Principal Scientist, Process Development Engineering, Media Development

Job Description

General Summary:

Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people living with serious diseases, with a focus on specialty markets. We invest in diseases where there is a significant unmet need and we can have a transformative impact for patients, not just an incremental benefit. We invest the majority of our resources in research and development (R&D) to discover new medicines, because we believe the true value in our industry is unleashed through scientific innovation. Cell and genetic therapies represent two rapidly emerging therapeutic modalities with the potential to treat-and even cure-several of the diseases Vertex is focused on, including sickle cell disease and type 1 diabetes. Our Cell and Genetic Therapies (CGT) teams bring together the best biology, technologies, and enhanced manufacturing capabilities to ensure we bring these cutting-edge transformative therapies to patients as quickly as possible.

Vertex is seeking a talented individual to join our Process Development team to support media development and optimization effort. The focus of this positionis to lead a large component of the innovative stem cell culture medium development and optimization for cell and gene therapy applications through scientific rigor and by management of a team of scientist and research associates. This position will collaborate with cross functional teams to advance media optimizations, with impactful deliverables on enabling large scale process and cost of goods reduction for cell therapy at clinical and commercial scale manufacturing, as well as process robustness improvement through fundamental process understanding. The ideal candidate has deep expertise in media development and optimization, fundamental cell culture process understanding, strong leadership skills, thrive in a fast-paced environment and proven ability to perform under pressure. The position will be based in Boston, MA.

Key Responsibilities:

• Define and implement technical roadmaps for media development and optimization, ensuring alignment with business priorities and leadership strategy.

• Troubleshoot complex raw material sourcing and control challenges, lead the development of robust and cost-effective cell culture media for commercial scale manufacturing.

• Lead the design and execution of experiments to evaluate new medium components and supplements, assessing their impact on cell culture performance.

• Stay up to date with emerging analytical tools, omics technologies and scientific advancements to drive hypothesis guided media optimization.

• Generate and review technical reports, regulatory filings, source documents, patents and external publications.

• Foster strong partnership with internal and external stakeholders, proactively managing relationships to ensure alignment and efficient execution.

• Manage a team of scientists and research associates within a highly matrixed, cross-functional team to deliver program goals. Engage, mentor, and continuously develop employees.

• Coordinate resources, set team priorities, and contribute to broader departmental objectives.

• Support team members on compliance with requirements, including data integrity by timely completion of phase-appropriate documentation, and lab safety procedure.

• Lead by example, work closely with the team in the lab and conduct hands on experiments. Foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.

Minimum Requirements

• Degree in relevant engineering or scientific discipline (e.g., chemical or biochemical engineering, natural or life sciences).

• PhD with 6+ years of relevant industry work experience, BS with 11+ years of industry experience, or a MS with 9+ years of relevant industry experience.

• Strong fundamental knowledge in cell culture metabolism and biological pathways, and extensive experience of medium development (stem cell culture experience is preferred).

• In-depth understanding and extensive experience of cell culture process development, perfusion process development, and bioreactors across scales. Experience with high throughput and automated cell culture platforms is highly preferred.

• Extensive knowledge and experience on raw material control and sourcing considerations.

• Solid knowledge and experience with statistical principles and design of experiments (DOE).

• Must have a working knowledge of cGMP.

• Experience leading a team of scientists/engineers, with a minimum of 3 years of direct people management experience.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Ability to handle multiple tasks while meeting timelines and adapting to changing priorities.

• Excellent organizational skills and high attention to detail.

• Available to participate in weekend work rotation with the broader team.

• Authorized to legally work in the US.

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Pay Range:

Disclosure Statement:

Flex Designation:

Flex Eligibility Status:

Company Information

Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation.

Vertex is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Vertex is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. Vertex will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.

Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should make a request to the recruiter or hiring manager, or contact Talent Acquisition at ApplicationAssistance@vrtx.com