Formulation Research Scientist

Job Description

General Summary:

Formulation Development at Vertex seeks a dedicated scientist to join a team whose goal is to discover, develop, and commercialize therapies for patients with serious diseases. As a member of Formulation Development team, this role will support to develop preformulations of small molecule chemical entities to support PK, pharmacology, and toxicology studies at our San Diego site. The preformulation function is part of the global Formulation Development organization, a critical R&D function enabling the manufacturing of dosage forms along the complete development timeline from molecule selection to commercial. The primary responsibility for this position is to enable candidate selection within Vertex's promising pipeline of small molecules. The candidate will be responsible for exploring the formulation space for supporting a variety of preclinical studies to advance molecules to the clinic. The candidate is expected to help lay the foundations for future clinical development by successfully executing developability assessments and robust experimental physicochemical characterization of molecules and prediction of in-vivo bioperformance using modeling tools. The candidate will collaborate extensively with colleagues in discovery biology, chemistry, DMPK, and CMC functions. The ideal candidate has mastered the fundamentals of chemistry and physics and has direct experience in a research laboratory The candidate must comfortably take the initiative, be curious, and show resilience in solving complex problems

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Development of various formulations including oral, and intravenous of small molecule drug candidates to support early PK and pharmacology studies.
• Design, plan, execute, and interpret laboratory experiments to meet established project timelines for molecule selection and advancement
• Conducting preliminary physicochemical properties (e.g., solubility, and stability in bio-relevant media) screens of small molecules of drug candidates
• Conduct preformulation evaluation (solubility, stability in bio-relevant media, permeability, physicochemical properties, form evaluations, etc.) of candidate molecules
• Conduct preliminary solid form screening and salt screen for preclinical candidates
• Maintain accurate and complete laboratory notebook capturing protocols, results, and observations in real time
• Comply with all relevant ethical, safety, and training procedure
• Sound knowledge of pharmaceutical principles in the preformulation development with a range of dosage forms, including solution, suspension and IV formulations to support PK, pharmacology, and toxicology studies
• Hands-on experience in analytical techniques such as HPLC methods, PXRD, TGA, DSC, and particle size analyses to enable evaluation of early-stage discovery compounds
• Hands-on experience in LC/MS/MS analysis
• Hands-on experience in cell culture and in vitro permeability assay using Caco-2 cells is optional
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Successful and efficient multitasking and working as part of a multidisciplinary team that works within defined timelines

Education and Experience:

• PhD in pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry, chemical engineering, materials sciences or related field and 0-3 years experience in life sciences, engineering or academia, or
• Master's Degree in pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry, chemical engineering, materials sciences or related field and 3 years experience in life sciences, engineering or academia, or
• Bachelor's Degree in pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry, chemical engineering, materials sciences or related field and 6 years experience in life sciences, engineering or academia

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Pay Range:

Disclosure Statement:

Flex Designation:

Flex Eligibility Status:

In this On-Site designated role, you will work five days per week on-site with ad hoc flexibility.

Note: The Flex status for this position is subject to Vertex's Policy on Flex @ Vertex Program and may be changed at any time.

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Company Information

Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation.

Vertex is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Vertex is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. Vertex will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.

Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should make a request to the recruiter or hiring manager, or contact Talent Acquisition at ApplicationAssistance@vrtx.com