Pilot Plant Chemist

Pilot Plant Chemist

Macclesfield (UK)

Would you like to apply your expertise to impact Manufacturing in a company that follows the science and turns ideas into life-changing medicines? Then AstraZeneca might be the one for you! At AstraZeneca, we put patients first and strive to meet their unmet needs worldwide.

Working here means being entrepreneurial, thinking big, and working together to make the impossible a reality. If you are swift to action, confident to lead, willing to collaborate, and curious about what science can do, then you’re our kind of person.

Macclesfield is one of over 400 sites here at AstraZeneca, providing a fantastic environment where everyone feels comfortable and able to be themselves. It’s important to us that you bring your full self to work every day.

Pharmaceutical Technology and Development (PT&D) are the bridge that turns forward-thinking science into actual medicines that help millions of people. We work across the entire value chain, designing and delivering active ingredients, formulations, and devices required to support new medicines – from supplies for use in early toxicology studies and clinical trials to developing the technology to ensure drugs can be scaled up for commercial manufacture.

Drug Substance Manufacture (DSM) is responsible for the internal manufacture of Drug Substance for formulation development, pre-clinical, and clinical development studies. Our 5 Pilot Plant facilities and continuous flow facility are used to generate key scale-up learning and technology understanding for API development. We also support the rapid development of commercial processes by flexible accommodation processes and experimentation at scale. DSM is a part of the Chemical Development function within Pharmaceutical & Technology Development, Operations.

As a member of the pilot plant operations team, working a 24/5 shift pattern, you'll complete multi-stage manufacturing processes in compliance with AstraZeneca, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), and SHE standards. You will be responsible for operating the Pilot Plant batch facilities as well as the Continuous flow facility. You will support the satisfactory resolution of issues during the shift and provide the skills/knowledge to effectively offer real-time advice plus technical guidance to the operating team in order to achieve this goal.

You'll be an active member of the shift team in terms of executing the API manufacturing processes e.g., operating plant, material movements, and performing in-process analysis. We'll expect you to work closely with other Pilot Plant operational teams, Project Managers, Engineering support, Process Chemists, Process Engineers, and Plant Coordinators.

Accountabilities

- Operate Pilot Plant, Continuous flow facility and support technical issues that arise
- Execute batch sheet instructions and record their completion to GMP standards
- Work effectively as a member of the team to ensure that good communication is maintained across the various teams and shifts
- Provide technical support in project accommodation activities
- Support problem-solving activities to resolve equipment/product quality issues
- Perform analytical chemistry (HPLC/UPLC, GC, Karl Fisher, and NMR) within a GMP environment

Essential Skills/Experience

- BSc/ MSc/ BEng level education in a relevant discipline (Chemistry, Chemical Engineering)
- Pharmaceutical manufacturing experience (especially API manufacture)
- Skills in key analytical techniques relevant to in-process drug substance analysis
- Problem-solving experience and skills
- Technical and/or engineering capabilities
- GMP and regulatory knowledge/awareness

Desirable Skills/Experience

- Project and business process management experience
- Experience in process qualification and validation
- Experience working with continuous flow chemistry

Make a meaningful impact on people's lives with life-changing medicines. Join the team where everyone feels a personal connection to the people that we impact. From our science labs to manufacturing at scale, we are committed to delivering at the highest quality. It's inspiring and rewarding work, influencing every part of the product lifecycle to deliver life-changing medicines. To ultimately make people's lives better from patients and their families to all of us in society.

Ready to make a difference? Apply now!

Date Posted

31-Jan-2026

Closing Date

05-Feb-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.