Leading Scientist in Upstream Bioprocess Development & Computational Modelling

Leading Scientist in Upstream Bioprocess Development & Computational Modelling

Sandoz

Ljubljana, Slovenia

The position is part of Biopharma Technical Development (BTD) and will be based in our new development centre in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Our aspiration is to be innovative in applying science to develop technologies and processes that will enable production of high-quality biosimilars. We are looking for a Leading Scientist with experience in upstream bioprocess development and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).

Your key responsibilities:

Your responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Lead USP activities for the development of biosimilars in cross-functional project teams;
• Establish and lead our CFD capability, including selecting modelling tools, defining workflows, and establishing best‑practice standards and providing expert guidance across the organization;
• Develop and optimize upstream processes including media/feed development, process parameter optimization, scale-up strategies, and robustness evaluations;
• Develop and apply mechanistic and/or data‑driven models to support process understanding and decision‑making, in collaboration with data scientists and subject matter experts;
• Contribute to scientific and technical strategy, including evaluation of new technologies, digital tools, and modelling approaches relevant to USP development.

What you will bring to the role:

• A master’s degree in chemical or mechanical engineering, physics, biotechnology or other relevant fields;
• Minimum of 6 years of relevant experience, 3 years with a PhD in bioprocess development and/or advanced computational modelling;
• Extensive hands-on CFD simulation experience;
• Experience in bioreactor operation, scale-up, and process optimization (DoE);
• Excellent communication, teamwork, and project management skills.