2027 Intern - Process Development, Upstream

Location: Madison, WI

2027 Intern - Process Development, Upstream

Position Summary

Shift: M-F 8am-5pm, Summer 2027

100% Onsite

Catalent’s Madison, Wisconsin site is a state‑of‑the‑art biologics development and manufacturing facility supporting customers from research through early‑ and mid‑stage clinical production. Located at 726 Heartland Trail in Madison, the approximately 102,700‑square‑foot GMP facility specializes in mammalian cell line engineering, drug substance biomanufacturing, and biopharmaceutical development, utilizing flexible single‑use systems to enable rapid scale‑up and customization. The site is home to Catalent’s proprietary GPEx® and GPEx® Lightning technologies, which are used to generate high‑yielding mammalian cell lines for biologic therapies, and supports production scales ranging from 50 to 4,000 liters for clinical manufacturing. Following a $45 million expansion announced in 2025, the Madison site has significantly increased capacity, added new equipment, and created approximately 200 highly skilled biohealth jobs, further strengthening its role within Catalent’s global biologics network and Wisconsin’s growing life sciences ecosystem.

We have an opportunity for a 2027 Intern - Process Development, Upstream to join our team. This internship offers hands-on experience in bioreactor operations, mammalian cell culture, and process development activities. The role provides exposure to process automation, data analysis, and cross-functional collaboration within a biopharmaceutical development environment. It’s a chance to contribute Support upstream process development through bioreactor operations, mammalian cell culture, aseptic techniques, and scale-down model execution.

The Role

Execute laboratory studies, collect and analyze experimental data, and maintain accurate documentation in compliance with Good Documentation Practices and company procedures.

Contribute to platform development, process characterization, and GPEx Lightning® cell line development initiatives.

Assist with process automation, digitalization projects, laboratory equipment onboarding, maintenance, and operational support.

Collaborate with cross-functional teams, participate in technical discussions, and help prepare reports, presentations, and data summaries.

Promote laboratory excellence by following safety and quality standards, maintaining 5S organization, and supporting continuous improvement initiatives.

The Candidate

Minimum Requirements

Currently enrolled in an accredited college or university.

Pursuing a Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or a related scientific discipline.

Available to work full-time (40 hours per week) for a 12-week summer internship.

Highly self-motivated, organized, and capable of working effectively in a collaborative team environment.

Ability to perform routine laboratory tasks with strong attention to detail.

Preferred Skills & Background

Demonstrated initiative and ownership in project work.

Experience with aseptic techniques in laboratory settings, including work with mammalian or bacterial cells.

Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively.

Interest in platform development and process automation.

Exposure to bioreactor automation and opportunities to enhance platform capabilities.

Why You Should Join Catalent

Defined career path with annual performance reviews and feedback process.

Diverse and inclusive culture.

Potential for career growth on an expanding team within an organization dedicated to preserving and bettering lives.

Competitive paid time off plus 8 paid holidays.

Community engagement and green initiatives.

Medical, dental, and vision benefits effective day one of employment.

Tuition reimbursement.

Catalent offers rewarding opportunities to further your career!  Join the global drug development and delivery leader and help us bring over 7,000 life-saving and life-enhancing products to patients around the world. Catalent is an exciting and growing international company where employees work directly with pharma, biopharma and consumer health companies of all sizes to advance new medicines from early development to clinical trials and to the market. Catalent produces more than 70 billion doses per year, and each one will be used by someone who is counting on us. Join us in making a difference.

personal initiative. dynamic pace. meaningful work.

Visit Catalent Careers to explore career opportunities.

Catalent is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and veterans.

If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process due to a disability, you may submit your request by sending an email, and confirming your request for an accommodation and include the job number, title and location to [email protected]. This option is reserved for individuals who require accommodation due to a disability. Information received will be processed by a U.S. Catalent employee and then routed to a local recruiter who will provide assistance to ensure appropriate consideration in the application or hiring process.

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