Associate Scientific Director - Discovery Biotherapeutics

JOB DESCRIPTION

Designation: Associate Scientific Director / Principal Scientist — Cell Line Development and Upstream Protein Production

Job Location: Bangalore

Department: Discovery Biotherapeutics / Discovery Technologies

About Syngene,

Incorporated in 1993, Syngene International Ltd. is an innovation-focused global discovery, development and manufacturing organization providing integrated scientific services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, nutrition, animal health, consumer goods and specialty chemical industries around the world. Syngene’ s clientele includes world leaders such as Bristol-Myers Squibb, Baxter, Amgen, GSK, Merck KGaA and Herbalife. Its innovative culture is driven by the passion of its 4240- strong team of scientists who work with clients from around the world to solve their scientific problems, improve R&D productivity, speed up time to market and lower the cost of innovation.

Job Purpose:

- BBRC is seeking an accomplished scientific leader to establish and lead Cell Line Development and Upstream Protein Production capabilities in support of early biotherapeutic discovery. The role will enable robust mammalian expression platforms and reliable delivery of high-quality research- and toxicology-grade protein material across diverse biologic modalities.

- The successful candidate will provide hands-on technical leadership across cell-line and stable-pool generation, transient and stable expression, construct and vector optimization, upstream process development, and scale-up from laboratory scale systems to bioreactors (200L).

Key Responsibilities:

- Establish and lead mammalian expression, cell-line development, stable-pool generation, and upstream process platforms for research and toxicology protein supply.

- Optimize constructs, vectors, host systems, media, feeds, culture conditions, productivity, quality, and scalability in partnership with Protein Engineering and analytics teams.

- Deliver reproducible upstream production from small-scale expression through tox-relevant bioreactor operations, including fed-batch, intensified fed-batch, and perfusion formats.

- Implement cell banking, cryopreservation, inventory, traceability, documentation, and platform-stewardship practices that improve consistency and cycle time.

- Lead, coach, recruit, and develop a high-performing team while strengthening collaboration, safety, scientific rigor, inclusion, innovation, and compliance.

Educational Qualification:

Ph.D. in molecular biology, cell biology, biotechnology, protein engineering, bioengineering, or a related field.

Experience:

8+ years

Technical/functional Skills:

Required:

- 8+ years of relevant biopharmaceutical or biotechnology industry experience, including 3+ years leading scientists, technical teams, or matrixed workstreams.

- Strong hands-on expertise in mammalian cell-line development, transient and stable expression, clone/pool selection, productivity assessment, stability evaluation, cell banking, and mammalian bioreactor scale-up.

- Experience supporting research, preclinical, toxicology, or development-stage protein supply, with working knowledge of purification and analytical characterization.

- Excellent scientific judgment, communication, problem-solving, stakeholder-management, and people-leadership skills.

Preferred:

Experience with CHO and HEK293 platforms, fed-batch, perfusion, intensified culture, complex biologic formats, automation, DOE, PAT, predictive modelling, GLP/GMP-adjacent documentation, technology transfer, or demonstrated platform innovation.

Behavioral Skills:

Strong problem-solving and data analysis skills, excellent written and verbal communication skills, good presentation skills, and the ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously and meet aggressive project timelines. Must demonstrate integrity and take accountability for their work

Equal Opportunity Employer:

It is the policy of Syngene to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable legislation or local law. In addition, Syngene will provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities.