Senior Expert Science & Technology (m/f/d) - Upstream Cell Culture Process Development & Transfer

Job Description Summary

LOCATION: Schaftenau, Austria
ROLE TYPE: Hybrid Working, #LI-Hybrid

This is your opportunity to join the Drug Substance Upstream Process (USP) Development team in Schaftenau as a Senior Expert Science & Technology (m/f/d), where your expertise will directly contribute to delivering life-changing medicines to patients around the world.

 

Job Description

As a Senior Expert in Upstream Process Development, you will lead all USP-related activities for late-phase development—driving process characterization and ensuring seamless transfer of robust cell culture processes for clinical and commercial supply.

You will work in cross-functional teams and collaborate closely with internal stakeholders such as MS&T, Manufacturing, and Drug Substance Leads, as well as external partners, to deliver excellence at every stage of development. A key responsibility of this role is to ensure the successful transfer of upstream processes to internal manufacturing sites and trusted external partners (Contract Manufacturing Organizations (CMOs)), thereby enabling global patient access to innovative medicines.

Your Responsibilities:

Bioprocess Development & Innovation

• Lead and manage all project activities related to late phase development and characterization of upstream cell culture processes, including scale up and tech transfer for manufacturing of biotherapeutics. Acting as USP subject matter expert within a multifunctional team.
• Plan and supervise cell culture experiments in lab- and pilot-scale bioreactors; author, review and approve technical or scientific documents and risk assessments
• Collaborate across functions and geographies to translate lab-scale insights into robust, scalable production processes.
• Contribute to the strategic evolution of upstream platform technologies, innovation initiatives, and global guidelines. This includes active participation in global USP functional network and focus groups.

Bioprocess Scale-up and process transfer

• Drive bioprocess scale up and transfer of cell culture processes within our internal bioproduction network and with external partners (CMOs).
• Support the integration of externally developed late-phase upstream processes into our organization, which might include evaluation of process characterization data, development reports, and associated documentation to ensure alignment with internal standards.
• Utilize modeling and simulation tools to support in-silico process development and transfer.
• Support roll-out and implementation of PAT technologies as part of process transfers.

Leadership & Knowledge Sharing

• Mentor and coach junior scientific associates
• Contribute to scientific publications, conference presentations and intellectual property generation.

What you’ll bring to the role:

Education & Experience

• University degree in life sciences (biotechnology, bioprocess engineering, or equivalent); PhD with min. 2 years or Master with min. 6 years industrial experience or equivalent
• Proven experience in upstream process transfer and collaboration with CMOs

Technical Expertise

• Profound knowledge and hands on experience in bioprocess engineering principles and upstream unit operations; knowledge in cell culture process late-phase development.
• Experience with statistical methods (Design of Experiments (DoE), MultiVariate Data Analysis (MVDA)) as well as with data-driven or mechanistic models.
• Excellent communication, presentation, project management as well as team-minded working skills are expected.

Languages

• Fluent in English and German

You’ll receive: 

You can find everything you need to know about our benefits and rewards in the Novartis Life Handbook. https://www.novartis.com/careers/benefits-rewards

In addition to a market-competitive base salary, we offer an attractive incentive program, a modern company pension scheme, childcare facilities, learning and development opportunities as well as worldwide career possibilities within the Novartis group. In accordance with Austrian law, we are obliged to disclose the minimum salary as stated in the collective bargaining agreement. For this position the minimum salary is € 65,605.54 /year (on a full-time basis).

We also offer a potential market oriented excess payment in line with your experience and qualifications.

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:

Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive working environment and diverse teams, representative of the patients and communities we serve.

Adjustments for Applicants with Disabilities:

If because of a medical condition, physical disability or a neurodiverse condition you require an adjustment during the recruitment process, please reach out to disabilities.austria@novartis.com and let us know the nature of your request as well as your contact information. The support which we can provide will include advice on suitable positions as well as guidance at all stages of the application process. Austrian law provides candidates the opportunity to involve the local disability representative, Behindertenvertrauensperson (BVP), in the application process. If you would like to request this, please let us know in advance as a note on your CV.

 

Skills Desired

Coaching Skills, Data Science, Environment, Experiments Design, Health And Safety (Ehs), Laboratory Equipment, Manufacturing Process, Materials Science, Process Simulation, Sop (Standard Operating Procedure), Technical Writing, Waterfall Model