Associate Principal Scientist – Environmental Monitoring/Microbiology
Location: Portsmouth, NH, USA.
Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM.
We are seeking a high-performing technical leader to join our Quality Control team in Portsmouth, NH, as an Associate Principal Scientist. This newly created, standalone position reports directly to the Associate Director and serves as a vital component of the site’s "Vision Zero" contamination control strategy. Operating as an elite individual contributor, you will be responsible for reducing microbial risks across both upstream and downstream manufacturing assets. The ideal candidate will act as a standalone change leader on the floor and a technical liaison to the Global Network, embedding a proactive microbial control culture through hands-on coaching, risk assessments, and advanced troubleshooting.
This is a fully site‑based role. Working together in person supports close, real‑time collaboration and the technical precision needed to manufacture medicines to the highest quality and safety standards.
What will you get?
An agile career and dynamic working culture
An inclusive and ethical workplace
Direct Leadership Exposure: Operate in a critical, standalone capacity with direct reporting visibility to the Associate Director.
Technical Authority: Serve as a high-impact Subject Matter Expert (SME) during internal, customer, and high-stakes regulatory audits.
Compensation programs that recognize high performance
Medical, dental and vision insurance, as well as PTO and more
Our full list of global benefits can be found here: https://www.lonza.com/careers/benefits.
What you’ll do:
Contamination Control Strategy: Own the standalone development and execution of compliant, effective, and modern contamination control strategies within Cell Therapy.
Risk Assessments & RCA: Facilitate standard Risk Assessments (RAs) to identify and control microbial mechanisms, and lead root cause analysis (RCA) investigations for contamination events or low-level trends.
In-Lab Mentorship: Dedicate approximately 5% of the week to high-impact, in-lab presence—leading shop-floor GEMBA walks to drive proactive microbial control through real-time observation, hands-on teaching, and active coaching of manufacturing personnel.
Cross-Functional Communication: Establish clear lines of communication between assets to ensure technical lessons learned are effectively shared on both local and global corporate platforms.
Aseptic Training Delivery: Develop and deliver specialized aseptic awareness and contamination control training programs tailored to the needs of the cell therapy asset.
Lifecycle Documentation Ownership: Review, update, and align local SOPs, protocols, and change controls to ensure technical modifications do not negatively impact the site's microbial control posture.
Customer Collaboration: Partner closely with internal asset heads and represent the site during customer meetings to address contamination control data, trends, and preventive actions.
What we’re looking for:
Experience: 5–10 years of advanced experience in Microbiology paired with 5–10 years of working knowledge in GMP manufacturing environments.
Technical Mastery: Deep technical knowledge of cleanroom engineering, particle control mechanisms, and a strong regulatory understanding of environmental monitoring (EM) programs to proactively assess controls.
Audit & Investigation Skills: Proven hands-on experience leading complex contamination investigations and a strong familiarity with major pharmaceutical industry regulations and guidelines.
Matrix Influence: Advanced experience influencing and guiding cross-functional teams and driving site-wide operational change as a standalone technical expert.
Soft Skills: Excellent communication skills with an ability to simplify complex data, resolve conflicts across assets, and deliver logical proposals under critical timelines.
Education: Bachelor’s degree is required, with preference for degrees in Microbiology, Biochemistry, Biology, or a related Scientific field.
Compliance Mindset: Uncompromising commitment to Data Integrity principles and cGMP guidelines in all aspects of execution.
About Lonza
At Lonza, our people are our greatest strength. With 30+ sites across five continents, our globally connected teams work together every day to manufacture the medicines of tomorrow. Our core values of Collaboration, Accountability, Excellence, Passion and Integrity reflect who we are and how we work together. Everyone’s ideas, big or small, have the potential to improve millions of lives, and that’s the kind of work we want you to be part of.
Innovation thrives when people from all backgrounds bring their unique perspectives to the table. At Lonza, we offer equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you’re ready to help turn our customers’ breakthrough ideas into viable therapies, we look forward to welcoming you on board.
Ready to shape the future of life sciences? Apply now.