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How much do upstream process scientist jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 21, 2026, the average hourly pay for upstream process scientist in the United States is $42.32, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $32.21 and $47.60 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are typical daily responsibilities for an Upstream Process Scientist in a biopharmaceutical company?

As an Upstream Process Scientist, your daily responsibilities often include designing and executing experiments to optimize cell culture conditions, operating and monitoring bioreactors, and analyzing process data to improve yields or purity. You will collaborate closely with downstream process scientists, quality assurance teams, and manufacturing staff to ensure smooth technology transfer and troubleshoot production issues. Additionally, documenting findings, preparing technical reports, and participating in project meetings are key aspects of the role. This position is dynamic and may also involve scaling up processes from laboratory to pilot or manufacturing scale, providing excellent opportunities to develop both technical expertise and project management skills.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Upstream Process Scientist position, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Upstream Process Scientist, you need a strong background in bioprocess engineering, cell culture, fermentation, and a relevant scientific degree such as biotechnology, biology, or chemical engineering. Familiarity with bioreactors, process analytical technologies (PAT), statistical analysis software, and GMP/GLP standards is highly valued, and some positions may require certifications like Six Sigma or specific training in biomanufacturing. Excellent problem-solving, communication, and teamwork skills distinguish top performers in this role, as does the ability to adapt quickly to evolving project needs. These skills are essential for developing and optimizing scalable, high-yield biological production processes while ensuring regulatory compliance and effective collaboration across multidisciplinary teams.

What is an Upstream Process Scientist job?

An Upstream Process Scientist is responsible for developing and optimizing the early stages of biopharmaceutical production, including cell culture, media preparation, and bioreactor operations. They work to improve cell growth, productivity, and scalability of biologics such as monoclonal antibodies or vaccines. Their role involves designing experiments, analyzing data, and troubleshooting issues to ensure efficient and reproducible upstream processes.

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Upstream Process Scientist jobs near you
Infographic showing various Upstream Process Scientist job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 96% Full Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 84% In-person, 10% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $88,026 per year, or $42.3 per hour.

Senior Scientist, Upstream Process Development

Stylus Medicine

Cambridge, MA • On-site

$155K - $170K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 15 days ago

Job description

About Stylus Medicine:
Stylus Medicine is developing transformative in vivo genetic medicines to unlock cures. Stylus combines engineered recombinases with non-viral delivery to specifically encode therapeutics. The company's approach is versatile and modular, with potential therapeutic application across oncology, autoimmune, genetic diseases, and beyond.
About the Role:
Stylus Medicine is seeking an intellectually curious and collaborative Senior Scientist, who will lead the development of upstream microbial fermentation processes as part of our CMC Tech Ops team. This role will be responsible for process definition, development, characterization, scale-up and tech transfer from bench scale to pilot. Working closely with the Research, Preclinical, and Formulation teams, this is a special opportunity to advance the development of transformative in vivo genetic medicines.
Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities:
  • Develop scalable production processes for nucleic acids and recombinant proteins
  • Leverage expertise in fermentation and mammalian cell culture to design, optimize, scale-up and characterize production processes
  • Independently utilize multivariate design of experiment (DoE) approaches to improve productivity and optimize parameters for product quality
  • Drive fermentation platform development and new technology implementation to improve process performance, generation of predictive process models, and enhance process control and robustness
  • Design and implement in-process analytics to improve productivity while reducing process and product derived impurities
  • Maintain and troubleshoot equipment to ensure consistency and continuity of operations
  • Document, analyze and present experimental results internally and externally
  • Partner with CDMOs and provide technology transfer support to facilitate scale up
  • Interface with cross-functional teams to ensure programs are on track and stakeholders' needs are met
  • Maintain accurate and reliable record keeping including database management, batch records, notebooks, and all other pertinent documentation

Qualifications & Skills:
  • PhD in Chemical/Biomedical Engineering, Biochemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or related discipline with >4 years of experience, or BS/MS with >8 years of experience in biopharmaceutical or biotechnology development, including experience in developing scalable fermentation processes for producing plasmid DNA and/or recombinant products
  • In-depth experience and knowledge in fermentation process development, optimization, and process scale-up / scale-down model development
  • Familiarity with strain engineering and biocatalysis
  • Familiarity with performing operations in a cleanroom environment, applying controls to ensure aseptic processing
  • Demonstrated ability to coach and mentor junior researchers
  • Independently motivated and good problem-solving ability
  • Attention to detail and accuracy in developing, reviewing, and following protocols, SOPs, batch records and technology transfer documents is a must
  • Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across teams to meet project deliverables and timelines
  • Strong communication, decision-making and organizational skills
  • Proficiency with statistical analysis software (e.g., JMP) is highly desired
  • Prior experience partnering with external CDMOs and conducting tech transfers preferred

Pay Range: $155,000 - $170,000

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