Senior Scientist - Stem Cell Process Development

Job Description

Job Description

Harton is seeking a highly motivated Senior Scientist - Stem Cell Process Development to lead biological process-development for stem and stem-derived cell manufacturing. You will be responsible for developing robust and reproducible iPSC expansion processes and refining the process architecture required to support automated stem and stem-derived cell manufacturing on Harton’s novel bioprocessing platform. The ideal candidate will bring strong technical depth in pluripotent stem cell culture, differentiation, cellular analysis, and experimental design, along with a passion for translating cutting-edge biotechnology into stem-cell products that accelerate biomedical research and cell-based therapies for patients.

The role requires deep practical knowledge of iPSC culture and a strong process-development mindset. A successful candidate will be comfortable systematically determining what is required to make stem cell expansion and developmental programming reliable, reproducible, and scalable on Harton’s automated bioprocessing platform. Immediate work will focus on questions such as starting cell state, seeding and perfusion culture strategy, 3D culture matrix environment, analytical and QA/QC requirements, cell recovery and passage, and passage-to-passage reproducibility.

This is an on-site role within a small multidisciplinary science and engineering team. The Senior Scientist will lead scientific research for Harton’s stem cell manufacturing program, execute experiments, and mentor and supervise additional research staff as the team grows.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and optimization of robust, reproducible iPSC expansion processes on Harton’s automated 3D perfusion bioprocessing platform.
• Design and execute systematic studies to define the fundamental process architecture for iPSC expansion, including starting cell state, seeding strategy, perfusion culture conditions, cell density and spatial organization, 3D culture matrix environment, passage strategy, and recovery/harvest.
• Establish appropriate input specifications, process parameters, acceptance criteria, and output measures for reproducible stem-cell expansion.
• Develop, establish, and interpret analytical methods required to characterize iPSC identity, pluripotency, viability, growth, differentiation state, and overall process performance using imaging, cytometry, molecular assays, and other appropriate techniques.
• Establish robust approaches for cell-line handling, cryopreservation, recovery, banking, passage history, and long-term maintenance of cell quality.
• Define the biological and process requirements for Harton’s instrumentation, automation, consumables, and software.
• Work closely with external scientific collaborators and internal engineering teams to translate established protocols into reproducible automated workflows.
• Support translation of established directed-differentiation workflows onto the platform, including stem-cell-derived cell types relevant to regenerative medicine and advanced cell manufacturing.
• Help establish the scientific basis for new workflows, applications, and cell products enabled by Harton’s platform.
• Build experimental practices and documentation that support reproducibility, process transfer, future productization, and manufacturing use.
• Mentor and provide day-to-day scientific direction to research associates and other team members as the program grows.

Required Qualifications

• PhD in stem cell biology, cell biology, bioengineering, developmental biology, or a related discipline with relevant experience; or BS/MS with 3+ years of equivalent industry or pharma experience developing human stem-cell processes.
• Extensive hands-on experience culturing and expanding human iPSCs, with a strong practical understanding of maintenance, passage, morphology, culture quality, and common failure modes.
• Strong experimental-design and process-development skills, including the ability to systematically investigate sources of biological and process variability.
• Demonstrated experience developing, optimizing, and troubleshooting complex stem-cell culture processes.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and interpret analytical methods relevant to stem-cell identity, pluripotency, viability, growth, and process performance.
• Strong understanding of the biological factors governing iPSC state, growth, differentiation, and long-term culture quality.
• Ability to independently analyze complex biological data, make technical decisions, and drive a program from early feasibility to robust process.
• Exceptional scientific communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with scientists and engineers from different technical disciplines.
• Enthusiasm for a hands-on role in a small, fast-paced biotechnology company.

Preferred Qualifications

• 3+ years industry or pharma experience developing iPSC expansion or culture processes intended for GMP, therapeutic, translational, or commercial manufacturing.
• Experience using 3D culture techniques for iPSC expansion and/or differentiation, particularly hydrogel-, matrix-, or scaffold-supported culture.
• Experience developing commercial research-use stem-cell products, standardized stem-cell workflows, media, culture systems, or related cell-based products.
• Experience with stem cell line establishment, qualification, and banking.
• Experience establishing process-related quality attributes and analytical strategies for stem-cell products or manufacturing processes.
• Familiarity with GMP principles, controlled manufacturing environments, technology transfer, or manufacturing process development.
• Familiarity with directed differentiation of iPSCs into therapeutically relevant cell types, particularly neural-lineage differentiation.
• Experience developing or qualifying media or other critical culture inputs.

Benefits

At Harton, we are committed to providing our team with the resources, incentives, and flexibility to thrive both inside and outside of work. Our benefits include:

• Comprehensive medical coverage
• Company-funded Health Savings Account (HSA) for eligible medical, vision, and dental expenses
• Wellness incentives and health club reimbursement
• Mental health resources and telehealth access
• Paid parental, family, and medical leave
• Financial wellness education resources
• Flexible vacation and sick time
• 12 paid holidays plus an annual winter break