Downstream Process Development Scientist
12-month maternity cover | Darlington | £32,500 – £40,500 per annum + attractive benefits
About the Role:
We are seeking a hands-on Downstream Process Development Scientist to join a bioprocessing team in Darlington on a 12-month maternity cover.
This is a practical, lab-based role focused on the design, development, and optimisation of downstream purification processes for advanced biologics. You will play a key role in delivering DSP activities across a range of modalities, including viral vectors and nucleic acid-based products, in a fast-moving and highly experimental environment.
Reporting into the DSP leadership team, you will be expected to hit the ground running in the lab — running experiments, solving problems, and adapting processes, as projects evolve. This role suits someone who enjoys flexibility and scientific creativity rather than rigid, highly constrained environments.
The role is based on-site in Darlington, working as part of an established DSP team of approximately 11 scientists.
What You’ll Be Responsible For:
Downstream Process Development
- Design, develop, and optimise downstream purification processes for biopharmaceutical products
- Carry out hands-on laboratory experimentation and pilot-scale DSP runs
- Apply chromatography and filtration techniques to improve yield, purity, and robustness
Chromatography & Filtration
- Operate and develop chromatography methods using ÄKTA systems
- Design and optimise chromatographic purification strategies
- Apply tangential flow filtration (TFF) and related DSP technologies
Analytical & Data Interpretation
- Analyse and interpret experimental data using appropriate techniques
- Maintain high-quality experimental records using ELN and document management systems
- Present experimental conclusions clearly for internal and external stakeholders
Collaboration & Laboratory Operations
- Work closely with upstream, analytical, and project teams to deliver customer programmes
- Contribute to the efficient operation of the DSP laboratory, including equipment care and maintenance
- Support scale-up, knowledge transfer, and process troubleshooting activities
About You:
You are a practical downstream processing scientist who enjoys being in the lab and is comfortable working in an evolving, sometimes ambiguous research and development environment.
You bring curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to try different approaches — and you’re not phased by processes that aren’t fully defined from day one.
You’ll bring:
- Hands-on experience in downstream processing gained in industry or academia
- Strong, practical experience using ÄKTA chromatography systems
- Experience designing and optimising chromatography-based purification processes
- Familiarity with purification techniques including primary separation, clarification and TFF
- Flexibility to adjust working hours around experimental needs
Desirable (but not essential):
- Experience working with a variety of recombinant proteins, viral vectors, DNA/RNA-based products
- Experience in early-stage, development-focused or non-rigid GMP environments
Applicants from academia are welcome, provided you have strong hands-on ÄKTA and purification experience.
Why Join?
- A genuinely hands-on laboratory role with real scientific ownership
- Exposure to emerging modalities and advanced bioprocessing technologies
- A collaborative team that values experimentation and problem-solving
- Opportunity for the role to convert to permanent
- Competitive salary (£32.5k–£40.5k)
Location & Working Pattern
- Based on-site in Darlington
- Flexible working hours aligned to experimental requirements