Senior Scientist / Manager – Formulation R&D

Senior Scientist / Manager – Formulation R&D
Department: Research & Development
Function: Formulation R&D
Reporting to: HOD – Formulation R&D & QA
Location: ENTOD Pharmaceuticals, Mumbai / R&D Facility
Role Purpose
ENTOD Pharmaceuticals is looking for a highly motivated and scientifically driven Senior Scientist / Manager – Formulation R&D to strengthen its formulation development team.
The individual will work directly with the HOD – Formulation R&D & QA and take ownership of formulation-development projects from concept and feasibility through optimisation, stability, scale-up and technology transfer.
A key component of the position will be to identify, develop and protect intellectual property arising from ENTOD’s R&D activities, including formulation patents, process innovations and other potentially patentable technologies.
Key Responsibilities
Formulation Development
* Independently plan, design and execute formulation-development projects.
* Develop and optimise ophthalmic and other specialty pharmaceutical formulations.
* Work on conventional as well as complex dosage forms including solutions, suspensions, emulsions and novel drug-delivery systems.
* Undertake pre-formulation studies including solubility, pH, osmolality, excipient compatibility and physicochemical characterisation.
* Apply principles of QbD, DoE and risk-based pharmaceutical development wherever appropriate.
* Troubleshoot challenges involving solubility, stability, precipitation, degradation, preservative compatibility and drug–excipient interactions.
Project Ownership
* Take responsibility for assigned projects from laboratory concept to development-ready formulation.
* Prepare development plans, experimental protocols and project timelines.
* Monitor milestones and proactively identify technical risks and solutions.
* Coordinate with analytical development, microbiology, QA, regulatory, manufacturing and other functions.
* Support scale-up, exhibit/registration batches and technology transfer to manufacturing.
Ophthalmic & Sterile Product Development
* Contribute to the development of sterile ophthalmic formulations, including challenging and poorly soluble molecules.
* Understand critical ophthalmic parameters including ocular tolerability, pH, tonicity, viscosity, particle characteristics, preservative systems and container-closure considerations.
* Support formulation and development strategies relating to sterility and product stability.
Prior ophthalmic/sterile formulation experience would be strongly preferred.
Intellectual Property & Patents
* Identify patentable innovations arising from formulation development, drug-delivery technologies, manufacturing processes and other R&D activities.
* Conduct prior-art, scientific literature and patent landscape searches to assess novelty and differentiation.
* Work closely with the HOD, senior management and ENTOD’s patent/IP attorneys to develop appropriate IP protection strategies.
* Prepare invention disclosures and provide scientific and technical inputs for drafting and filing patent applications.
* Coordinate with patent attorneys/IP consultants during patent drafting, filing, examination and prosecution.
* Provide technical responses and experimental evidence required to address patent-office examination reports and objections.
* Assist in designing experiments and generating data specifically required to strengthen patent claims and establish technical advantages.
* Monitor relevant competitor patents and emerging IP within ENTOD’s areas of research.
* Help build and maintain a strong R&D intellectual-property pipeline and patent portfolio.
* Ensure potentially patentable inventions are appropriately protected before publication, presentation or external disclosure.
Scientific & Technical Leadership
* Act as a key technical support to the HOD – Formulation R&D & QA.
* Guide and mentor junior formulation scientists and research associates.
* Review experiments, results, development reports and laboratory documentation.
* Encourage scientific thinking, innovation and systematic problem-solving within the R&D team.
* Remain abreast of advances in formulation science, drug delivery, excipients and pharmaceutical technologies.
Documentation & Regulatory Support
* Maintain high-quality development documentation and laboratory records.
* Prepare formulation-development reports and technical summaries.
* Provide formulation inputs for regulatory dossiers and responses to regulatory queries.
* Ensure development activities are conducted in accordance with applicable quality systems and regulatory expectations.
Candidate Profile
Education: M.Pharm in Pharmaceutics / Pharmaceutical Technology or related discipline.
PhD in Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Drug Delivery or a related field would be highly desirable, particularly where combined with strong practical formulation-development experience.
Experience: Approximately 5–10 years of relevant formulation R&D experience, preferably including ophthalmic, sterile, complex or novel drug-delivery formulations.
Previous involvement in pharmaceutical patent drafting, invention disclosures, prior-art searches or successful patent filings would be a significant advantage.
What We Are Looking For
ENTOD is looking for someone who:
* Is fundamentally a scientist, innovator and problem-solver.
* Can independently take ownership of technically challenging formulation projects.
* Can recognise when an experimental result or formulation approach represents potentially valuable intellectual property.
* Understands both the scientific and practical aspects of converting an invention into a patent application.
* Can work effectively with patent attorneys and translate complex laboratory science into clear technical information for IP filings.
* Can guide younger scientists while remaining hands-on in development.
* Is curious about new molecules, drug-delivery technologies and formulation approaches.
* Wants to help translate scientific ideas into commercially viable and protectable pharmaceutical products.
The Opportunity
The successful candidate will work closely with ENTOD’s R&D leadership on innovative ophthalmic and specialty pharmaceutical products, while playing an important role in strengthening both the company’s formulation-development capabilities and intellectual-property portfolio.
The objective is not simply to develop another formulation — but to create differentiated pharmaceutical technologies, protect the innovation behind them, and ultimately translate them into better medicines.

Work arrangement
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