Job Description

The Biologics CMC group is a unit within the newly established Orion Biologics R&D UK Center whose main responsibility is to discover and develop biologics for clinical use from early research into clinical development and launch.

Orion Pharma is establishing a new Biologics Research & Development Center in the vibrant biomedical ecosystem of Cambridge, UK. The Biologics R&D Center represents a central piece in the long-term vision of expansion into biologics modalities by Orion Pharma. The Center's mission is to accelerate the company's biologics research and development efforts.

The Biologics R&D Center will complement Orion's existing R&D efforts in Finland, where the company was founded in 1917. Currently, Orion possesses all of the functional capabilities necessary for small molecule discovery and development in Finland. Orion's expansion into Cambridge, UK marks a pivotal step in building future innovative biologics treatments, including multi-specific antibodies, Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADC), and Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cells (CAR-T).

Independently of geography, Orion Pharma is committed to upholding key Nordic values. The company has created a culture of straightforward and honest interactions, and its management emphasizes the balance of professional and home life, leading to happier and motivated employees. This motivation is key to meeting the company's bold mission of becoming a powerhouse of biologics discovery and development.

We are seeking a Scientist / Senior Scientist - Manufacturing / Stable Cell Line Generation to lead and execute activities in the generation and characterization of manufacturing CHO cell lines for biologics production within the Biologics R&D Center at Orion Pharma in Cambridge, UK. The successful candidate employing the state-of-the-art instrumentation will be responsible for transfection, selection, clone screening, and generation of Research Cell Banks (RCBs). The candidate will also contribute to technology transfer packages and collaboration with vectorology, process development, and with analytical teams.

Your responsibilities include the following:

• Lead efforts in CHO cell line development, including vector design input, transfection, pool generation, and single-cell cloning
• Design and optimize clone screening strategies based on productivity, product quality, and growth characteristics
• Perform molecular biology techniques (e.g., PCR, cloning, sequencing) to support construct validation and expression analysis
• Use technologies such as Beacon Optofluidic System or other state-of-the-art instrumentation for high-throughput screening and clone ranking
• Generate and characterize Research Cell Banks (RCBs) and support Master Cell Bank (MCB) tech transfer
• Collaborate with upstream teams to develop scalable fed-batch production processes for lead clones
• Analyze and interpret data to drive decision-making in clone selection and process optimization
• Contribute to writing of protocols, technical reports, and documentation for regulatory submissions
• Ensure compliance with internal quality standards and maintain high levels of data integrity

The Scientist/Senior Scientist - Manufacturing / Stable Cell Line Generation will report to the Head of CMC group, Orion Pharma iMeds/R&D.

Description of our organization

Orion Pharma's Innovative Medicines are within its R&D organization. The organization employs top professionals in the field of drug discovery and development. There are around 400 professionals working in R&D. In addition to Cambridge, UK Biologics R&D Center, Orion R&D has offices in Espoo, Turku and Kuopio in Finland, in Nottingham, UK, and in New York, NY, USA.

We offer

This opportunity is to contribute to development of manufacturing cell lines within the Biologics CMC team at our new location in Cambridge, UK; this will be a unique opportunity for an enthusiastic antibody scientist to help further establish and advance a stable CHO cell line generation technology while we build a state-of-the-art Biologics powerhouse within Orion Pharma iMeds/R&D.

A highly innovative R&D pipeline and enthusiastic working environment with possibilities to use your own strengths to advance your competence and career.

The exciting potential to innovate and have an impact on future therapies for patients.

An excellent working atmosphere based on the appreciation of colleagues, continuous development, and mutual trust. Learn more about Orion as an employer https://www.orion.fi/en/careers/orion-as-an-employer/.

Our expectations:

Ph.D. in Biotechnology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, or related field with 5+ years of industrial experience, or an MS degree with 7+ years of industrial experience.

• Hands-on experience with CHO-based stable cell line development platforms (e.g., GS, DHFR, Transposon-based systems such as PiggyBac® or Sleeping Beauty, site-specific integration (SSI) technologies, etc. )
• Proficiency in mammalian cell culture (suspension and adherent) under aseptic conditions
• Knowledge of operating Beacon or other state-of-the-art cloning instrumentation is strongly desired
• Skilled in molecular biology methods, construct verification, and gene expression analysis
• Experience with analytical tools for protein quantification and quality assessment (e.g., ELISA, Octet, SDS-PAGE)

How to apply and additional information

If this opportunity excites you, we encourage you to apply! Please submit your cover letter and CV by July 13th, 2025.

We typically review applications already during the application period and may start interviewing candidates before the application deadline. Therefore, we invite you to send your application as soon as possible.

#LI-ORION

Unit description

Orion Pharma's Innovative Medicines are within its R&D organization. The organization employs top professionals in the field of drug discovery and development. There are around 400 professionals working in R&D. In addition to Cambridge, UK Biologics R&D Center, Orion R&D has offices in Espoo, Turku and Kuopio in Finland, in Nottingham, UK, and in New York, NY, USA.

About Us

Orion is a globally operating Finnish pharmaceutical company - a builder of well-being for over a hundred years.

Orion provides meaningful work for more than 3 600 Orionees in Finland and abroad. Orion is known as a responsible and reliable employer where we value each other, strive for the best and build for tomorrow.

We develop, manufacture and market human and veterinary pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Orion has an extensive portfolio of proprietary and generic medicines and consumer health products. The core therapy areas of our pharmaceutical R&D are oncology and pain. Proprietary products developed by Orion are used to treat cancer, neurological diseases and respiratory diseases, among others.

About Orion