Senior Process Engineer, Cell Therapy Process Development
About this opportunity
Position Summary
We are seeking a highly motivated Senior Process Engineer to support cell therapy process characterization and commercialization activities. In this role, you will play critical role in advancing late-stage cell therapy process development, process characterization, PPQ readiness, BLA‑enabling studies, and technology transfer to different manufacturing sites. This position focuses specifically on cell therapy unit operations, including T-cell enrichment, activation, transduction, washes and harvest either semi-automated or automated equipment.
The ideal candidate brings deep technical expertise, hands-on experience with cell therapy unit operations, and demonstrates success in supporting clinical and commercial readiness.
Key Responsibilities
Process development and characterization
Design, execute, and support autologous or allogenic cell therapy process optimization and robustness studies.
Drive implementation of closed-system operations and automation strategies to support scalability and compliance.
Plan and execute process characterization studies (DOE, multivariate studies, scale‑down models, and scale‑up assessments) in alignment with QbD and ICH guidelines.
Perform risk assessment, data analysis, write technical reports, and present outcome of the studies to cross‑functional teams and governance forums.
Support development and refinement of control strategies for cell therapy processes, including raw materials, and cell therapy process parameters.
Conduct batch record review, deviation assessment, and data trending to ensure robustness of cell therapy manufacturing processes.
Apply AI‑enabled tools and digital analytics to accelerate data review, trend analysis, batch record evaluation, and process understanding.
PPQ, Tech Transfer & Manufacturing Readiness
Contribute to PPQ planning, readiness, execution, and documentation for cell therapy processes.
Support technology transfer of cell therapy processes to internal manufacturing sites including make-a-batch assessments and drafting manufacturing batch record.
Provide on‑the‑floor technical support during scale‑up, engineering runs, PPQ batches, and commercial manufacturing campaigns (including off‑shift support when required).
Support raw material risk assessments, comparability studies, and process risk evaluations across facilities and platforms.
Regulatory Support
Contribute to authoring and reviewing CMC documentation, including cell therapy process descriptions, characterization summaries, PPQ protocols and reports, and control strategy elements.
Support preparation of BLA/MAA submissions and responses to regulatory questions related to cell therapy manufacturing.
Cross‑Functional Collaboration
Work closely with analytical sciences, quality, regulatory, and manufacturing teams to ensure end‑to‑end process alignment.
Represent cell therapy characterization activities in technical meetings, reviews, and governance discussions.
Support lifecycle management, post‑approval changes, and continuous improvement initiatives for cell therapy processes.
Required Qualifications
Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Biotechnology, or related field with 2+ years of industry experience; OR M.S. with 5+ years; OR B.S. with 7+ years of hands‑on industry experience.
Strong technical expertise in key cell therapy unit operations (e.g., cell isolation, activation, transduction, expansion, harvest, formulation, cryopreservation).
Demonstrated experience with GMP operations and late‑stage / commercial readiness.
Proven ability to analyze complex datasets, develop sound recommendations, and communicate clearly across levels
Experience with late‑stage development, process characterization, and PPQ principles for cell therapy processes.
Demonstrated proficiency in applying AI tools and digital solutions to data analysis, documentation, and workflow automation.
Experience working in GMP environments, including batch record execution or review, deviations, and investigations.
Strong technical writing, data analysis, and problem‑solving skills.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with viral vector handling (Lentivirus, AAV) in manufacturing processes.
Familiarity with automation platforms (e.g., CliniMACS Prodigy, Lovo, G-Rex, Wave bioreactors).
Experience implementing closed, automated, or high‑throughput systems.
Experience designing and executing DOE and multivariate data analysis for cell therapy processes.
Experience with JMP or similar statistical analysis tools.
Experience contributing to BLA/MAA submissions or regulatory interactions.
Knowledge of control strategy development and risk assessment tools (e.g., FMEA).
Formal training or demonstrated application of digitalization, automation, or AI‑enabled tools in bioprocess development.
Key Competencies
Strong experimental design and execution skills.
Excellent cross‑functional communication and collaboration.
Ability to operate effectively in fast‑paced, late‑stage development environments.
Scientific curiosity, ownership mindset, and willingness to support manufacturing operations.
The annual base pay for this position ranges from $96K to $144K. Our positions offer eligibility for multiple incentives an opportunity to receive short-term incentive bonuses, equity-based awards for salaried roles and commissions for sales roles. Benefits offered include qualified retirement programs, paid time off (i.e., vacation, holiday, and leaves), as well as health, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms of the applicable plans .
# Cell Therapy
Date Posted
12-Nov-2026
Closing Date
19-Nov-2026 Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In furtherance of that mission, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please complete the corresponding section in the application form.
Job details
How this role compares
Computed from every other active Manufacturing & CMC role in our database, not just this employer's listings.
We currently track 638 comparable Senior Manufacturing & CMC roles across 84 biopharma companies.
Salary context
234 of 638 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 638 comparable roles
+ 24 more countries
Seniority mix
638 of 638 peers have a known seniority level
Therapeutic area mix
2 of 638 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden
Similar opportunities
The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.
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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.
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.