Job Description

Job Description: Synthetic Organic Chemist – Medicinal Chemistry (Part-Time, Contract)

• Location: South San Francisco, CA
• Schedule: Part-Time (Onsite, 4 days per week)
• Contract Type: Long-term contract
• Compensation: Market rates (hourly, depending on experience)

We have a Part-Time, long-term contract opening for a Synthetic Organic Chemist . This role is onsite , based in South San Francisco, CA , and pays market rates .

Position Summary:

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Synthetic Organic Chemist with a strong foundation in modern synthetic methodologies to join our medicinal chemistry group. In this hands-on role, you will contribute directly to the design, synthesis, and characterization of novel small molecules intended for preclinical and clinical development.

You will collaborate closely with internal chemists and external CRO partners to develop efficient synthetic routes and deliver high-quality compounds with appropriate pharmacological profiles. Your contributions will play a pivotal role in advancing projects from early discovery toward clinical trials, supporting the mission to develop therapies for patients with severe cancers.

This is a part-time, onsite role (4 days per week) based in South San Francisco, CA .

Key Responsibilities:

Synthesis & Characterization:

• Design and execute robust synthetic routes for small molecules and intermediates.
• Synthesize target compounds on milligram to multi-gram scale.
• Purify and characterize compounds using modern techniques (e.g., NMR, LC-MS).

Route Design & Optimization:

• Develop divergent synthetic sequences suitable for late-stage modifications.
• Troubleshoot and optimize challenging chemical transformations independently.

Project Collaboration:

• Interface with medicinal chemistry team and external CROs to guide synthetic workflows.
• Communicate clearly and consistently on progress, challenges, and results.

Data Management & Documentation:

• Maintain detailed and compliant electronic lab notebooks (ELNs).
• Prepare experimental details, characterization data, and IP-related documentation.

Scientific Communication:

• Present synthetic strategies and results to internal teams and external collaborators.
• Contribute to scientific reports, patent filings, and publications.

Qualifications:

Education & Experience:

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Synthetic Organic Chemistry.
• Minimum of 1+ years of experience in the biotech or pharmaceutical industry in a chemistry-focused role.

Technical Expertise:

• Deep knowledge of contemporary synthetic organic chemistry.
• Proven ability to execute and optimize complex multi-step syntheses.
• Proficiency with analytical techniques including NMR, LC-MS, HPLC.

Core Skills:

• Strong problem-solving skills and scientific creativity.
• Experience working at scale (milligram to multi-gram).
• Ability to manage and prioritize parallel synthetic tasks efficiently.

Communication & Collaboration:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Collaborative mindset with a proactive approach to team-based science.
• Comfortable guiding and reviewing work done at CROs.

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