Process Scientist - Research Engineering

About the Department

For more than 100 years, Novo Nordisk has been tackling the unmet medical needs of people living with serious chronic diseases, such as diabetes & obesity. Being part of Novo Nordisk allows our employees to embark on the opportunity to help improve the quality of life for millions of people around the world.

Our new Petersburg, Virginia site marks a strategic move to advance our capabilities in Emerging Technologies (ET) within Chemical API development and production. The highly experienced site is designed to strengthen and accelerate our Small Molecule (SMOL) strategy while amplifying our operational capacity. This is to safeguard and support ET´s SMOL projects in the coming years, aligning with our vision and strengthening our potential for growth and innovation.

What we offer you:

• Leading pay and annual performance bonus for all positions
• All employees enjoy generous paid time off including 14 paid holidays
• Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Vision Insurance – effective day one
• Guaranteed 8% 401K contribution plus individual company match option
• Family Focused Benefits including 14 weeks paid parental & 6 weeks paid family medical leave
• Free access to Novo Nordisk-marketed pharmaceutical products
• Tuition Assistance
• Life & Disability Insurance
• Employee Referral Awards

At Novo Nordisk, you will find opportunities, resources, and mentorship to help grow and build your career. Are you ready to realize your potential? Join Team Novo Nordisk and help us make what matters.

The Position

The Research Engineer will be responsible for designing, developing, and implementing new or revised processes for active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) or API intermediate for large scale production in cooperation with the pilot-plant, Engineering, and Production department.  

This person will take promising chemical processes and scale them up—moving from grams to multi-kilogram batches—while optimizing for safety, speed, and yield. This is a hands-on role that requires a strong knowledge of chemistry and chemical engineer.

Relationships

Reports to Director of R&D Emerging technologies 

Essential Functions

• Independently drive lab-based activities and scientific reporting innovations, evaluate parameters critical to the process and make recommendations, and effectively communicate results to key stakeholders
• Deliver assigned work packages and adhere to project objectives and timelines and ongoing interaction with a range of internal and external stakeholders
• Troubleshoot entry-level complexity tasks for a given lab method or technology
• Perform hands-on work for process familiarization, process characterization, fate and purge studies, etc.
• Set study timelines to meet project deliverables, communicating study updates, as well as data generation, analyses, and reporting
• Responsible for drafting reports & protocols with limited assistance from supervisor beyond reviews
• Optimize existing processes with aim for improving sustainability, process safety and full manufacturing cost
• Work closely with project teams as well as project managers to adhere to project timelines and supply demands
• Support the site to maintain their license to operate, including supporting in inspections and audits
• Support the process for solving complex technical or operational issues
• Collaborate with production on process implementation and execution
• Support the establishment and/or expansion of laboratory facilities
• May represent team or project at external conference
• Follow all safety & environmental requirements in the performance of duties
• Other duties as assigned

Physical Requirements

Moves equipment &/or supplies weighing up to 33 pounds within the facility using various body positions. Ability to do close precision work with their hands. Must be able to remain in a stationary position (sitting and standing) 50% of the time. May required corrected vision to 20/25 based on role. May require color vision based on role. Occasionally ascends/descends a ladder. May be required to work at elevated heights. Occasionally works around odorous &/or hazardous materials.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree with four (4) years of relevant experience or a PhD with zero (0) industry or post-doctorate experience required, degrees within Chemical Engineering or Organic Chemistry highly preferred
  • May consider candidates with a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, chemical engineering or relevant field of study from an accredited university with a minimum of six (6) years of experience in industrial process chemistry required, preferably within a pharmaceutical company
• Relevant experience includes:
  • Experience and understanding of API Development, e.g. route scouting & development, scale-up, process characterization and implementation for pilot plant scale-up 
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques of scientific and industrial pharmacy 
  • Knowledge of chemistry activities in the lab through all phases of development up to and including commercial products 
• Quality and safety mindset and excellent analytical skills 
• Strong verbal & written communication skills, including presentation skills
• Proven process improvement & problem-solving skills
• Preferred qualifications:
  • Strong understanding of organic synthesis, heat transfer, mass balance, and fluid dynamics.
  • Knowledge of cGMP and regulatory requirements for API manufacturing for clinical trials and commercial use 
  • Excellent customer service skills 

We commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all our job applicants.

At Novo Nordisk, we're not chasing quick fixes – we're creating lasting change for long-term health. For over 100 years, we've been driven by a single purpose: to defeat serious chronic diseases and help millions of people live healthier lives. This dedication fuels our constant curiosity and inspires us to push the boundaries of what's possible in healthcare. We embrace diverse perspectives, seek out bold ideas, and build partnerships rooted in shared purpose. Together, we're making healthcare more accessible, treating and defeating diseases, and pioneering solutions that create change spanning generations. When you join us, you become part of something bigger – a legacy of impact that reaches far beyond today.

Novo Nordisk is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal laws, rules or regulations.

If you are interested in applying to Novo Nordisk and need special assistance or an accommodation to apply, please call us at 1-855-411-5290. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.