Location/Division Specific Information
Work Location: San Francisco, CA
Group: Pharma Services Group
Division: Pharma Services
Business Unit: Advanced Therapies
Organization: Advanced Therapies – Cell Therapy

Thermo Fisher Scientific is making a significant investment in the rapidly growing Cell Therapy space. Our Cell Therapy organization within the Pharma Services Group, is one of the fastest growing areas of Thermo Fisher Scientific. In the Cell Therapy group, we focus on providing development and clinical scale services for gene and non-gene modified cell processing for a variety of unmet medical needs. In Q1 of 2023 we are opening a 44,000-square-foot, brand-new cell therapy center on the UCSF Mission Bay campus. The facility serves as a central location where customers have access to Thermo Fisher Scientific’s broad portfolio of solutions and clinical and commercial cGMP cell therapy manufacturing services, along with associated technology development support to UCSF and other partners. In the Cell Therapy group, we focus on providing development and clinical scale services for gene and non-gene modified cell processing for a variety of unmet medical needs.

How will you make an impact?
The Scientist I, with mentorship, will apply technical skills to conduct experiments and studies to support our clients cell therapy needs and to assist in meeting the goals of the Cell Therapy group. These functions may include but are not limited to activities such as cell isolation and separation, genetic modification (vector transduction and genomic editing), expansion methods (small, intermediate, and large scale), cryopreservation, technology transfer and design of technical documents.

What will you do?

• Carry out process development and optimization activities associated with autologous and allogeneic cell therapy workflows with the aim to improve costs, speed, and quality of the product
• Work with blood cells or stem cells and routinely perform cell selection and activation, engineering (viral and non-viral), expansion, and cryopreservation
• Design experiments, analyze data and present data to internal and external collaborators or customers
• Participate in customer core teams as the technical lead for that project
• Manage all project-related activities including the availability and suitability of materials and equipment to execute their assignments; coordinating hand-off of samples for downstream process and/or testing; Maintain accurate and detailed laboratory notes
• Contribute to the development of closed automated platforms that will be used for cell therapy manufacturing
• Work closely with clients for technology transfer activities, and with MS&T and Operations teams to transfer optimized process for clinical manufacturing and play an important role in to trouble-shooting process challenges.

How will you get here?
Education

• BS or MS in biological science or engineering field preferred
• Equivalent combinations of education, training, and relevant work experience may be considered

Experience

• With BS degree, 1+ years of relevant cGMP experience in a manufacturing pharmaceutical/biotech environment or related areas (with MS degree, 0-1 years of experience)
• Aseptic cell culture processing (T cells, NK cells, CAR-T, or Stem Cells) in ISO 5 biosafety cabinets while using universal precautions for handling of human-derived materials preferred
• Cell therapy automation technologies, closed system culture vessels, cell washers, cell separation technologies for autologous/allogenic product manipulation preferred

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Ability to drive safety, quality, functional, technical, and operational excellence.
• Ability to inspire and foster innovation, collaboration, transparency, and team effectiveness.
• Solid understanding of cell culture, aseptic techniques, and cGMP practices
• Effective written, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously
• Excellent MS Office skills