Principal Scientist
About this opportunity
Title:
Principal Scientist
Company:
Ipsen Biopharm Ltd
About Ipsen:
Ipsen is a mid-sized global biopharmaceutical company with a focus on transformative medicines in three therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Disease and Neuroscience. Supported by nearly 100 years of development experience, with global hubs in the U.S., France and the U.K, we tackle areas of high unmet medical need through research and innovation.
Our passionate teams in more than 40 countries are focused on what matters and endeavor every day to bring medicines to patients in 88 countries. We build a workplace that champions human-centric leadership and fosters a culture of collaboration, excellence and impact. At Ipsen, every individual is empowered to be their true selves, grow and thrive alongside the company’s success. Join us on our journey towards sustainable growth, creating real impact on patients and society!
For more information, visit us at https://www.ipsen.com/ and follow our latest news on LinkedIn and Instagram .
Job Description:
Principal Scientist - Cell Line Development & Upstream Process Development
Location: Wrexham, UK (Hybrid Working)
Contract: Permanent
Travel: Occasional travel (European)
Shape the Future of Biologics at Ipsen
At Ipsen, we're passionate about advancing innovative medicines that make a meaningful difference to patients' lives. We are seeking an experienced Principal Scientist to join our Bioprocess Sciences team and provide scientific and technical leadership across Cell Line Development (CLD) and Upstream Process Development (USP) activities.
This is an exciting opportunity for a senior biologics development professional to lead critical Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) development programmes, working with cutting-edge technologies and collaborating with global teams across our international network.
The Opportunity
As Principal Scientist, you will act as a recognised subject matter expert, leading the development and optimisation of cell line and upstream manufacturing processes for biologic products from candidate selection through to commercial manufacturing.
A key focus of the role will be driving upstream process development activities using mammalian and/or microbial cell lines, supporting multiple development programmes while providing technical leadership and mentorship to junior scientists. You will play an integral role within cross-functional CMC teams, partnering with internal stakeholders and external Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisations (CDMOs) to ensure successful programme delivery.
This position offers exposure to a diverse biologics pipeline and the opportunity to influence development strategy across multiple projects while collaborating with colleagues throughout Ipsen's global organisation.
Key Responsibilities
Lead Cell Line Development and Upstream Process Development strategies across biologics development programmes.
Provide scientific leadership for CMC development projects from early development through commercialisation.
Act as a subject matter expert for CLD and USP activities, supporting technical decision-making across programmes.
Drive innovation and continuous improvement to enhance process productivity, robustness and product quality.
Represent Upstream Process Development within multidisciplinary CMC teams.
Collaborate with internal stakeholders and external CMOs to support development, scale-up and technology transfer activities.
Contribute to regulatory submissions and technical documentation.
Conduct technical assessments for new product opportunities and in-licensing activities.
Mentor, coach and develop junior scientists, fostering a culture of scientific excellence.
About You
We're looking for a scientifically driven leader with strong biologics development experience and the ability to influence across complex, matrixed environments.
Essential Experience & Skills
Significant pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry experience within biologics development.
Deep expertise in Cell Line Development and/or Upstream Process Development.
Strong experience working with CHO cell lines and mammalian cell culture processes.
Experience leading CMC development activities across the product lifecycle.
Proven ability to work effectively with cross-functional stakeholders and external partners.
Experience engaging with and managing activities CDMOs
Strong communication, influencing and stakeholder management skills.
Desirable
PhD in a relevant scientific discipline (or equivalent industry experience).
Experience supporting regulatory submissions and technology transfer activities.
Experience progressing biologic products from early to late-stage development and commercialisation.
Demonstrated mentoring, coaching or leadership experience within scientific teams.
Why Join Ipsen?
At Ipsen, you'll be part of a collaborative and innovative organisation where science drives meaningful patient outcomes. We offer:
Flexible hybrid working.
Opportunities to collaborate with international teams across the UK, Ireland and France.
Exposure to a diverse and exciting biologics pipeline.
A culture that values scientific excellence, innovation and continuous learning.
The opportunity to mentor others while continuing to develop your own career within a global biopharmaceutical company.
If you're an experienced biologics scientist looking to make a significant impact across Cell Line Development, Upstream Process Development and CMC programmes, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply today and help shape the future of biologics at Ipsen.
We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels heard, valued, and supported; where we embrace “The Real Us”. The value we place on different perspectives and experiences drives our commitment to inclusion and equal opportunities. When we include diverse ways of thinking, we make more thoughtful decisions and discover more innovative solutions. Together we strive to better understand the communities we serve. This means we also want to help you perform at your best when applying for a role with us. If you require any adjustments or support during the application process, please let the recruitment team know. This information will be handled with care and will not affect the outcome of your application.
Job details
How this role compares
Computed from every other active Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research role in our database, not just this employer's listings.
We currently track 449 comparable Principal Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research roles across 53 biopharma companies.
Salary context
218 of 449 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)
Peers share this role's job function and a matching or adjacent seniority level -- not necessarily the same therapeutic area or country.
Where these roles are based
Top locations among the 449 comparable roles
+ 14 more countries
Seniority mix
449 of 449 peers have a known seniority level
Therapeutic area mix
58 of 449 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden
Similar opportunities
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How we calculate "similar"
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Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.
0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.