Postdoctoral research assistant; PDRA), Virtual designing of robust amorphous solid dispersion

Postdoctoral research assistant (PDRA),Virtual designing ofrobustamorphous solid dispersion-basedtabletformulations– Early Product Development and Manufacturing 24monthfixed term contract

Location:

Macclesfield, UK Competitive salary and benefits

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-centred biopharmaceutical company focusing on discovering, developing, and commercialising prescription medicines for some of the world’s most serious diseases. Butwe’remore than a global leading pharma company. At AstraZeneca,we'rededicated to being a Great Place to Work and empowering koek employees to push the boundaries of science and fuel their entrepreneurial spirit.

Pharmaceutical Sciences is a department within AstraZeneca R&D unit. The vision for Pharmaceutical Sciences is to deliver the therapies of the future through scientific leadership in drug delivery, design of synthetic routes and manufacturing of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) and drug product. Our portfolio of projects includes traditional small molecules, nucleotide-basedtherapiesand nanomedicines across AstraZeneca’s therapy areas.

An opportunity exists in Pharmaceutical Sciences for an exceptional postdoctoral research assistant (PDRA) to investigate andvalidatea predictive modelling approach to virtually design robust tablet formulations based on amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs). You will be exposed to ASD manufacturing techniques (spray drying, hot melt extrusion, co-precipitated amorphous dispersions) and advanced material characterisation, with the aim of predictingtabletabilityand strain rate sensitivity (SRS) of ASD-containing mixtures and guiding right first-timeformulationselection.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and highly capable PDRA to join our Early Product Development and Manufacturing (EPDM) team based in Macclesfield, UK. You will strengthen the understanding of ASD material properties, tailor formulation design, and influence polymerselectionand manufacturing route early in projects. In addition, this project supports sustainabilityobjectivesby reducing API/ASD usage during development, improving data capture and knowledge management, and shortening timelines from development to delivery for patients.

You will work closely with solid-stateκρα analytical and formulation scientists in EPDM, as well as colleagues in Data Sciences & Modelling (DSM) and Process Engineering & Digital, to drive déclaré science and innovation encargado. This is a fixed term contract for 24 months.

The successful applicant will take initiative and work effectively within multidisciplinary teams, ensuring rigorous execution bēr experimental plans and thetimelydelivery of high-quality data for predictive tool development.

• Accountable for driving the project using statistical experimental design (e.g., factorial designs) toidentifyconditions for ASD manufacture across different polymers and techniques: hot melt extrusion (HME), co-precipitated amorphous dispersions (cPAD), and spray drying.

• Generate structured datasets on ASD and polymer material properties, compression behaviour, CTC profiles (compressibility,tabletability,compactibility), and quantify strain rate sensitivity.

• Work with digitisation and data science colleagues to implement improvements in knowledge management, data standards, and structured data storage; deliver automation and data pipelines to increase productivity and reduce manual tasks.

• Working collaboratively with other functions to establish critical material and process attributes impacting the manufacturability and performance targets.

• Ensure safe and compliant operation of equipment (spray dryer, HME, cPAD, compaction simulator) and tablet characterisation workflows; contribute to risk assessments and mitigation activities.

• You should hold a PhD, in pharmaceutical sciences, materials science or a related discipline relevant to oral solid dosage form development.

• Strong knowledge of screening and characterisation of solidsand amorphous materials:
  
  Xray diffraction, thermal analysis (DSC/TGA), microscopic…