Recruiter :
Darren Nelson
- Design and execute scalable synthetic routes
- Deliver analogs to support SAR and lead optimization
- Collaborate with CROs and maintain detailed lab records
đź“Ť Location: South San Francisco, CA
đź’Ľ Contract Duration: 12 months
Overview
Our client — a leading precision medicine oncology company — is seeking an exceptionally skilled and self-motivated Synthetic Organic Chemist to join their small-molecule discovery team. This role supports the delivery of high-quality compounds to accelerate structure–activity relationship (SAR) exploration and lead optimization efforts across a deep oncology-focused discovery pipeline.
You’ll work closely with medicinal chemists and collaborate with both internal teams and external CRO partners to design, synthesize, and characterize novel, drug-like molecules.
This is an exciting opportunity to contribute directly to the advancement of next-generation cancer therapies within a fast-paced, science-driven environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Design and execute efficient, scalable synthetic routes to key intermediates and target compounds (milligram to multi-gram scale).
- Deliver small-molecule analogs in parallel to support SAR campaigns using modern synthetic methods.
- Troubleshoot and optimize challenging reactions independently with creativity and precision.
- Coordinate with internal research teams and external CRO collaborators to plan and manage synthesis activities.
- Maintain accurate and detailed experimental records in electronic lab notebooks suitable for patent and regulatory documentation.
Qualifications
- Education: M.S. or Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry or a related discipline.
- Experience: 4+ years of hands-on industry experience in pharmaceutical or biotech R&D.
- Deep expertise in modern synthetic organic chemistry, reaction mechanisms, and current literature.
- Proven ability to design and execute robust, multi-step syntheses — including late-stage diversification.
- Skilled in purification and characterization techniques (NMR, LC-MS, HPLC, etc.).
- Experience in synthesizing compounds from milligram to decagram scale.
- Comfortable running parallel synthesis workflows to efficiently deliver compound batches.
- Experience collaborating with CRO chemists to troubleshoot and enable remote synthetic productivity.
- Strong organizational and documentation skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to present data and rationale clearly to project teams.
- Team-oriented with a high degree of scientific curiosity and collaborative energy.
Additional Details
- Type: Contractor (12 months)
- Work Environment: On-site, South San Francisco