Novartis Posted July 30, 2026

Senior Expert Science & Technology – Downstream Process Development

Schaftenau, Austria FULL_TIME
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About this opportunity

Location: Schaftenau, Austria #onsite Role Purpose:Our Downstream Development team plays a crucial role in the late-phase development and transfer of biopharmaceutical drug substance (DS) processes. We are contributing significantly to bringing innovative biopharmaceutical drugs to the market and are dedicated to leveraging data science and digital initiatives to drive innovation and efficiency.We are currently seeking a highly skilled and motivated Senior Expert to join our dynamic DSP Development team. In this role, you will be responsible for leading our portfolio pipeline projects in downstream process development. Your expertise will be crucial in supporting our development and submission initiatives, ensuring that our development strategies are aligned with our business goals.

Major Accountabilities: Lead and organize the downstream process development activities for our portfolio pipeline projectsPerform chromatography steps, cross flow filtration / tangential flow filtration and other membrane separation methods for purification of recombinant proteins as part of process development and characterization at laboratory and pilot scaleIndependently plan, organize, perform and document scientific experiments; handle several activities at a timeDocumentation of the studies in electronic documentation systems according to defined standardsEvaluate and interpret results, propose and actively support the design of next experiments supervise project related activities; perform complex tasks without having established procedures of downstream processes.Work according to appropriate standards for quality, ethics, health, safety, environment protection, and information security, lead initiatives to ensure continuous improvement; all activities have to be aligned with organizational workflows and proceduresGenerate scientific documents to hand over to internal and / or external partners and support generation of international registration documents under minimal supervision.Contribution to technology transfers to internal and external sites and definition of process steering controlsSupport the organization of the laboratory; generate lab procedures, reports and / or instructions and / or Standard Operating Procedure’sSuccessful execution of assigned tasks within given timelines at expected quality, right first time & right in timeCommunicate effectively across organizational interfaces; lead troubleshooting and transfer of know-how to other departments or external partnersAct as Functional Lead for DSP development projects, participate in sub-teams and contribute to overall TRD strategies and goals and support decision-making.Skills/Experience: Completed studies in Biotechnology, Process Engineering, Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmaceutical Technology, Technical Chemistry, Pharmacy, ideally with several years of industry experienceExperience in Downstream Processing, in particular with chromatography systems, e.g. ÄKTA systemsHands-on experience with statistical discovery software (e.g. JMP).Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, R, or SQL is a plusExcellent problem-solving skills and the ability to think criticallyStrong communication and collaboration skillsA personality with a can-do mentality and the ability to adopt to change with strong communication across organizational interfacesUnderstanding of regulatory requirements and CMC development processes.Ability to work with a cross-functional team in a matrix environmentLanguages :English (required)German (preferred but not mandatory)Benefits & RewardsAt Novartis, we’re committed to reimagining medicine together - and rewarding the people who make it happen.Expected Annual Base Salary Range for role: €66,918 to €117,800The base salary offered is determined based on gender-neutral objectives, such as relevant skills, competencies and experience in accordance with the Novartis pay setting policy and upon joining Novartis will be reviewed periodically.In addition to your base salary, you may be eligible for a performance-based bonus depending on certain performance parameters.The rewards of being part of our team go far beyond base pay and incentives. We also offer a variety of competitive benefits in kind to help you thrive personally and professionally, such as insurance plans, retirement plans, wellbeing resources and global recognition programs. In addition, we provide flexible and hybrid working options, where possible, and minimum 14 weeks paid parental leave.Adjustments for Applicants with Disabilities: If because of a medical condition, physical disability or a neurodiverse condition you require an adjustment during the recruitment process, please reach out to disabilities.austria@novartis.com and let us know the nature of your request as well as your contact information. The support which we can provide will include advice on suitable positions as well as guidance at all stages of the application process. Austrian law provides candidates the opportunity to involve the local disability representative, Behindertenvertrauensperson (BVP), in the application process. If you would like to request this, please let us know in advance as a note on your CV.

Job details

Seniority
Senior
Function
Manufacturing & CMC
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Schaftenau, Austria
Employment type
FULL_TIME

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Manufacturing & CMC role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 545 comparable Senior Manufacturing & CMC roles across 69 biopharma companies.

545Comparable roles tracked
455Currently active
69Companies hiring similar roles
29Countries represented

Salary context

231 of 545 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.

This roleSubject Not listed on this posting
Lowest disclosed · Sr Manufacturing Technician · Genz. Therap Product LP $2,400/yr – $3,200/yr
Highest disclosed · Associate Director / Director, CMC Product Development · AbbVie $160,500/yr – $305,000/yr
Peer group range $2,800 – $232,750 (median $150,600)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 545 comparable roles

United States361
India45
Ireland16
Netherlands15
United Kingdom12
Singapore11

+ 23 more countries

Seniority mix

545 of 545 peers have a known seniority level

Senior342
Associate Director102
Principal101

Therapeutic area mix

1 of 545 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Vaccines & Infectious Disease1

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How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

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.

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Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 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.