The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR) - Westmead NSW

The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR) is seeking a Purification Scientist to join the Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology at Phage Australia, Westmead.

Phage Australia brings together clinicians and scientists from across Australia to develop and deliver bacteriophage therapy for patients with difficult-to-treat bacterial infections.

Our Westmead team operates an ISO 9001-certified phage therapy clinical service pipeline, supporting the production of therapeutic bacteriophages for clinical use.

This is a hands-on laboratory role where you'll be involved in the production and purification of bacteriophages, from initial production through to final product preparation. You'll play an important part in ensuring our products meet the required quality, safety and consistency standards.

We're looking for someone with practical experience in laboratory production and purification who enjoys working as part of a team and takes pride in getting the details right.

This position is offered on a 12-month fixed-term contract, commencing January 2027, with a base salary of $99,116 per annum, plus superannuation.

What you'll be doing

- Planning and carrying out bacteriophage production activities to meet clinical and research requirements.
- Performing phage production, purification and buffer exchange using tangential flow filtration (TFF).
- Carrying out formulation, sterile filtration and final product preparation.
- Performing quality control testing throughout the production process.
- Maintaining accurate batch records, production data and laboratory documentation.
- Monitoring product quality, phage recovery, purity and production yields.
- Identifying and addressing production issues and contributing to process improvements.
- Maintaining laboratory equipment, including cleaning, calibration and routine checks.
- Managing laboratory supplies, reagents and consumables.
- Working closely with the clinical,



research and quality teams to support the timely production of phage products.
- Support and collaborate with laboratory staff, including providing guidance, training and technical assistance to junior team members as required.

What you'll bring

You'll have a relevant science qualification and hands-on experience in laboratory production or purification, ideally within a biotechnology or pharmaceutical workplace.

We're looking for someone who has:

- A degree in Chemistry, Biology, Microbiology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry or a related discipline, with relevant experience or equivalent competence.
- Experience in laboratory-based production, purification or manufacturing processes.
- Hands-on experience with tangential flow filtration (TFF) and chromatography systems, such as ÄKTA pure.
- Experience working within a Quality Management System (QMS), with an understanding of GLP, GMP and ISO 9001 principles.
- Strong documentation and record-keeping skills.
- Good attention to detail and the ability to follow established procedures.
- The ability to organise your workload, manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
- Good communication skills and the confidence to work with different teams.
- A practical, collaborative approach to problem-solving.

It would also be great if you have:

- Experience with bacteriophage production, propagation or purification.
- Experience purifying proteins or other biological products.
- Experience improving or developing laboratory production processes.

You’ll be joining a team working in an exciting and developing area of medical research, with the opportunity to contribute directly to the production of therapeutic bacteriophages for clinical use.

At WIMR, you'll work alongside experienced scientists, clinicians and researchers in a supportive and collaborative environment.

Other benefits include

- Not-for-profit salary packaging.
- Novated leasing options.
- Employee Assistance Programme.
- Convenient location within the Westmead Health Precinct, close to public transport, including the Parramatta Light Rail.
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📌 Purification Scientist (Sydney)
🏢 The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR)
📍 Sydney