How to hire a process development scientist

How to hire a process development scientist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step process development scientist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a process development scientist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new process development scientist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a process development scientist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the process development scientist you need to hire. Certain process development scientist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A process development scientist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, process development scientists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of process development scientist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Process Development Scientist	Description	Hourly rate
   Process Development Scientist	Medical scientists conduct research aimed at improving overall human health. They often use clinical trials and other investigative methods to reach their findings.	$35-66
   Quality Control Analyst	Quality assurance representatives are professionals who are responsible for ensuring the quality of units produced or manufactured is following the standards set by the industry. These representatives supervise the entire production process to identify erroneous methods or tools being used by workers and observing produced for visible defects... Show more	$19-41
   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... Show more	$14-27

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • GMP
   • Data Analysis
   • Technical Reports
   • Harvest
   • CMC
   • Statistical Analysis
   • Tech Transfer
   • Analytical Methods
   • Product Quality
   • Process Characterization
   • IND
   • DOE
   • Manufacturing Support
   • Drug Substance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead development of ELISA microplate assay for Cardiolipin antibodies
   • Improve the cell culture harvest titer without compromising the product quality requirements.
   • Execute experiments under FDA, GMP, and GLP standards in order to develop next gen processing and manufacturing procedures.
   • Review CMC sections of IND/BLA documents.
   • Improve methods/assays and instruments including HPLC.
   • Perform product harvest using depth filters and TFF systems.

   More process development scientist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your process development scientist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A process development scientist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a process development scientist in Utah may be lower than in Tennessee, and an entry-level process development scientist usually earns less than a senior-level process development scientist. Additionally, a process development scientist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average process development scientist salary

   $101,098yearly

   $48.60 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level process development scientist salary

   $74,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average process development scientist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$129,945	$62
   2	Indiana	$108,938	$52
   3	Connecticut	$107,029	$51
   4	New Jersey	$104,575	$50
   5	Massachusetts	$96,243	$46
   6	Pennsylvania	$90,799	$44
   7	Maryland	$88,841	$43
   8	Washington	$85,254	$41
   9	Illinois	$84,897	$41
   10	North Carolina	$84,102	$40
   11	Wisconsin	$83,530	$40
   12	Missouri	$70,647	$34
   13	Texas	$68,002	$33
   14	Iowa	$60,483	$29

   Average process development scientist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Bunge	$126,481	$60.81	7
   2	Genentech	$115,654	$55.60	34
   3	AbbVie	$113,310	$54.48	105
   4	Bristol-Myers Squibb	$112,317	$54.00	66
   5	Bayer	$108,434	$52.13	69
   6	PTC Therapeutics	$107,958	$51.90	8
   7	Sutro Biopharma	$106,481	$51.19
   8	Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings	$105,877	$50.90	59
   9	Emergent BioSolutions	$105,380	$50.66
   10	BioMarin	$105,162	$50.56	4
   11	FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies	$105,001	$50.48	10
   12	Alexion Pharmaceuticals	$104,876	$50.42	2
   13	Integrated DNA Technologies	$104,346	$50.17
   14	Amgen	$104,139	$50.07	57
   15	Merrimack Pharmaceuticals	$104,012	$50.01
   16	Eastman	$103,878	$49.94	3
   17	Agilent Technologies	$103,725	$49.87	6
   18	Sarepta Therapeutics	$103,455	$49.74
   19	Teva Pharmaceuticals	$103,023	$49.53	2
   20	bluebird bio	$102,571	$49.31

4. Writing a process development scientist job description

   A process development scientist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a process development scientist job description:

   Process development scientist job description example

   FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific, Inc., is a worldwide leader in the innovation and manufacture of cell culture media, reagents, and medical devices for researchers and clinicians. The company provides unrivaled service and quality to scientists working in biopharmaceuticals, cell therapy, and regenerative medicine, assisted reproductive technology and cytogenetics, and industrial cell culture for the large-scale production of biotherapeutics and vaccines. FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific adheres to both ISO and FDA regulations and operates dual cGMP manufacturing facilities in California, USA, and Tokyo, Japan. The company's consultative philosophy combined with expertise in cell culture and compliance provides customers with unique capabilities and support. For over 50 years, FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific has remained uniquely flexible and focused on media while becoming a strategic global leader in media products and services. FUJIFILM Irvine Scientific, Inc. is a subsidiary of FUJIFILM Holdings America Corporation reporting to FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation.
   
   FUJIFILM, Irvine Scientifice has a new opportunity for a Scientist I. In this position, our team member will conduct research under the direction of a supervisor leading to the support of product and process development.
   External US • Design experiments related to media and buffer preparation processes
   • Develop scale-down models that represent particular risk factors of full-scale media and buffer prep processes
   • Identify critical factors required for a successful technology transfer from bench scale to production
   • Analyze data and build statistical models to predict process performance
   • Develop and perform various physicochemical assays to predict and troubleshoot process failures
   • Use professional concepts and company's policies and procedures to performed a wide range of assigned work and solve difficult problems in practical ways
   • Prepare formal reports and presentations for group meetings
   • Actively participate in group/project meetings
   • Update job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities and reading technical publications
   • Good Documentation Practices & Good Laboratory Practices Requisites: Minimum 2 years of relevant working experience BS. >2 years or M.S. with <2 years of relevant working experience General lab safety Knowledge of Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Process Science Knowledge of basic laboratory equipment (scales, pH meters, etc.) Knowledge of commonly used experimental/research concepts, practices, and procedures. General knowledge of computer systems and productivity software General knowledge of project management General knowledge of GMP and GLP procedures

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find process development scientists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your process development scientist job on Zippia to find and recruit process development scientist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit process development scientists, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new process development scientist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the process development scientist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new process development scientist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a process development scientist?