What does a manufacturing scientist do?
A manufacturing scientist specializes in conducting experiments to develop products and procedures according to its product development needs. It is their duty to understand the purpose and vision of the projects, perform research and analysis, coordinate with clients and experts, and keep records of all procedures and findings. They must also identify market needs, studying feedback from clients. Furthermore, as a manufacturing scientist, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with staff for an efficient and successful workflow.
Manufacturing scientist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real manufacturing scientist resumes:
- Develop and manage third party claim investigations and contractor remedial oversight for various insurance companies.
- Perform calculations according to procedures, and maintains accurate records of work perform according to GLP / GMP.
- Characterize various oligonucleotides by reversed-phase HPLC.
- Develop locus specific PCR assays.
- Serve as the manufacturing subject matter expert during regulatory (FDA / EMA) inspections.
- Write and review CMC analytical sections for IND/IMPD to ensure that corporate timelines are met.
- Enable predictive release of product batches while satisfying requirements of sales, operations and QA teams.
- Involve in the logistics planning and execution of design transfers of development projects from GLP to cGMP manufacturing.
- Develop, manufacture and QC release of custom products for infectious disease used for assay development by major diagnostic assay manufacturers.
- Write batch records to ensure clear instructions and GMP requirements are in place to deliver a robust product and documentation set.
- Prepare sterile buffers and other require processing solutions.
- Comply with FDA regulations require for documentation and quality.
- Develop and validate analytical methods for GC/Headspace and HPLC.
- Perform high performance liquid crystallization purification of oligonucleotides and aptamer proteins.
- Execute bacterial fermentation, protein purification, enzyme activity and QC testing.
Manufacturing scientist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Manufacturing Scientists are proficient in Chemistry, Continuous Improvement, and QC.
We break down the percentage of Manufacturing Scientists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Chemistry, 15%
Process Chemistry Safety Steward/Safety Mentor/E-Team member
- Continuous Improvement, 10%
Participate in lean manufacturing activities and continuous improvement activities/projects as required.
- QC, 7%
Executed bacterial fermentation, protein purification, enzyme activity and QC testing.
- GMP, 6%
Performed calculations according to procedures, and maintains accurate records of work performed according to GLP / GMP.
- FDA, 5%
Complied with FDA regulations required for documentation and quality.
- Technical Support, 4%
Provide technical support and troubleshooting for manufacturing operation that produces 100+ catalogs SKU with $200M+ revenue of molecular biology products.
Common skills that a manufacturing scientist uses to do their job include "chemistry," "continuous improvement," and "qc." You can find details on the most important manufacturing scientist responsibilities below.
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a manufacturing scientist to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what manufacturing scientists do because "medical scientists must be able to explain their research in nontechnical ways." Additionally, a manufacturing scientist resume shows how manufacturing scientists use communication skills: "provided broad scientific support for clinical trials from protocol concept through data interpretation and communication. "
Observation skills. Another essential skill to perform manufacturing scientist duties is observation skills. Manufacturing scientists responsibilities require that "medical scientists conduct experiments that require monitoring samples and other health-related data." Manufacturing scientists also use observation skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "performed re-validations for the manufacturing process of products of inhalation resulting in zero (0) observations by fda. "
The three companies that hire the most manufacturing scientists are:
- Thermo Fisher Scientific44 manufacturing scientists jobs
- Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.21 manufacturing scientists jobs
- Danaher8 manufacturing scientists jobs
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Manufacturing scientist vs. Chemical technician
A chemical technician is responsible for supporting chemists and laboratory technicians in performing laboratory investigations and examining chemical components and structures. Chemical technicians ensure the stability of laboratory tools and equipment, performing proper sterilization and segregation of disposable materials, and maintaining the adequacy of inventory. They also record the research progress, including scientific methods, and write observation reports for reference. A chemical technician manages the cleanliness and orderliness of the facility to avoid potential hazards and complications during chemical operations.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a manufacturing scientist are more likely to require skills like "chemistry," "continuous improvement," "technical support," and "cell culture." On the other hand, a job as a chemical technician requires skills like "safety procedures," "hazardous materials," "math," and "troubleshoot." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Chemical technicians really shine in the pharmaceutical industry with an average salary of $66,439. Comparatively, manufacturing scientists tend to make the most money in the health care industry with an average salary of $95,901.chemical technicians tend to reach lower levels of education than manufacturing scientists. In fact, chemical technicians are 12.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.0% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Manufacturing scientist vs. Chemistry laboratory assistant
Chemical Laboratory Assistants are professionals who help researchers and scientists in performing lab experiments and tests. Their tasks involve the maintenance, cleanliness, or sterilization of laboratory equipment or instruments. They perform physical or chemical laboratory tests assisting scientists in the quantitative or qualitative analyses of liquids, gaseous materials, and solids. The necessary skills and knowledge for this job include chemistry, lab reporting, chemical solutions, and safety procedures.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that manufacturing scientist responsibilities requires skills like "chemistry," "continuous improvement," "qc," and "gmp." But a chemistry laboratory assistant might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "lab safety," "chemistry lab," "lab experiments," and "lab reports."
Chemistry laboratory assistants may earn a lower salary than manufacturing scientists, but chemistry laboratory assistants earn the most pay in the education industry with an average salary of $37,906. On the other hand, manufacturing scientists receive higher pay in the health care industry, where they earn an average salary of $95,901.chemistry laboratory assistants earn lower levels of education than manufacturing scientists in general. They're 10.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for manufacturing scientists in the next 3-5 years?
Associate Professor of Molecular Sciences, Rider University
Manufacturing scientist vs. Laboratory analyst
A Laboratory Analyst helps conduct experiments, run laboratory tests, and analyze results. They compile and record data for the documentation needed for testing and report preparation.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, manufacturing scientists are more likely to have skills like "chemistry," "continuous improvement," "qc," and "technical support." But a laboratory analyst is more likely to have skills like "laboratory procedures," "sample preparation," "test results," and "math."
Laboratory analysts earn the highest salary when working in the pharmaceutical industry, where they receive an average salary of $47,806. Comparatively, manufacturing scientists have the highest earning potential in the health care industry, with an average salary of $95,901.When it comes to education, laboratory analysts tend to earn lower degree levels compared to manufacturing scientists. In fact, they're 8.4% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Manufacturing scientist vs. Quality control
As the name entails, the job of a quality control inspector is to inspect, maintain, and improve the quality and standard of products. They are responsible for ensuring the company's reputation is not damaged due to defective products or inferior manufacturing processes. This can be done by detecting and resolving the problem early on, and returning the product for repair. A quality control inspector should also notify the supervisors immediately when issues arise and coordinate with them to address the problem.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between manufacturing scientists and quality controls, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a manufacturing scientist might have more use for skills like "chemistry," "continuous improvement," "qc," and "technical support." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of quality controls require skills like "quality checks," "product quality," "safety standards," and "laboratory equipment. "
Quality controls enjoy the best pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $36,096. For comparison, manufacturing scientists earn the highest salary in the health care industry.quality controls reach lower levels of education compared to manufacturing scientists, in general. The difference is that they're 9.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of manufacturing scientist
Updated January 8, 2025











