Scientist, Cell Therapy Drug Product Development

About the role

Sana Biotechnology is growing, and we are hiring new team members who believe in the potential of engineered cells as medicines, who want to challenge status quo, and who lead with the desire to work on novel ideas. As a Scientist, Cell Therapy Drug Product (DP) Development, you will develop robust processes of formulation, fill and finish, and cryopreservation for our pipeline cell therapy drug products and report to the Director, Cryopreservation. You will maintain a focus on innovation and process improvements by devising development plans and executing key experimental studies. You will be also expected to collaborate with multiple teams including Process Development, Analytical Development and Manufacturing.

What you’ll do

• Design and execute DP process-enabling studies including formulation, fill/finish, cryopreservation, thawing, and in-use compatibility study of candidate cell therapy product
• Evaluate new cryopreservation technologies and implement process advancements for scaling-up and introduction into a GMP manufacturing environment
• Mentor and motivate a diverse group of engineers and research associates to complete experiments
• Draft technical documents including reports, process descriptions, SOPs, MBRs, and regulatory filing sections
• Provide onsite support at the GMP manufacturing facility (e.g., CDMO), train operators, and oversee process execution
• Conduct cell health and viability assessment, including cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and proliferation assays, and interpret flow cytometry data
• Perform data analysis and interpretation and draw main conclusions to present at group and cross-functional team meetings
• Engage in crucial conversations

What we’re looking for

• PhD in Biological, Biomedical or Chemical Engineering, or related field with up to 2+ years academic or industry experience. BA and/or MS plus 7+ years or equivalent combination of education and work experience
• Multiple years of progressive, industrial experience in cell therapy DP process development or manufacturing, including formulation, filling, and cryopreservation
• Well versed with cGMP requirements and working in a regulated environment
• You are a team player with experience working with cross-functional teams through effective communications and coordination
• You are self-motivated with strong curiosity and creative-thinking skill, demonstrated scientific rigor, and a continuous drive to learn new skills and techniques

What will separate you from the crowd

• Prior experience working on a clinical or commercial cell therapy manufacturing process
• Extensive hands-on experience in formulation development and designing and scaling fill/finish and cryopreservation processes, such as aseptic filling, controlled-rate freezing, or vitrification
• Deep knowledge of cryobiology, specialized in cryopreservation methods and mechanisms of cryopreservation-induced cell injuries
• Expertise in physical chemistry, heat transfer, and thermodynamics
• Knowledge of R, Python, JMP, FlowJo software and AutoCAD or SolidWorks
• Experience optimizing process parameters using Design of Experiments (DoE)
• Demonstrate intense scientific curiosity

What you should know

• We ask that you be handling of human blood products
• Some weekend work required
• Work in a laboratory environment approximately 70% of the time
• 15% travel anticipated
• Working safely in person on a predictable and regular basis is an essential job function for this position, and the Company requires that all individuals working in-person be fully vaccinated against COVID-19
• The base pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $125,000 and $155,000/year; however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience

How we work together

• Lead from every seat – we seek to understand, act with honesty, and engage in the crucial conversations
• Thrive as a team – we hire amazing people, are intensely curious, and cultivate inclusion and personal connectivity
• Make it happen – we value vigorous debate, alignment around our decisions, and resilient execution 

Get to know us

At Sana, we believe that a diverse workforce strengthens us as a company and helps us to achieve our mission to meaningfully change the outcome of many human diseases. This belief is a pillar of our business and is critical to our success. Our goal is that Sana is the place for talented people to bring their authentic selves to work, to have a great career and to deeply, positively impact patients.

Core to our values, we believe there is nothing more important than the health and wellness of you and your family. For benefit eligible employees, we cover 100% of the cost for employee health coverage and offer generous time-off (various paid time off benefits, such as holidays, vacation, sick time, and parental leave), short- and long-term disability, employer paid basic life insurance, additional voluntary life insurance protection, financial wellness programs including financial planning resources, a 401(k) Plan with an immediately vested employer match, Tuition Reimbursement and Student Loan Repayment, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, commuter subsidy and a variety of wellness offerings to support each person individually.  For more details on our benefits, visit Sana’s Benefits Portal.

We are committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, age, gender, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental or sensory disability (including the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability), genetic information, actual or perceived HIV or Hepatitis C infection, medical condition (cancer or a record or history of cancer and genetic characteristics), marital status, sexual orientation, sexual preference, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), disability, veteran status, political ideology, social class (including caste/caste identity), taking or requesting statutorily protected leave, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

To perform this job successfully, you must be able to perform each job responsibility satisfactorily. The job description listed above is representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required for this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions described above.