Amid Federal Workforce Layoffs - Frederick, Maryland Biotech Companies are Hiring

The wave of federal workforce layoffs continues, leaving many individuals previously employed by the government searching for new job opportunities. With over 4,700 federal employees residing in Frederick County - home to major biomedical research employers like Fort Detrick and the Frederick National Laboratory - local and state governments are working to bridge the employment gap.

While federal and private-sector jobs don’t always align directly, many skills are highly transferable, particularly for professionals from agencies like the FDA, NIH, and CDC. Frederick is one of the largest biotech hubs on the East Coast, home to over 130 life science companies, including AstraZeneca, Lonza, Kite Pharma, Qiagen, RoosterBio, and Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Emerging companies are also fueling growth. LifeCycle Labs, for example, operates within I-270 Innovation Labs, a premier facility offering purpose-built wet and dry lab spaces for startups and expanding biotech firms seeking access to key resources.

“The biotech market has yet to fully recover from the past few years of slow growth and layoffs, making these federal job cuts concerning for the industry. However, hiring hot spots have emerged, and Frederick is definitely one of them,” shared Matthew Majoros, Partner at life science staffing and recruiting firm Workforce Genetics.

With continued biotech activity in the region, many companies are actively hiring across a range of roles. Here are some of the current opportunities.

Kite Pharma (Frederick, MD location)

Kite focuses on cell therapy to treat and potentially cure cancer. The company’s technology harnesses the power of a patient’s immune system to target and attack cancer cells. Open positions include:

• Senior Electrical Facilities Engineer I (Facilities Operations/EH&S)

• Quality Assurance Documentation Supervisor (Quality)

• Quality Control Specialist III (LIMS) (Quality)

• Sr Statistician (Process/Product Development & Operations)

Lonza (Walkersville, MD location)

Lonza supports healthcare customers on their path to commercialization, enabling a healthier world. They have several openings for their Walkersville, MD location open to support their locations across the country.

Positions available include:

• SME / Sales and Support Specialist - Cell Biology (Boston-based)

  

• Business Development Manager - US Protein-Based Therapies

• OE Project Manager - Cell & Gene

• Business Development Manager, Bioscience (California-based)

• Business Development Manager, Bioscience (Mid-Atlantic region)

AstraZeneca (Frederick, MD location)

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led pharmaceutical company dedicated to transforming healthcare.

Open Positions include:

• Lead Automation Engineer

• Associate Director - Operational Excellence

• EMS-BMS Validation Engineer Project Manager

• IT Business Analyst (Ops IT Biologics)

• Quality Control Analyst

Thermo Fisher Scientific (Frederick, MD location)

Thermo Fisher Scientific is a global leader in scientific services, with over $40 billion in annual revenue. Open positions include:

• Sr. IT Security Engineer - AI

• Cloud Security Engineer

• Manufacturing Planning Specialist

• Sr. Business Analyst

• Scientist III, Quantum Computing Algorithm Specialist

• Senior Product Manager, Protein Expression

Precision for Medicine (Frederick, MD location)

Precision for Medicine accelerates clinical research and development while reducing costs and increasing approval probabilities. The company has several positions open at its Frederick, Maryland location in its Translational Science Business Unit.

Open Positions include:

• Scientist - BioAnalytical

• Supervisor, Operations

• Biorepository Technician III 

• Principal Scientist - Bioanalytical 

• Scientist - Flow Cytometry 

• Quality Assurance Specialist II 

• Director, Kit Production 

• Facilities Technician I 

They also have several remote roles and positions in Bethesda, Maryland available. See more.

Theradaptive (Frederick, MD)

Theradaptive is an innovative and fast-growing company advancing a diverse array of therapeutics.

Open positions include: 

• Controller

• Accounting Manager

• Senior Quality Engineer (Japanese/English Bilingual)

• Senior Quality Engineer (Medical Devices)

Cartesian Therapeutics (Frederick, MD)

Dedicated to expanding cell therapy for autoimmune diseases, Cartesian Therapeutics offers the following opportunities:

• Associate Director, Regulatory Project Management

• Cell Therapy Specialist

• Clinical Research Associate

• Head of Clinical Safety and Development

• Scientist, Process Development

• Senior Manager Financial Reporting and Technical Accounting

VaLogic (Frederick, MD)

VaLogic Bio provides crucial technology and compliance services to clients in the life sciences and biotechnology industries; helping organizations establish and remain FDA compliant.

Open positions available:

• HEPA Filter Certification Field Technician

• Filter Certification Specialist

Clym (Frederick, MD)

Clym provides businesses with a comprehensive platform to navigate complex accessibility and data privacy regulations. Their solutions help organizations maintain compliance with evolving digital policies. Open positions include:

• Full Stack Developer

• DevOps Engineer

• QA Automation Engineer

TAI Enterprises (Frederick, MD location)

TAI Enterprises specializes in skilled trade services, offering expert building maintenance and repair solutions. Open roles include:

• Building Management Technician (Skilled Trades)

• Apprentice Maintenance Technician (Skilled Trades)

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