Senior Scientist, General Characterisation, 12 month FTC

The Opportunity

12 month FTC, maternity cover - Melbourne CBD

CSL is looking for a Senior Scientist – General Characterisation to join the Molecular Characterisation and Method development cross- IPT at CSL’s global headquarters in the heart of Melbourne’s biomedical precinct.

Reporting to the Associate Director – Molecular Characterisation, you will play a critical role in leading the planning, execution and evaluation of characterisation studies from pre-clinical development through to commercial manufacture and BLA/MAA submission. In this position, extensive knowledge of biophysical techniques is essential to deliver phase appropriate analytical assays and to support enhanced product characterisation.

The Role

• Responsible for planning, execution, evaluation and reporting of a wide range of characterisation studies for development and commercialised products, in alignment with internal CSL policies and regulatory guidelines.
• Act as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in characterisation, providing scientific input across multiple projects and supporting the evaluation and implementation of new technologies.
• Develop and refine industry-standard product characterisation work packages to support TechOps biotherapeutics, integrating advance analytical approaches with regulatory expectations.
• Plan, perform, report, and troubleshoot both routine and non-routine biophysical, biochemical, and chromatography-based assays.
• Author lab procedures, protocols, reports and SOPs for internal and/or external partners, ensuring clarity and compliance.
• Present results from independent and collaborative work to internal and external stakeholders, effectively communicating complex technical information to enable informed decision-making and project progression.
• Collaborate with group members and cross-functional teams to support analytical studies, process development, and related activities, while building and maintaining effective working relationships across IPTs, TechOps, global research, and other stakeholders.
• Provide leadership, training, and technical expertise to team members and both internal and external stakeholders, contributing to capability building across the organisation.
• Takes an active role in maintaining effective lab operations, including lab housekeeping duties e.g. instrument maintenance, reagent preparation, stock ordering, liaising with instrument technicians, lab cleaning
• Ensure the highest level of data integrity by complying with relevant scientific and data standards (e.g. ELN, Veeva, LIMS, structured data capture, etc.).

Essential Qualifications And Experience

• Postgraduate degree (preferably PhD, M.Sc. or equivalent degree) in biological sciences, biophysics or analytical chemistry with 5+ years of biopharmaceutical industry experience in biomolecule characterisation.
• Knowledge of drug product development, in particular, the phase appropriate characterisation of biotherapeutics and associated regulatory requirements and guidelines.
• In-depth theoretical and practical expertise in biophysical (e.g. SEC-MALS, DSC, FTIR, CD, MS), functional (e.g. ELISA, kinetics) and chromatographic (SE-HPLC, RP-HPLC, CE) characterisation techniques.
• Hands-on experience and knowledge in the operation, maintenance and troubleshooting of different types of instruments (spectroscopic, LC instrumentations).
• Good understanding of scientific process, including hypothesis development and experimental design (DoE) with ability to capture and record and interpret complex scientific data clearly, accurately and reliably.
• Experience outsourcing analytical methods / characterisation work packages or performing technology transfers (desirable)
• Strong organisational and time management skills with demonstrated ability to work effectively within dynamic timelines
• Attention to detail with excellent written (technical/scientific) and oral communication skills, including the ability to convey new concepts to others

Closing date for applications: Friday 14th August 2026