R&D Fermentation - Group Lead

BE Biosol is seeking an experienced Group Lead - Fermentation & Bioprocess Development to lead upstream and downstream process development programs spanning microbial fermentation products and biologics. This role will be instrumental in establishing world-class R&D, pilot-scale and future commercial manufacturing capabilities for APIs, while supporting the organization's expansion into monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), biosimilars and recombinant biologics.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead bacterial fermentation process development from cell banking, seed development and shake flask studies through pilot-scale fermentation.
• Drive process optimization using advanced understanding of fermenter fluid dynamics, oxygen transfer, mixing, scale-up, metabolism and process engineering principles.
• Apply advanced Design of Experiments (DoE), Quality by Design (QbD), statistical modelling and metabolomics to improve productivity, robustness and process understanding.
• Lead downstream process development, optimization and scale-up including harvest, filtration, TFF and chromatography to achieve target yields, recoveries and impurity profiles.
• Provide scientific leadership for future mAb and biosimilar process development, pilot manufacturing, technology transfer and commercial readiness activities.
• Support establishment of greenfield R&D and pilot manufacturing facilities, including equipment selection, process design, commissioning and technology transfer.
• Lead cross-functional teams, mentor scientists and engineers, and drive a culture of innovation, scientific excellence and execution.

Candidate Profile

• PhD / M.Tech / M.Sc. in Biotechnology, Biochemical Engineering, Microbiology, Bioprocess Engineering or related discipline.
• 12+ years of hands-on industrial experience in fermentation, bioprocess development and scale-up.
• Proven expertise in microbial fermentation, process characterization, pilot plant operations and downstream purification.
• Strong knowledge of fluid dynamics, fermentation engineering, metabolomics, PAT tools, DoE and statistical analysis.
• Experience in development and scale-up of APIs or related fermentation-derived products.
• Exposure to mAbs, biosimilars, single-use technologies and biologics manufacturing will be highly preferred.
• Demonstrated success in technology transfer, team leadership, problem-solving and decision-making in a complex R&D environment.

Key Competencies

• Scientific and technical leadership
• Analytical and critical thinking
• Data-driven decision making
• Hands-on troubleshooting and process optimization
• Team building and stakeholder management
• Greenfield project execution and scale-up expertise