Director - Device and Formulation Development
Basel | Full-Time
Contract Type: Permanent
Closing date:
Reference: VN1278
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About the role:
As Director – Device and Formulation Development, you will work closely with the Scientific Innovation leadership and play a pivotal role in the development and success of our Innovation Centre in this dynamic and quickly evolving market.
This is a real opportunity to play a central role in ensuring the continuation and ongoing development of our Health and Wellness portfolio to gain exposure to the full breadth of strategic device and formulation development.
An experienced device developer looking to further their reach, impact and development you will lead on the identification and development of new and novel delivery devices for a variety of inhalation devices. You will be passionate about the design - and user experience - of a wide variety of device types and will ideally bring previous medical device development experience and expertise.
Combining a blend of device and formulation experience with the interpersonal skills necessary to partner with both internal and external partners and advise, question and challenge to drive effective decision making and ensure the best technical and scientific decisions this is a real opportunity to be at the center of an exciting and high profile business and to work with a highly capable and motivated team of international colleagues.
With a current knowledge of the regulatory guidance aspects of inhalation devices and design thinking development, it is also essential that you have a good understanding of the formulation interactions with devices – ideally across varied delivery formats including dry powder inhalers and liquid-based nebulizers.
This role will be based at our state of the art research and development center located in Neuchâtel, Switzerland or could be based remotely (with regular travel to Neuchatel) for the right candidate.
Core responsibilities:
• Conducting developments in partnership with external third parties or developed fully in-house in collaboration with other teams.
• Understanding the impact of user needs on the design of devices, which could relate to both legal and regulatory aspects and / or the desirability of ergonomic products.
• New project assessment - Reviewing both internal capabilities (and resources) for device development along with external opportunities that could be considered more innovative or desirable – ultimately you would have to review and deliver recommendations on which development to follow for target product concepts. You would then develop the agreed project through to proof-of-concept – success criteria will be agreed with category and commercial stakeholders. Some of this development may also include user insight workshops and concept testing.
• Provide technical support on the assessment of Intellectual Property needs for a project. If partnering with third parties, you should be able to assess their patents and if internally developed, you should seek new opportunities to build patent portfolios.
• Generating business case proposals for new device + formulations projects to inform business decisions - including manufacturing cost estimates at early stages of a project.
• Maintaining an awareness of market trends in inhalation delivery devices, competitors and new and emerging technologies that could provide new opportunities for development of Cannabinoid base formulations.
• Role Requirements:
Previous pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical industry experience is of significant benefit.
• With a science or engineering based degree (preferably doctorate), you should have demonstrable experience in different inhalation delivery devices for use by patients and ., Ideally, you should have experience in nebuliser devices, dry powder inhalers and metered dose inhalers.
• You should have a good understanding of the impact and selection of different formulations (powders, suspensions, encapsulation, liquids, etc.) on the design and development of inhalation delivery devices. Experience of different modelling techniques (e.g. CFD or FEA) would be desirable.
• You should understand the impact of user needs on the design of devices, which could relate to both legal and regulatory aspects and / or the desirability of ergonomic products.
• You should have a good understanding of generating a business case for new device + formulations projects to inform business decisions. This should include manufacturing cost estimates at early stages of a project.
• You should maintain an awareness of market trends in inhalation delivery devices, competitors and new and emerging technologies that could provide new opportunities for development of Cannabinoid base formulations.
Profile
• Demonstrable experience in the leadership of inhalation delivery device developments.
• Experience in inhalation product development. This could include experience within pharmaceutical inhalation devices.
• Significant experience and a strong track record in R&D within scientific / technical roles.
• An understanding of formulation development for inhalation devices is essential, though the focus is not on being a formulation chemistry expert. This should include an understanding of different manufacturing techniques for different formulation formats and their impact on device performance and selection.
• Experience in developing devices and/or formulations in partnership with third parties would be desirable.
• Experience in business case development.
• Demonstrable ability to work credibly across technical and commercial disciplines and influence those colleagues and stakeholders not in direct line of management.
• Strong presentation skills that can communicate effectively to both technical and non-technical colleagues.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with internal and external partners across both technical and commercial topics with a questioning mind-set and the ability to establish and build powerful external technology partnerships.
