Biotech & Pharma OPT Jobs in Wisconsin
Wisconsin's biotech and pharma sector offers F-1 OPT candidates meaningful opportunities, anchored by employers like MilliporeSigma, Exact Sciences, and bioprocessing firms concentrated in Madison and Milwaukee. The state's research university ecosystem and growing biologics manufacturing base create consistent demand for lab, research, and quality roles that align with STEM OPT eligibility.
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Get Access To All JobsGroup Leader - Analytical Development
Catalent is seeking Group Leaders to join our growing Analytical Development team in Madison, Wisconsin.
This is an exciting opportunity for those who are passionate about analytical method development, people leadership, and client collaboration. In this role, you will lead a team of scientists responsible for developing, optimizing, characterizing, and transferring analytical methods that support a diverse portfolio of biologics programs, including proteins, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), and emerging modalities such as mRNA therapeutics.
As a Group Leader, you will combine technical expertise, leadership, and cross-functional collaboration to help advance client programs from development through GMP manufacturing while ensuring the highest standards of quality, compliance, and scientific excellence.
About Catalent Madison
Catalent's Madison, Wisconsin facility is a state-of-the-art biologics development and manufacturing site supporting customers from research through early- and mid-stage clinical production. Located at 726 Heartland Trail, the 102,700-square-foot GMP facility specializes in mammalian cell line engineering, drug substance manufacturing, and biopharmaceutical process development.
The site is home to Catalent's proprietary GPEx® and GPEx® Lightning technologies, enabling the generation of high-producing mammalian cell lines for biologic therapies. With production capabilities ranging from 50L to 4,000L and a recent $45 million expansion, the Madison campus continues to play a critical role in Catalent's global biologics network while supporting Wisconsin's growing life sciences industry.
Location: 100% Onsite at our facility in Madison, Wisconsin
Shift: Monday – Friday, First Shift
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of 5–10 scientists by providing technical guidance, coaching, performance feedback, and career development support.
- Manage team priorities, workloads, and resources to ensure analytical development projects are executed successfully and delivered on schedule.
- Oversee analytical method development, optimization, characterization, and technology transfer activities supporting biologics development programs.
- Review and approve scientific data, technical reports, and GMP documentation to ensure quality, compliance, and data integrity.
- Serve as a primary client-facing representative for Analytical Development by participating in meetings, communicating project updates, and addressing technical questions.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Project Management, Quality, Manufacturing, Process Development, Cell Line Development, and other stakeholders to achieve program milestones and drive continuous improvement.
- Other responsibilities as needed.
Required Qualifications
- PhD in Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Analytical Chemistry, or related scientific discipline with a minimum of 2 years of laboratory leadership experience, or master's degree in a related scientific discipline with a minimum of 5 years of laboratory leadership experience, or bachelor's degree in a related scientific discipline with a minimum of 8 years of laboratory leadership experience
- Analytical method development experience within a biologics or biopharmaceutical environment
- Previous laboratory leadership experience
- Experience managing multiple priorities, projects, and timelines
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to effectively engage with clients and cross-functional stakeholders
- Experience operating within a GMP-regulated environment
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with the following analytical techniques: ELISA (highly preferred), Western Blot, SDS-PAGE, Agarose Gel Electrophoresis, HPLC/UHPLC, Capillary Electrophoresis (CE), cIEF, Product Binding and Potency Assays, LC-MS, qPCR, Sanger Sequencing
- Experience in biologics, protein, monoclonal antibody (mAb), and/or mRNA analytical development highly preferred
- CDMO, CRO, or biopharmaceutical industry experience
Why you should join Catalent
- Opportunity to play a key role in driving growth within a global CDMO leader.
- Competitive compensation package, including incentive opportunity.
- Day-one medical, dental, and vision coverage.
- 401(k) with company match.
- Tuition reimbursement and professional development opportunities.
- Generous paid time off and holiday schedule (152 hours + 8 holidays)
- Collaborative, mission-driven culture focused on improving patient outcomes worldwide.
