Postdoctoral research assistant (PDRA), Virtual designing of robust amorphous solid dispersion-based tablet formulations – Early Product Development and Manufacturing - 24 month fixed term contract

Postdoctoral research assistant (PDRA), Virtual designing of robust amorphous solid dispersion-based tablet formulations – Early Product Development and Manufacturing

24 month fixed 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. But we’re more than a global leading pharma company. At AstraZeneca, we're dedicated to being a Great Place to Work and empowering 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-based therapies and nanomedicines across AstraZeneca’s therapy areas. 

An opportunity exists in Pharmaceutical Sciences for an exceptional postdoctoral research assistant (PDRA) to investigate and validate a 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 predicting tabletability and strain rate sensitivity (SRS) of ASD-containing mixtures and guiding right first-time formulation selection. 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 polymer selection and manufacturing route early in projects. In addition, this project supports sustainability objectives by 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-state, analytical and formulation scientists in EPDM, as well as colleagues in Data Sciences & Modelling (DSM) and Process Engineering & Digital, to drive science and innovation. This is a fixed term contract for 24 months. 

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

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Accountable for driving the project using statistical experimental design (e.g., factorial designs) to identify conditions 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. 

Qualifications, skills and Experience:

Essential requirements

• 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 solids and amorphous materials: Xray diffraction, thermal analysis (DSC/TGA), microscopic and other powder characterisation techniques. 

• Practical experience with tableting and related unit operations. Experience with downstream processing of ASDs would be advantageous.  

• Experience with statistical design of experiments and data analysis; familiarity with compressibility–tabletability–compactibility (CTC) concepts and strain rate sensitivity in pharmaceutical compaction. 

• Be a scientifically critical and curious individual able to operate effectively in a multidisciplinary environment; self-motivated with initiative to plan, execute, and troubleshoot experiments and analyses; strong communication skills for cross functional collaboration.  

• Proactive time management with a flexible approach to prioritising tasks. 

Desirable Requirements

• Experience with ASD manufacturing techniques (spray drying, hot melt extrusion, coprecipitation) and compaction simulators/tablet presses, including generation and interpretation of CTC profiles and tensile strength–porosity relationships. 

• Familiarity with mechanistic and data driven modelling of powder compaction, percolation behaviour, and predictive tabletability; experience with model validation and deployment as web or desktop tools. 

• Evidence of collaborative engagement and influence across functions (formulation, solid state, analytical) and sites. 

• Track record of scientific dissemination (publications, conferences) and interest in contributing to high quality external outputs related to ASDs and oral formulation science. 

Next Steps – Apply today!

To be considered for this exciting opportunity, please complete the full application on our website.  If you know someone who would be a great fit, please share this posting with them. 

#Earlytalent

Date Posted

13-Jan-2026

Closing Date

27-Jan-2026

Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.