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Research Associate, Process Development, ATMF

By adallman | May 13, 2025

The Advanced Therapeutics Manufacturing Facility (ATMF), Faculty of Medicine, at The University of British Columbia (UBC) invites applications for a full-time faculty position at the rank of Research Associate, Process Development, ATMF. This is a 1-year term, potential end date of June 30, 2026, with a possibility of extension.

The Advanced Therapeutics Manufacturing Facility (ATMF) is a new CFI-funded project and part of Canada’s Immuno-Engineering and Biomanufacturing Hub (CIEBH), a UBC-led national research hub. This multi-year, multi-phase initiative aims to build a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) biomanufacturing core facility to produce advanced therapeutics—such as cells, mRNA vaccines, and ancillary plasmid DNA—essential for early-phase clinical trials, addressing current health challenges, and strengthening Canada’s pandemic preparedness.

Reporting to Dr. Megan Leaving, who is the ATMP Program Director, the successful candidate will have experience in scaling up manufacturing processes from research to clinical-grade production, experience in working with LIMS, electronic lab notebooks, and data management systems and familiarity with regulatory frameworks such as Health Canada, FDA, and EMA guidelines for cell and gene therapies.
The appointee will be expected to provide mentorship and training to junior staff and students, including supervision of research activities and guidance on specialized biomanufacturing processes.

The successful candidate will hold an Ph.D. in Bioprocess/Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, or a related field.

The successful candidate will have demonstrated ability in mentoring and research leadership and will be expected to contribute to the training of undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate learners in a laboratory setting. The incumbent will also show evidence of scholarly activity and will contribute to the academic and professional community through the following key responsibilities:

  • Design, execute, and analyze upstream and downstream processes for the production of biologics
  • Lead process development for advanced therapeutic products including mRNA/LNP, plasmids, cell therapies (T-regs/CAR-T), and viral vectors
  • Develop and optimize standard operating procedures (SOPs) for bioprocess workflows
  • Hire, train, and mentor junior staff and students in process development methodologies

A detailed job description, including a list of qualifications, is available below.

A letter of application outlining the applicant’s research interests, accompanied by a detailed curriculum vitae and the names of three references should be directed to:

To: Dr. Megan Levings
Project Lead, ATMF
UBC Faculty of Medicine
317-2194 Health Sciences Mall
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3
Email: megan.levings@ubc.ca

The deadline for applications will be June 12, 2025. The anticipated start date for this position is July 1, 2025, or upon a date to be mutually agreed.

The expected pay (or pay range) for this position is $68,932 to $80,000 per annum.

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Job Description

UBC — One of the World's Leading Universities. As one of the world's leading universities, the University of British Columbia creates an exceptional learning environment that fosters global citizenship, advances a civil and sustainable society, and supports outstanding research to serve the people of British Columbia, Canada and the world.

Our Vision: To Transform Health for Everyone.

Ranked among the world’s top medical schools with the fifth-largest MD enrollment in North America, the UBC Faculty of Medicine is a leader in both the science and the practice of medicine. Across British Columbia, more than 12,000 faculty and staff are training the next generation of doctors and health care professionals, making remarkable discoveries, and helping to create the pathways to better health for our communities at home and around the world.

The Faculty — comprised of approximately 2,200 administrative support, technical/research and management and professional staff, as well approximately 650 full-time academic and over 10,000 clinical faculty members — is composed of 19 academic basic science and/or clinical departments, three schools, and 24 research centres and institutes. Together with its University and Health Authority partners, the Faculty delivers innovative programs and conducts research in the areas of health and life sciences. Faculty, staff and trainees are located at university campuses, clinical academic campuses in hospital settings and other regionally based centres across the province.

UBC hires on the basis of merit and is committed to employment equity. All qualifies persons are encouraged to apply. Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.