Scientist III, Recombinant Protein Process Development

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.)

Job Description

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 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

As a Scientist III within the Recombinant Proteins R&D team, you will provide technical leadership in the development and optimization of microbial fermentation and recombinant protein expression processes for cytokines, growth factors, and related proteins. The portfolio consists primarily of proteins produced in E. coli, with opportunities to support products derived from mammalian and insect-cell expression systems. You will improve established fermentation processes, troubleshoot complex expression and production challenges, and independently develop new upstream strategies to support product development and reliable manufacturing.

This hands-on laboratory role combines independent project ownership with scientific problem-solving and cross-functional collaboration. You will apply rigorous experimental design and data analysis to improve recombinant protein expression, yield, consistency, and process robustness. You will also work closely with downstream purification scientists to understand how fermentation conditions influence protein recovery, quality, biological activity, and overall process performance.

What you will do

• Design, execute, and evaluate small- to medium-scale E. coli fermentation experiments to develop and optimize recombinant protein production processes for cytokines, growth factors, and related proteins.
• Independently develop new fermentation strategies and optimize established processes, including media composition, feed strategies, induction conditions, temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and other critical process parameters.
• Operate, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory-scale bioreactor systems and associated instrumentation, establishing appropriate operating conditions to support fermentation development, process characterization, and scale-up.
• Evaluate fermentation performance through appropriate measurements of cell growth, substrate utilization, recombinant protein expression, product yield, and other relevant process and product quality attributes.
• Collaborate with downstream purification scientists to evaluate how upstream process conditions affect cell harvest, protein recovery, solubility, impurity profiles, purification efficiency, and overall process performance.
• Perform or support protein recovery and purification activities, including cell disruption, clarification, inclusion-body isolation, and chromatographic purification, to enable integrated upstream and downstream process development.
• Design experiments, analyze and interpret data, identify root causes, and make scientifically sound recommendations that advance project objectives and improve process robustness.
• Maintain accurate and comprehensive laboratory records, prepare technical reports, and support the development of processes and documentation suitable for future Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) manufacturing.
• Communicate results through clear technical summaries, presentations, and discussions with R&D, Manufacturing, Quality, Product Management, Regulatory, and other cross-functional partners.
• Provide technical leadership within project teams, mentor less experienced scientists, and contribute to the evaluation and implementation of new technologies, methods, and workflows.

How you will get here

Education

Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering, or a related life sciences discipline.

Experience

• Progressive experience in microbial fermentation, recombinant protein expression, and upstream process development: typically 7+ years with a Bachelor's degree, 5+ years with a Master's degree, or 0–2 years with a Ph.D.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience developing and optimizing E. coli fermentation processes using laboratory-scale bioreactors, including control of critical parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, feeding, and induction.
• Experience troubleshooting recombinant protein expression challenges and developing strategies to improve expression levels, product yield, protein solubility, and fermentation consistency.
• Experience designing fermentation experiments, evaluating process performance, and developing, optimizing, scaling, or transferring upstream production processes.
• Working knowledge of recombinant protein recovery and downstream purification principles, including cell disruption, clarification, inclusion-body recovery, and chromatographic purification.

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