be crystallization and API finishing processes, including sieving, milling and micronization, with particular emphasis on ensuring successful scale-up from laboratory to pilot-plant and manufacturing environments.
Based in India, you will be an integral member of our global Materials Science organization and collaborate closely with colleagues and subject-matter experts in India, Switzerland and China. You will combine technical depth with strong external-partner project leadership, ensuring effective scientific alignment, knowledge exchange and delivery across organizational and geographic boundaries.
As a core contributor to the External Partner and Supply Management Team, you will build effective scientific relationships with strategic external partners, maintain oversight of project execution, and connect externally performed activities with internal project strategies, stakeholders and governance forums. The role may involve travel within India to partner sites according to project needs.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

·    Lead Materials Science activities at strategic external partners in India, defining development strategies, experimental plans for API crystallization and finishing step processes, and solid form development.

·    Provide subject-matter expertise in crystallization process optimization, robustness, scale-up and transfer, and in finishing technologies including sieving, milling and micronization.

·    Scientifically oversee external laboratory work, critically reviewing protocols, data, conclusions and technical reports, and guiding troubleshooting and risk mitigation.

·    Assess particle and powder properties of APIs to ensure suitability for subsequent drug product processing.

·    Collaborate with global Materials Science colleagues, represent the function in project and governance forums, and ensure scientific alignment and knowledge exchange.

·    Bridge between drug substance and drug product during technical development, whilst ensuring full business alignment with other line functions and project sub-teams.

Essential Requirements

·    PhD in a relevant scientific or engineering discipline, or a relevant master's degree with minimum 5 years of industry experience. Chemical Engineer with 8-14 years of experience.

·    Relevant industrial experience and strong subject-matter expertise in API crystallization and finishing process development including process optimization robustness and scale-up.

·    Strong knowledge of sieving, milling or micronization and of relevant particle and powder characterization.

·    Experience in planning, overseeing and directing laboratory development activities at external partners, reviewing and assessing data, and turning results into clear technical recommendations 

·    Ability to provide scientific direction, constructively challenge stakeholders and guide troubleshooting in complex projects.

·    Excellent written and spoken English, with strong communication, influencing and cross-cultural collaboration skills.

Skills Desired

Coaching Techniques, Data Science, Design of Experiments (DOE), Environment Health and Safety, Environment Management, Laboratory Instrumentation, Manufacturing Processes, Materials Science, Process Simulation, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Technical Writing, Waterfall Model

Experience Level

Senior Level