Scientist III, Recombinant Protein Process Development (2 openings: Upstream & Downstream focused)

About the role

• Work Schedule
• Standard (Mon-Fri)
• Environmental Conditions

Laboratory Setting, Office, Some degree of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) required (safety glasses, gowning, gloves, lab coat, ear plugs etc.)

About the role

Scientist III, Recombinant Protein Process Development

Location: This is a fully onsite position based at our Cranbury, New Jersey site. Unfortunately, relocation assistance is NOT provided. Priority will be given to LOCAL candidates currently residing in the Cranbury Area.

• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship now or in the future.
• Must be able to pass a comprehensive background check, which includes a drug screen.

At Thermo Fisher Scientific, our mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer. With over $1 billion invested annually in research and development (R&D), our scientists help solve some of the world's toughest challenges - from advancing cancer diagnostics to improving global water safety.

How you will make an impact

We are seeking two Scientist III professionals to join our Recombinant Proteins R&D team in Cranbury, New Jersey. These opportunities support the development and optimization of recombinant cytokines, growth factors, and related proteins, with a focus on improving process performance, product quality, and manufacturing reliability.

We are hiring for two distinct areas of specialization

• Upstream Process Development: Focused on microbial fermentation, recombinant protein expression, and optimizing the conditions used to produce proteins.
• Downstream Process Development: Focused on recombinant protein recovery, purification, and developing processes that improve protein purity, yield, stability, and biological activity.

Additional information

Both positions involve independent scientific problem-solving, hands-on laboratory experimentation, technical leadership, and close collaboration across research, development, and manufacturing teams.

Our protein portfolio consists primarily of products expressed in E. coli, with opportunities to support proteins produced using mammalian and insect-cell expression systems.

You will contribute directly to new product development programs, help improve established processes, and develop innovative approaches that support the reliable production of high-quality recombinant proteins.

Candidates with specialized experience in either upstream or downstream process development are encouraged to apply. Expertise in both areas is not required.

What you will do

Upstream Process Development - Position 1

In this position, you will focus on developing and improving the processes used to produce recombinant proteins through microbial fermentation.

• Design, execute, and evaluate small- to medium-scale E. coli fermentation experiments to optimize recombinant protein production.
• Independently develop and improve fermentation strategies, including media composition, feed strategies, induction conditions, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH.
• Operate, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory-scale bioreactors and associated instrumentation.
• Evaluate fermentation performance through measurements of cell growth, recombinant protein expression, product yield, and other relevant process attributes.
• Troubleshoot complex expression challenges to improve protein production, solubility, consistency, and process robustness.
• Collaborate with downstream purification scientists to understand how fermentation conditions influence protein recovery, purity, and biological activity.
• Support protein recovery and purification activities to enable integrated upstream and downstream process development.

Downstream Process Development - Position 2

In this position, you will focus on developing and optimizing purification processes that recover high-quality recombinant proteins.

• Design and execute purification experiments for recombinant cytokines, growth factors, and related proteins using affinity, ion exchange, hydrophobic interaction, size-exclusion, and other appropriate chromatography techniques.
• Independently develop new purification methods and optimize established processes to improve protein recovery, purity, stability, and overall process performance.
• Operate, maintain, and troubleshoot automated chromatography systems, including ÄKTA and HPLC platforms.
• Evaluate protein recovery, purity, aggregation, stability, and quality using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), HPLC, and other protein characterization techniques.
• Investigate purification challenges and develop strategies to improve protein recovery, reduce impurities, and maintain biological activity.
• Collaborate with upstream scientists to understand how fermentation and expression conditions influence downstream purification efficiency.
• Support fermentation experiments and integrated upstream/downstream process development activities as needed.

Responsibilities Shared Across Both Positions

• Independently design experiments, analyze data, troubleshoot technical challenges, identify root causes, and recommend scientifically sound solutions.
• Develop and optimize processes that support new product introduction, process improvements, and future manufacturing needs.
• Maintain accurate laboratory records, prepare technical reports, and contribute to process documentation suitable for future Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) manufacturing.
• Communicate scientific results and recommendations to R&D, Manufacturing, Quality, Product Management, Regulatory, and other cross-functional partners.
• Provide technical guidance, mentor less experienced scientists, and contribute to the evaluation and implementation of new technologies, methods, and workflows.
• Apply strong scientific judgment, attention to detail, laboratory safety practices, and continuous improvement principles.

How you will get here

Education/ Experience

• Progressive experience in recombinant protein expression, process development, purification, or related biotechnology research is required.
• Typical experience guidelines:
• Bachelor's degree with 7+ years of relevant experience.
• Master's degree with 5+ years of relevant experience.
• Ph.D. with 0-2 years of relevant experience.
• Disciplines in Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, or a related life sciences are highly desired.

Additional information

In addition to the shared qualifications, candidates should demonstrate relevant experience in at least one of the following areas:

Qualifications for Upstream Process Development

• Hands-on experience developing and optimizing microbial fermentation processes, particularly using E. coli and laboratory-scale bioreactors.
• Experience controlling and optimizing fermentation parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, nutrient feeding, and protein expression induction.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot recombinant protein expression challenges and improve protein yield, solubility, and process consistency.
• Experience designing fermentation experiments, analyzing process performance, and developing, optimizing, scaling, or transferring upstream processes.
• Working knowledge of recombinant protein recovery, purification principles, and appropriate analytical characterization techniques.
• Preferred: Experience with automated chromatography systems, protein refolding, recombinant protein purification, or integrated upstream/downstream process optimization.

Qualifications for Downstream Process Development

• Hands-on experience developing and optimizing recombinant protein purification processes.
• Demonstrated experience using chromatographic purification methods, including affinity, ion exchange, hydrophobic interaction where appropriate, and size-exclusion chromatography.
• Experience operating automated chromatography systems such as ÄKTA and HPLC and developing, optimizing, scaling, or transferring purification processes.
• Experience assessing protein recovery, purity, aggregation, stability, and quality through SDS-PAGE, HPLC, and other biochemical or protein characterization methods.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot purification challenges and improve process performance, recovery, and reproducibility.
• Preferred: Experience with bacterial recombinant protein expression, microbial fermentation, inclusion-body recovery, protein refolding, or upstream process optimization.

Skills and Attributes for Both Positions

• Strong scientific judgment and technical independence, with the ability to develop and justify experimental and process-development strategies.
• Demonstrated project ownership, including prioritizing experiments, managing competing objectives, and driving technical work toward completion.
• Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex scientific data and recommend practical solutions.
• Commitment to scientific rigor, laboratory safety, accurate documentation, data integrity, and continuous improvement.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills, including the ability to present technical findings, work across functions, and mentor less experienced scientists.
• Familiarity with GMP principles and documentation requirements is a plus.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range estimated for this position based in New Jersey is $83,300.00-$111,100.00.

This position may also be eligible to receive a variable annual bonus based on company, team, and/or individual performance results in accordance with company policy. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package that our U.S. colleagues and their families can count on, which includes:

• A choice of national medical and dental plans, and a national vision plan, including health incentive programs
• Employee assistance and family support programs, including commuter benefits and tuition reimbursement
• At least 120 hours paid time off (PTO), 10 paid holidays annually, paid parental leave (3 weeks for bonding and 8 weeks for caregiver leave), accident and life insurance, and short- and long-term disability in accordance with company policy
• Retirement and savings programs, such as our competitive 401(k) U.S. retirement savings plan
• Employees' Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) offers eligible colleagues the opportunity to purchase company stock at a discount