As Director – Device and Formulation Development, you will work closely with the Scientific Innovation leadership and play a pivotal role in the development and success of our Innovation Centre in this dynamic and quickly evolving market.
This is a real opportunity to play a central role in ensuring the continuation and ongoing development of our Health and Wellness portfolio to gain exposure to the full breadth of strategic device and formulation development.
An experienced device developer looking to further their reach, impact and development you will lead on the identification and development of new and novel delivery devices for a variety of inhalation devices. You will be passionate about the design - and user experience - of a wide variety of device types and will ideally bring previous medical device development experience and expertise.
Combining a blend of device and formulation experience with the interpersonal skills necessary to partner with both internal and external partners and advise, question and challenge to drive effective decision making and ensure the best technical and scientific decisions this is a real opportunity to be at the center of an exciting and high profile business and to work with a highly capable and motivated team of international colleagues.
With a current knowledge of the regulatory guidance aspects of inhalation devices and design thinking development, it is also essential that you have a good understanding of the formulation interactions with devices – ideally across varied delivery formats including dry powder inhalers and liquid-based nebulizers.
This role will be based at our state of the art research and development center located in Neuchâtel, Switzerland or could be based remotely (with regular travel to Neuchatel) for the right candidate.
Core responsibilities:
• Conducting developments in partnership with external third parties or developed fully in-house in collaboration with other teams.
• Understanding the impact of user needs on the design of devices, which could relate to both legal and regulatory aspects and / or the desirability of ergonomic products.
• New project assessment - Reviewing both internal capabilities (and resources) for device development along with external opportunities that could be considered more innovative or desirable – ultimately you would have to review and deliver recommendations on which development to follow for target product concepts. You would then develop the agreed project through to proof-of-concept – success criteria will be agreed with category and commercial stakeholders. Some of this development may also include user insight workshops and concept testing.
• Provide technical support on the assessment of Intellectual Property needs for a project. If partnering with third parties, you should be able to assess their patents and if internally developed, you should seek new opportunities to build patent portfolios.
• Generating business case proposals for new device + formulations projects to inform business decisions - including manufacturing cost estimates at early stages of a project.
• Maintaining an awareness of market trends in inhalation delivery devices, competitors and new and emerging technologies that could provide new opportunities for development of Cannabinoid base formulations.
• Role Requirements:
Previous pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical industry experience is of significant benefit.
• With a science or engineering based degree (preferably doctorate), you should have demonstrable experience in different inhalation delivery devices for use by patients and ., Ideally, you should have experience in nebuliser devices, dry powder inhalers and metered dose inhalers.
• You should have a good understanding of the impact and selection of different formulations (powders, suspensions, encapsulation, liquids, etc.) on the design and development of inhalation delivery devices. Experience of different modelling techniques (e.g. CFD or FEA) would be desirable.
• You should understand the impact of user needs on the design of devices, which could relate to both legal and regulatory aspects and / or the desirability of ergonomic products.
• You should have a good understanding of generating a business case for new device + formulations projects to inform business decisions. This should include manufacturing cost estimates at early stages of a project.
• You should maintain an awareness of market trends in inhalation delivery devices, competitors and new and emerging technologies that could provide new opportunities for development of Cannabinoid base formulations.
Profile
• Demonstrable experience in the leadership of inhalation delivery device developments.
• Experience in inhalation product development. This could include experience within pharmaceutical inhalation devices.
• Significant experience and a strong track record in R&D within scientific / technical roles.
• An understanding of formulation development for inhalation devices is essential, though the focus is not on being a formulation chemistry expert. This should include an understanding of different manufacturing techniques for different formulation formats and their impact on device performance and selection.
• Experience in developing devices and/or formulations in partnership with third parties would be desirable.
• Experience in business case development.
• Demonstrable ability to work credibly across technical and commercial disciplines and influence those colleagues and stakeholders not in direct line of management.
• Strong presentation skills that can communicate effectively to both technical and non-technical colleagues.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with internal and external partners across both technical and commercial topics with a questioning mind-set and the ability to establish and build powerful external technology partnerships.
About Vectura
We’re an international community of scientists, clinicians, engineers, regulatory specialists, quality managers and more. Working closely together in an open and inclusive way, we push ourselves and each other to develop innovative, world-leading drug delivery solutions that improve people’s lives.