Expert Science & Technology – Downstream Process Development (m/f/d)

About the role

Novartis is looking for an Expert in its Downstream Process Development team in Mengeš, Slovenia. The team focuses on early-phase development of biopharmaceutical drug substances, designing and optimizing purification processes for biologics. You will combine hands-on downstream processing (DSP) knowledge with modelling, digitalization and AI-enabled approaches, working with cross-functional teams to plan and run development studies.

Key responsibilities

• Contribute to downstream process development across assigned projects, coordinating your own tasks and meeting agreed timelines.
• Design, plan, execute and document laboratory studies for robust purification processes of recombinant proteins, with guidance for more complex activities.
• Perform and optimize DSP processes and methods, evaluate new technologies and support their introduction.
• Analyze and interpret experimental data, propose follow-up studies and help troubleshoot process challenges.
• Prepare protocols, technical reports, SOPs, development documentation, handover packages and regulatory deliverables.
• Represent DSP in local and global cross-functional teams and support scale-up, technology transfer and process control definition at manufacturing sites.
• Advance DSP through automation, process modelling, data science and AI-enabled approaches, and communicate results to stakeholders and partners.
• Share knowledge, support lab organization and comply with quality, ethics, health, safety, environmental and information-security requirements.

Required profile

• PhD in Biotechnology, Biochemical or Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, Biology, Pharmaceutical Technology or a related field; alternatively an MSc with relevant DSP development and/or manufacturing experience.
• Hands-on knowledge of downstream process development, including scale-down and scale-up principles and unit operations.
• Ability to design, document and interpret experiments, apply data analysis and turn results into development recommendations.
• Strong scientific and technical communication skills, fluent written and spoken English; knowledge-sharing or coordination experience is an advantage.

Required skills

• Downstream process development and purification of recombinant proteins
• Data analysis, process modelling and automation
• Interest in or experience with data science, digital tools and AI-enabled process development

What we offer

• Permanent employment with a 6-month probation period.
• Salary range of EUR 27,160 to EUR 50,440 depending on knowledge, experience and seniority.

Candidates apply by submitting a CV in both Slovenian and English; the company may appoint the chosen candidate to a lower-level Associate Expert position depending on their profile.