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Upstream Process Engineer Jobs in Pennsylvania (NOW HIRING)

Valspec

Process Validation Engineer

Philadelphia, PA

$70 - $80/hr

Process Engineer -- Upstream / Downstream / Clean Utilities (Consultant) -- Contract Engagement: Valspec consultant placed onsite at a major biopharmaceutical manufacturing site in the Raleigh-Durham ...

Wood Plc

Senior Process Engineer

Philadelphia, PA · On-site +1

$104K - $135K/yr

A key contributor on process engineering design teams (upstream, downstream, utilities, fill & finish) * Establishing a process design basis, developing process options, and optimization of selected ...

Legend Biotech US

Scientist

Philadelphia, PA

Key Responsibilities * Define and optimize the upstream process from shake flask through ... Engineering, or related field. * Hands-on experience in viral vector production, and ...

Legend Biotech US

Scientist

Philadelphia, PA · On-site

Key Responsibilities * Define and optimize the upstream process from shake flask through ... Engineering, or related field. * Hands-on experience in viral vector production, and ...

Merck & Co.

Our Scientists and Engineers support internal development and internal/external manufacturing ... The group supports various cell bank and upstream drug substance process commercialization ...

CEDENT

Process Scientist

Philadelphia, PA

... in either upstream or downstream biopharmaceutical processing that utilizes bioreactors. A ... Minimum Bachelor's degree in Biological Engineering, Biotechnology, Biology, Biochemistry, or other ...

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All JobsUpstream Process Engineer JobsUpstream Process Engineer Jobs in Pennsylvania

Upstream Process Engineer information

See Pennsylvania salary details

$49.6K

$92.2K

$142.8K

How much do upstream process engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 6, 2026, the average yearly pay for upstream process engineer in Pennsylvania is $92,239.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $74,700.00 and $103,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does an upstream process engineer do?

An Upstream Process Engineer is responsible for developing, optimizing, and scaling up processes related to the early stages of biopharmaceutical manufacturing, including cell culture and fermentation. They work on improving yield, ensuring process efficiency, and maintaining regulatory compliance. Their role involves troubleshooting, process design, and collaboration with cross-functional teams to support production.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an upstream process engineer, and why are they important?

Upstream Process Engineers require a solid background in chemical or biochemical engineering, process design, and troubleshooting, often backed by a relevant engineering degree. Familiarity with simulation software such as Aspen Plus or HYSYS, as well as knowledge of industry standards and certifications like Six Sigma or API, is highly valued. Strong communication, problem-solving abilities, and teamwork skills help these engineers excel when coordinating across multidisciplinary teams. These competencies are crucial to ensure process efficiency, safety, and innovation in large-scale production environments.

What are the typical daily responsibilities of an upstream process engineer?

An Upstream Process Engineer typically focuses on designing, optimizing, and monitoring processes related to raw material extraction and initial conversion in industries such as oil & gas, biotechnology, or chemicals. Daily tasks might involve analyzing process data, troubleshooting equipment or process issues, implementing efficiency improvements, and ensuring compliance with safety and environmental regulations. Collaboration is a key part of the role, as you’ll work closely with operations, maintenance, quality assurance, and R&D teams to achieve production targets. Engineers also regularly participate in safety meetings, process audits, and project planning sessions to support continuous improvement. This dynamic environment offers exposure to both hands-on technical work and cross-functional project leadership.

What are popular job titles related to Upstream Process Engineer jobs in Pennsylvania? For Upstream Process Engineer jobs in Pennsylvania, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Upstream Process Engineer jobs in Pennsylvania look for? The top searched job categories for Upstream Process Engineer jobs in Pennsylvania are:
Upstream Process Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Upstream Process Engineer job openings in Pennsylvania as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 78% Full Time, 16% Part Time, 4% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 92% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $92,239 per year, or $44.3 per hour.

Senior Scientist, Viral Upstream Process Development

CEDENT

Philadelphia, PA

$92K - $126K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 14 days ago

Job description

Reporting to the Associate Director, Upstream Process Development, the Senior Scientist will contribute to upstream viral process development to bring Client's pipeline of T cell and viral vector-based products to the clinic. Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, performing the day-to-day activities of the viral process development lab, building Client's viral manufacturing capabilities, and executing experiments to support viral process development/characterization. This role will collaborate significantly with research and analytical development teams, as well as contract development and manufacturing organizations.
Key responsibilities:
  • Contribute to the setup and organization of the Client's vector process development capabilities.
  • Develop bench scale suspension culture processes for viral vector generation within shake flasks and bioreactors through design and execution of experiments to support process characterization, and process transfer activities between the research team, TechOps, and external partners.
  • Provide experimental execution, data review and analysis, and maintenance of accurate and detailed lab notebooks.
  • Perform day-to-day activities in the vector process development lab including maintaining equipment, ordering materials and managing inventory, and preparing buffers and process aids.
  • Author and review technical documents, including but not limited to batch records, SOPs, development reports and process specific sections of regulatory documents.
  • Represent Client externally at meetings (professional associations, with regulatory bodies, etc.).
  • Serve as a PD subject matter expert on both internal and external teams (CDMO, material & equipment suppliers, etc.).
Required experience & skills:
  • Bachelor’s Degree with 10 years, Master’s Degree with 8 years or Ph.D. with 5 years in chemical engineering, biochemical engineering/bioengineering, biotechnology or related discipline
  • Hands-on experience with viral vector upstream processing, including excellent small-scale aseptic technique and expert understanding of bioreactor operation and control loops.
  • Experience implementing processes in clinical and commercial manufacturing of cell and gene therapy / biopharma products
  • Demonstrated ability to apply knowledge of cell biology, chemical engineering, or bioengineering toward process development, scale-up /scale-down and troubleshooting
  • Strong scientific reasoning, problem-solving, and applied mathematics and statistics skills, including the ability to break down complex problems into manageable hypotheses
  • Proven experience collaborating with internal and external partners
  • Ability to balance individual contributions while training and informally mentoring junior colleagues.
  • Working knowledge of GMP guidelines for clinical and commercial manufacturing
  • Proficiency in using Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and data analysis/presentation software such as JMP and/or GraphPad
  • Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills
  • Strong organizational & problem-solving skills, with excellent attention to detail and the proven ability to collaborate in a dynamic team environment
Preferred experience & skills:
  • End-to-end experience in plasmid and Lentivirus development and manufacturing
  • Experience with high-throughput bioreactors systems, namely AMBR, but others will be considered
  • Experience drafting CMC sections for INDs
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About Cedent

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

CEDENT strives to attract and retain the best people and provide an environment where they can all develop professionally and build a rewarding career. As a result, we create an inclusive environment that is rich in diversity, acknowledges each individual's uniqueness and promotes respect, personal achievement and stewardship. Our clients are global and so is CEDENT. We build and maintain a global workforce that includes people from different backgrounds, with a vast range of skills and experience all united by a common culture and commitment to help our clients achieve high performance. Cultivating a diverse workforce and inclusive work environment makes business sense. Our peoples varied skills are the talent engine that powers CEDENT, enabling it in turn to deliver the innovative solutions that help our clients outperform competitors.

Industry

It services

Company size

11 - 50 Employees

Headquarters location

Plano, TX, US

Year founded

2008

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