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.
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 DisabilityAccommodations@catalent.com. 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.
Notice to Agency and Search Firm Representatives: Catalent Pharma Solutions (Catalent) is not accepting unsolicited resumes from agencies and/or search firms for this job posting. Resumes submitted to any Catalent employee by a third party agency and/or search firm without a valid written & signed search agreement, will become the sole property of Catalent. No fee will be paid if a candidate is hired for this position as a result of an unsolicited agency or search firm referral. Thank you.
Important Security Notice to U.S. Job Seekers:
Catalent NEVER asks candidates to provide any type of payment, bank details, photocopies of identification, social security number or other highly sensitive personal information during the offer process, and we NEVER do so via email or social media. If you receive any such request, DO NOT respond— it is a fraudulent request. Please forward such requests to spam@catalent.com for us to investigate with local authorities.
California Job Seekers can find our California Job Applicant Notice HERE.
Group Leader - Analytical Development
Catalent is seeking Group Leaders to join our growing Analytical Development team in Madison, Wisconsin.
This is an exciting opportunity for those who are passionate about analytical method development, people leadership, and client collaboration. In this role, you will lead a team of scientists responsible for developing, optimizing, characterizing, and transferring analytical methods that support a diverse portfolio of biologics programs, including proteins, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), and emerging modalities such as mRNA therapeutics.
As a Group Leader, you will combine technical expertise, leadership, and cross-functional collaboration to help advance client programs from development through GMP manufacturing while ensuring the highest standards of quality, compliance, and scientific excellence.
About Catalent Madison
Catalent's Madison, Wisconsin facility is a state-of-the-art biologics development and manufacturing site supporting customers from research through early- and mid-stage clinical production. Located at 726 Heartland Trail, the 102,700-square-foot GMP facility specializes in mammalian cell line engineering, drug substance manufacturing, and biopharmaceutical process development.
The site is home to Catalent's proprietary GPEx® and GPEx® Lightning technologies, enabling the generation of high-producing mammalian cell lines for biologic therapies. With production capabilities ranging from 50L to 4,000L and a recent $45 million expansion, the Madison campus continues to play a critical role in Catalent's global biologics network while supporting Wisconsin's growing life sciences industry.
Location: 100% Onsite at our facility in Madison, Wisconsin
Shift: Monday – Friday, First Shift
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of 5–10 scientists by providing technical guidance, coaching, performance feedback, and career development support.
- Manage team priorities, workloads, and resources to ensure analytical development projects are executed successfully and delivered on schedule.
- Oversee analytical method development, optimization, characterization, and technology transfer activities supporting biologics development programs.
- Review and approve scientific data, technical reports, and GMP documentation to ensure quality, compliance, and data integrity.
- Serve as a primary client-facing representative for Analytical Development by participating in meetings, communicating project updates, and addressing technical questions.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Project Management, Quality, Manufacturing, Process Development, Cell Line Development, and other stakeholders to achieve program milestones and drive continuous improvement.
- Other responsibilities as needed.
Required Qualifications
- PhD in Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Analytical Chemistry, or related scientific discipline with a minimum of 2 years of laboratory leadership experience, or master's degree in a related scientific discipline with a minimum of 5 years of laboratory leadership experience, or bachelor's degree in a related scientific discipline with a minimum of 8 years of laboratory leadership experience
- Analytical method development experience within a biologics or biopharmaceutical environment
- Previous laboratory leadership experience
- Experience managing multiple priorities, projects, and timelines
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to effectively engage with clients and cross-functional stakeholders
- Experience operating within a GMP-regulated environment
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with the following analytical techniques: ELISA (highly preferred), Western Blot, SDS-PAGE, Agarose Gel Electrophoresis, HPLC/UHPLC, Capillary Electrophoresis (CE), cIEF, Product Binding and Potency Assays, LC-MS, qPCR, Sanger Sequencing
- Experience in biologics, protein, monoclonal antibody (mAb), and/or mRNA analytical development highly preferred
- CDMO, CRO, or biopharmaceutical industry experience
Why you should join Catalent
- Opportunity to play a key role in driving growth within a global CDMO leader.
