Details
Posted: 24-Jan-22
Location: Collegeville, Pennsylvania
Type: Full Time
Required Education: 4 Year Degree
Sector:
Life Science & Biopharmaceutical Companies
As a world leading pharmaceutical healthcare company, GSK plays a fundamental role in helping people to do more, feel better and live longer. We are currently seeking an experienced Analytical Automation Scientist with a proven track record of driving innovation and technology development to lead the modernization within GSK’s Analytical Platforms & Platform Modernization (APPM) team within Product Development & Supply (PDS) of Medicinal Science & Technology (MST). The successful individual will occupy a key position in the current organization and will be expected to work across boundaries and disciplines to realize the goals of APPM within R&D’s Biopharm PDS (BPDS), PDS, and with Pharma Supply Chain (PSC) colleagues. The successful candidate will be responsible for utilizing existing automation while exploring new and innovative automation technology solutions for implementation to increase efficiency for scientists in the labs. The successful individual will work to determine how to optimize and implement automated analytical workflows, and others, using Hamilton liquid handling robots and other commercially available robotics platforms. By collaborating closely with colleagues within MST, the successful individual will drive the support, training, development, and delivery of key analytical automation solutions with an eye on and next-generation technologies to drive efficiencies that significantly improve the workflows to ultimately benefit the patient.
The successful candidate’s key responsibilities will be to:
- Work closely with analytical scientists in a GMP and non-GMP environment to develop and implement automated analytical methods using the Hamilton robotics platform.
- Provide rapid hands-on support, troubleshooting, and root cause analysis of automation errors to maximize uptime and minimize human effort required across the process development groups at Upper Merion (UM) and Upper Providence (UP) GSK facilities (Flexibility to travel between UM & UP will be required)
- Identify bottlenecks, and systematically evaluate and assess root causes of errors in the laboratory, discriminating between inefficiencies arising from human, software, hardware, firmware, and/or chemical sources.
- Be responsible for the technical support, transfer, implementation, and management of various automated analytical workflows.
- Develop a strong understanding of GSK business areas to identify opportunities to solve unmet needs
- To present and champion applications within a variety of settings to key stakeholders
- To stay informed of upcoming technologies by attending and potentially presenting at technical conferences and liaising with internal and external collaborators
Basic Qualifications:
- MS degree in Analytical/Physical, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Engineering, Computer Science or equivalent with 2+ years’ experience working in a pharmaceutical, biopharm, or product development environment; or
- BS degree in Analytical/Physical, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Engineering, Computer Science or equivalent with 4+ years’ experience working in a pharmaceutical, biopharm, or product development environment
- Hands-on experience creating, optimizing, and troubleshooting automated sample preparation methods and workflows using liquid handling automation equipment, such as Hamilton, Tecan, Unchained Labs/Freeslate, or similar robotics platforms
- Experience with the application of programming concepts used in laboratory automation
- Background working in a laboratory within data integrity or GxP requirements
- Experience in liaising with colleagues and collaborators at all levels
- Experience working in a team environment and independently while meeting project timelines
- Ability to travel between sites (Upper Merion and Upper Providence, ~15 miles one way)
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in creating, optimizing, and troubleshooting automated methods using Hamilton STAR or Vantage robotics preferred
- Ability to configure automated solutions by integrating 3rd party instrumentation and electronic data systems (e.g. LIMS, Electronic Lab Notebook) with liquid handling robotics
- Experience in collating and analyzing data to interrogate and optimize automated methods
- Broad understanding of biopharmaceutical analytical and CMC activities is desirable
- Experience working with multidisciplinary teams in a matrix environment
- Self-motivated with excellent organizational skills and a pragmatic approach to problem solving
- Experience with evaluating and implementing new and novel technologies
- Strong people, organizational, and communication skills (both written and oral)
- Strong desire to learn and develop new skills