Scientist / Senior Scientist, Lipid Nanoparticle Formulation & Process Development

Company Overview

Deep Piction, based in Munich, is a biotechnology firm focused on pioneering drug delivery, whole-body imaging, spatial biology, and AI-driven therapeutics acceleration. Their LipiGO platform is a targeted lipid nanoparticle (LNP) system designed for in vivo delivery of therapeutic RNA, with a lead program concentrating on directly creating CAR-T cells in the body through CAR mRNA delivery.

Role Summary

This hands-on position involves leadership in formulation optimization, characterization, and process development, guiding early Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) activities to scale and standardize LipiGO manufacturing. The role requires collaboration across multidisciplinary teams to provide consistent, traceable, and well-characterized LNP batches supporting various studies.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and conduct LNP formulation screening and optimization for mRNA delivery.
• Develop reproducible lead formulations via structured screening and design-of-experiments techniques.
• Optimize lipid components, formulation parameters, targeting ligand densities, encapsulation, purification, and processing conditions.
• Characterize physical and chemical properties including particle size, morphology, mRNA content, purity, and encapsulation efficiency.
• Define critical material and process parameters and establish release criteria appropriate for research formulations.
• Conduct stability studies addressing storage, freeze-thaw cycles, agitation, and in-use conditions.
• Assess batch reproducibility, process robustness, scale-up feasibility, and process comparability.
• Manufacture and quality control LipiGO formulations used in in vitro and in vivo CAR-T experiments.
• Ensure documentation and traceability of formulation batches applied in cellular, pharmacological, and imaging experiments.
• Develop standardized workflows, SOPs, batch records, analytical methods, and documentation systems.
• Manage collaboration with external partners including CROs, CDMOs, lipid suppliers, and technology collaborators.
• Oversee technology transfer towards larger scale and GMP-compatible production processes.
• Investigate formulation failures, analytical inconsistencies, aggregation, loss of encapsulation, instability, and other deviations.
• Support lipid procurement, supplier evaluation, inventory, and material planning.
• Provide guidance and training to junior scientists and technical staff involved in formulation tasks.
• Contribute to development strategies, partner presentations, technical documentation, intellectual property, and regulatory CMC dossiers.

Candidate Profile - Essential Qualifications

• MSc or PhD in pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry, chemical engineering, biotechnology, nanomedicine, biomedical engineering, biochemistry, or related disciplines.
• Extensive practical experience in developing and optimizing lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, or similar nucleic acid delivery vehicles.
• Hands-on knowledge of mRNA, siRNA, oligonucleotide, or other nucleic-acid-based formulations.
• Proficiency in formulation screening, purification, physicochemical characterization, and stability testing.
• Experience with microfluidic mixing or equivalent nanoparticle formulation technologies.
• Familiarity with analytical techniques such as Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA), High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), RiboGreen assays, electrophoresis, and microscopy.
• Capability to independently design experiments, resolve formulation issues, analyze conflicting analytical data, and make data-driven development decisions.
• Experience in preparing controlled protocols, SOPs, batch records, technical reports, and process development documentation.
• Strong organizational skills with ability to manage multiple formulations, experiments, and external collaborations simultaneously.
• Excellent command of scientific English with clear communication to interdisciplinary teams.

Preferred Qualifications and Advantages

• Industry experience in LNP formulation, process development, CMC, pharmaceutical development, or manufacturing sciences.
• Experience with ligand-functionalized or targeted lipid nanoparticle systems.
• Development experience for mRNA delivery or in vivo cell engineering applications.
• Familiarity with scalable purification techniques such as tangential-flow filtration, sterile filtration, buffer exchange, and concentration methods.
• Knowledge of scale-up, process transfer, comparability studies, GMP manufacturing, and GMP-compatible development.
• Understanding of quality-by-design principles, design of experiments, risk assessment, critical quality attributes, and critical process parameters.
• Experience addressing deviations, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and process troubleshooting.
• Management of CROs, CDMOs, formulation partners, and raw material suppliers.
• Awareness of GxP documentation, pharmaceutical quality systems, and regulatory expectations for CMC.
• Supervisory experience of scientists, research associates, or technical teams.
• Knowledge of cellular uptake, intracellular trafficking, endosomal escape mechanisms, transfection, flow cytometry, and biological evaluation of delivery platforms.
• Support of small-animal biodistribution, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, or efficacy research.

Work Environment and Benefits

• Opportunity for pivotal involvement in advancing a targeted mRNA-LNP therapeutic platform.
• Direct responsibility for formulation optimization, process development, and early CMC initiatives.
• Chance to develop scalable formulation workflows and analytical competencies within a dynamic biotech company.
• Collaborative work with specialists across nanotechnology, CAR-T biology, pharmacology, imaging, AI, and drug development.
• Engagement with internal therapeutic programs progressing towards in vivo biological evaluation.
• Connection to leading pharmaceutical, biotech, CRO, CDMO, and academic partnerships.
• Opportunity to establish and shape the company’s formulation and process development functions.
• Multinational and interdisciplinary team environment.
• Full-time employment located in Munich, with competitive pay aligned to experience and qualifications.

Application Details

Applicants should send a single comprehensive PDF including their CV, cover letter explaining fit for the role, detailed description of personal contributions in formulation and development activities, problem-solving examples, and practical expertise brought to the company. Distinguish individual ownership from team involvement clearly. Additional files like certificates or publications are not requested at this stage. Applications via email only with the specified subject line will be accepted and reviewed continuously until the vacancy is filled.