Process Development Co-Op (Spring/Summer 2027)

Location: Pittsburgh Department: Internships Employment Type: FullTime

Panther: Better Health Is Skin Deep Panther is unlocking the tremendous biological power of our skin, delivering efficacious, shelf-stable treatments directly to customers. Panther's precisely engineered smart microarray patches (SmartPatches) address a wide range of needs in Skin Health (cosmetics, medical aesthetics) and are designed to treat conditions in Systemic Health (infectious diseases, allergies, cancer, autoimmune diseases, metabolic disorders). Billions of people around the world lack access to effective treatment, and we will change this.

SmartPatches enable effective, tech-enabled customer experiences, and our AI platform provides valuable insights for improved patient outcomes and the development of even better treatments. SmartPatches are affordable to manufacture and distribute, and easy to apply, resulting in greater access and market expansion. Panther is developing clinically validated products, the first of which launches in 2027.

The OpportunityThis is a 6-month co-op that begins in January 2027, with the option to extend through the summer.

The Process Development Co-Op will focus on critical process steps in the filling and drying of our microarray patches (MAPs). Collaborating closely with the Process Development, Formulation and Device teams, you will help refine our existing processes and drive their continuous optimization.

This is a hands-on lab role with real ownership. You will run experiments on the steps that matter most to how our patches are made, help bring new equipment, including a Nordson dispensing system and vacuum-based filling, into our process, and turn what you learn into data the team uses to make decisions. Your work will feed directly into the updated process we use for pilot production runs in our clean room, as Panther moves toward its first product launch.

The Impact You’ll Make in Your Co-Op

A fully integrated, updated process for clean room pilot production runs.

Characterization of MAPs manufactured with the updated process.

Complete datasets of experimental runs and results, documented so the team can build on them.

What You Will Do

Run Experiments on Critical Process Steps

Plan and execute experiments on the filling and drying steps of MAP manufacturing.

Operate and troubleshoot lab equipment, including pumps, dispensing and vacuum systems.

Characterize patches made in each run, including inspection by microscopy.

Keep a complete, accurate laboratory notebook for every experiment.

Integrate New Equipment and Workflows

Support the integration of a Nordson dispensing system and vacuum-based filling into our process.

Help update process flows and work instructions as new equipment and workflows come online.

Support pilot production runs in the clean room using the updated process.

Analyze and Share Results

Build and maintain datasets of experimental runs in Excel or Google Sheets.

Analyze results, identify trends and recommend next experiments.

Present findings to the Process Development, Formulation and Device teams.

Drive Process Innovation

Research novel methods and technologies that could improve our filling and drying steps.

Use internal resources and expertise across the team to propose and test process improvements.

Qualifications

Currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program in Engineering (for example chemical, biomedical, mechanical or materials), Chemistry, or a related field, and eligible for a co-op term.

Hands-on wet laboratory experience, including pipetting and microscopy.

Experience operating laboratory equipment such as pumps.

Disciplined laboratory notebook documentation.

Strong data analysis and spreadsheet skills in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.

Effective presentation skills: you can explain your data and what it means clearly.

Driven and well organized, with a curious mindset and a genuine passion for our mission.

Experience with clean room work, fluid dispensing, drying processes, or microneedle and drug delivery coursework or research is a plus.

Benefits and more

Build something unique and high-impact with a world-class team of experts in technology, healthcare, and science.

Hands-on ownership of real process development work that goes into Panther’s products.

Close mentorship from our Process Development team and exposure to Formulation and Device work.

Experience in a clean room pilot production environment at an early-stage biotech.

A small, collaborative team where your work is seen and your ideas are heard.

In-person company events

Fully stocked kitchen, plus in-office lunch twice a week

Equal Opportunity Employer

Panther Life Sciences is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital or partnership status, age, national origin, citizenship, veteran or military status, disability, medical condition, genetic information, caregiver status, or any other characteristic protected by law.