Associate Scientist, Postdoctoral Fellow - Large Molecules

Job Description

Position Overview

Discovery Pharmaceutical Sciences (DPS) is a multi-disciplinary research group that enables drug discovery and drug product development through application of pharmaceutical science and drug delivery research from target identification through clinical candidate selection for both therapeutics and vaccines. DPS in West Point, PA is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join the department.  The successful candidate will lead a multidisciplinary effort to evaluate the delivery and stability of structurally diverse large molecule APIs (therapeutic proteins, peptides, vaccine antigens) through development of versatile biomaterial platforms based on hydrogels. Responsibilities will include the design, preparation, and characterization of formulation approaches, evaluation of drug release kinetics in vitro, and stability assessment under accelerated conditions. The successful candidate will partner to support the design and execution of in vivo studies for preclinical performance.

Additionally, the successful candidate will work closely with colleagues in Pharmaceutical Sciences and connect with the therapeutic discovery, analytical R&D, drug substance and drug product development organizations to address the formulation and delivery challenges of biologics and vaccines. Novel findings will be presented at both internal and external scientific forums and published in peer-reviewed journals. The successful candidate will independently develop and implement scientific ideas and strategies in an interdisciplinary environment, sharing learnings with cross-functional teams and gaining insight into many aspects of biologic and vaccine discovery, development, and manufacturing.

 

Minimum required education:

Candidates must currently hold a Ph.D. OR earn a Ph.D. degree by Spring of 2026. Degree should be in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry/Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, or related disciplines.

Required experience and skills:

• Background in materials science, biomaterials, polymer chemistry, supramolecular materials, protein/vaccine formulations and/or bioconjugation techniques.

• Knowledge and experience in materials and analytical characterization.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

• Excellent interpersonal skills and strong ability to collaborate effectively in a team environment with cross-functional interactions.

• Independently takes initiatives in problem solving and find solutions to scientific challenges.

• Strong scientific acumen and motivation to solve complex scientific problems via independent planning, design, execution, and interpretation of experiments.

Preferred experience and skills:

Experience and knowledge in one or more of the following areas:

• Soft materials/biomaterials design and supramolecular hydrogels.

• Formulation and drug delivery.

• Complex delivery systems including gels, liposomes, and particulate-based formulations.

• Protein science and biochemistry including understanding of molecular liabilities and post-translational modification.

• Protein biophysical and biochemical characterization.

• Chemical process mathematical modeling

• Experimental knowledge and skills in materials science characterization (such as DLS, SLS, DSC, FTIR, electron microscopy, NMR, rheology) and/or analytical methodologies of large molecules (such as CD, fluorescence, UV-Vis, SDS-PAGE, CE-SDS, cIEF, SEC, HPLC, ELISA)

• Familiarity with state-of-the-art drug delivery technologies from academic and industry.

• Strong track record of peer-reviewed publications

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Required Skills:

Accountability, Accountability, Adaptability, Analytical Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Cell Culture Techniques, Chemical Engineering, Computational Biology, Data Analysis, Drug Delivery, Fluorescence, Immunoassays, In Vivo Mouse Models, Materials Science, Mathematical Biology, Mechatronics, Molecular Biology, Parasitology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Polymer Chemistry, Polymers Technology, Programming Languages, Protein Analysis, Scientific Research, Scientific Writing {+ 3 more}

Preferred Skills:

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