Leading Scientist in Upstream Bioprocess Development & Computational Modelling (d/f/m)

Job Description Summary

The future is ours to shape!

Job Description

Sandoz is a global leader in Biosimilars and Generic medicines. Our purpose is to pioneer access for patients by developing and commercializing novel, affordable solutions that address unmet medical needs. As Sandoz Global Development Organization (SGD), we are responsible for the development and delivery of biosimilar and generic medicines, impacting patients lives worldwide.

The position is part of Biopharma Technical Development (BTD) and will be based in our new development centre in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Our aspiration is to be innovative in applying science to develop technologies and processes that will enable production of high-quality biosimilars. We are looking for a Leading Scientist with experience in upstream bioprocess development and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).

Your key responsibilities:

Your responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Lead USP activities for the development of biosimilars in cross-functional project teams.
• Establish and lead our CFD capability, including selecting modelling tools, defining workflows, and establishing best‑practice standards and providing expert guidance across the organization.
• Develop and optimize upstream processes including media/feed development, process parameter optimization, scale-up strategies, and robustness evaluations.
• Develop and apply mechanistic and/or data‑driven models to support process understanding and decision‑making, in collaboration with data scientists and subject matter experts.
• Contribute to scientific and technical strategy, including evaluation of new technologies, digital tools, and modelling approaches relevant to USP development.

What you will bring to the role:

• A master’s degree in chemical or mechanical engineering, physics, biotechnology or other relevant fields.
• Minimum of 6 years of relevant experience, 3 years with a PhD in bioprocess development and/or advanced computational modelling.
• Extensive hands-on CFD simulation experience.
• Experience in bioreactor operation, scale-up, and process optimization (DoE).
• Excellent communication, teamwork, and project management skills.

What we offer:

Job location: Ljubljana

We offer relocation support for this position.

Contract type: permanent contract with 6-month probation period

Expected weekly working hours: 40

*Pay range: €50,720 – €76,080 gross

*Salary at Sandoz is based on job level, qualifications, specific skills, and work experience. Fully proficient candidates are usually placed around the market median, less experienced candidates lower in the range, and those with strong or niche expertise higher. When determining placement within the range, we also consider internal pay equity and external market data.

Our compensation package additionally includes:

• Annual bonus (STI): percentage of annual salary
• Vacation allowance: in 2025 it was €2,430.99 net
• Christmas bonus: in 2025 it was €2,100 gross
• OurShare: every year, an employee of Lek d.d. will be entitled to receive shares of Sandoz AG
• Voluntary Additional Pension Scheme: The company fully covers the contribution for your supplementary pension plan, amounting to 5.844% of your gross salary
• Allowance for shift work (15%); rotational shifts (20%), night shift work (70%), Sunday/public holiday work (50%), overtime work (30%) – if applicable for position
• Collective life and accident insurance (24/7 coverage)
• A hybrid work environment offering flexibility and remote work possibilities – if applicable for position

Ready for your next career move?
You are kindly invited to submit your application in English and Slovene, including a CV, by May 3, 2026.

Why Sandoz?

Sandoz is the global leader in Biosimilar and Generic medicines, a segment of the healthcare industry that delivers 80% of the world’s medicines at 30% of the cost, touching the lives of more than 1 billion people across 100+ countries! While we are proud of our achievements, we have the ambition to do more so that everyone can benefit from the basic human right of good health.

With investments in new development capabilities, production sites, new acquisitions and partnerships, we have the opportunity to shape a sustainable future for Sandoz and to help even more people gain access to low-cost, high-quality medicines.

Our momentum is powered by an open, collaborative culture driven by our talented and ambitious colleagues who, in return for applying their skills, experience an agile and collegiate environment where diversity of thought is welcomed and where personal growth is supported! 

Join us in helping to make healthcare fairer and faster.

The future is ours to shape.

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:

We are committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and to forming diverse teams that are representative of the patients and communities we serve. 

  

#Sandoz

Skills Desired

Coaching Skills, Data Science, Environment, Experiments Design, Health And Safety (Ehs), Laboratory Equipment, Manufacturing Process, Materials Science, Process Simulation, Sop (Standard Operating Procedure), Technical Writing, Waterfall Project Management

Global leader in generic and biosimilar medicines, operating as an independent company spun off from Novartis. Based in Basel.

sandoz.com