- Competitive compensation package, including incentive opportunity.
- Day-one medical, dental, and vision coverage.
- 401(k) with company match.
- Tuition reimbursement and professional development opportunities.
- Generous paid time off and holiday schedule (152 hours + 8 holidays)
- Collaborative, mission-driven culture focused on improving patient outcomes worldwide.
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.
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 DisabilityAccommodations@catalent.com. 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.
Notice to Agency and Search Firm Representatives: Catalent Pharma Solutions (Catalent) is not accepting unsolicited resumes from agencies and/or search firms for this job posting. Resumes submitted to any Catalent employee by a third party agency and/or search firm without a valid written & signed search agreement, will become the sole property of Catalent. No fee will be paid if a candidate is hired for this position as a result of an unsolicited agency or search firm referral. Thank you.
Important Security Notice to U.S. Job Seekers:
Catalent NEVER asks candidates to provide any type of payment, bank details, photocopies of identification, social security number or other highly sensitive personal information during the offer process, and we NEVER do so via email or social media. If you receive any such request, DO NOT respond— it is a fraudulent request. Please forward such requests to spam@catalent.com for us to investigate with local authorities.
California Job Seekers can find our California Job Applicant Notice HERE.
OPT Biotech & Pharma Job Roles in Wisconsin
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Search Biotech & Pharma Jobs in WisconsinBiotech & Pharma OPT Sponsorship Jobs in Wisconsin: Frequently Asked Questions
Which biotech and pharma companies sponsor F-1 OPT visas in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin employers with documented OPT hiring patterns in biotech and pharma include Exact Sciences, MilliporeSigma (a Merck KGaA subsidiary), Promega Corporation, and Exact Sciences in Madison, along with pharmaceutical manufacturing operations in the Milwaukee metro area. These companies regularly hire for research, analytical chemistry, and quality assurance roles that qualify under STEM OPT. Sponsorship practices vary by department, role level, and hiring cycle.
Which cities in Wisconsin have the most biotech and pharma F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs?
Madison concentrates the largest share of Wisconsin's biotech and pharma OPT opportunities, driven by proximity to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a dense cluster of life sciences companies and research institutes. Milwaukee is the secondary hub, with pharma manufacturing and medical device firms active in the surrounding metro. Smaller pockets of activity exist in Green Bay and the Fox Valley corridor, primarily in pharmaceutical distribution and quality roles.
What types of biotech and pharma roles typically qualify for F-1 OPT sponsorship in Wisconsin?
Roles that commonly qualify for STEM OPT in Wisconsin's biotech and pharma sector include research associate, analytical chemist, quality control specialist, process development scientist, regulatory affairs coordinator, and bioinformatics analyst positions. These roles require degrees in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, or related STEM fields. Non-STEM degree holders are limited to the standard 12-month OPT period, while STEM graduates can apply for a 24-month extension with an eligible employer.
How do I find biotech and pharma F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs in Wisconsin?
Migrate Mate lets you filter specifically for F-1 OPT-compatible biotech and pharma jobs in Wisconsin, so you're not sifting through postings that won't consider international candidates. The platform surfaces roles from employers with demonstrated OPT sponsorship activity in the state, including Madison and Milwaukee based companies. Searching by both city and role type helps narrow results to positions that match your degree field, which matters for STEM OPT extension eligibility.
Are there any Wisconsin-specific or industry-specific considerations for F-1 OPT sponsorship in biotech and pharma?
Wisconsin's biotech sector has a strong academic-to-industry pipeline through UW-Madison's research programs, which means many employers are familiar with OPT timelines and the E-Verify requirement that applies to STEM OPT extension employers. Bioprocessing and pharmaceutical manufacturing roles are subject to FDA oversight, so employers may require specific compliance training before hire. International candidates should confirm that their degree field aligns with the STEM OPT designated degree list before applying, as not all life science degrees automatically qualify.