AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company where we not only focus on the discovery, development and delivery of life-saving medicines to our patients but believe in sustainability and are determined to minimise the impact of our work on the environment. We are proud to be a great place to work and have a culture that inspires innovation and collaboration. We empower our colleagues to express diverse perspectives and at the same time feel valued, respected and rewarded for their ideas and creativity.

Chemical Development:

In Chemical Development we are determined to push the boundaries of science to deliver medicines to our patients. We combine people’s technical knowledge and understanding with their talent and drive to design, develop and optimise synthetic routes and processes that deliver the active pharmaceutical ingredients of our medicines in a sustainable, commercially viable way. We believe in innovation and continuous improvement, working with colleagues in academia and across industry, to ensure that we apply the newest technologies and principles in the processes we develop.

We now have exciting opportunities for Senior Scientists in our growing process chemistry development teams. The responsibilities and requirements of the position are outlined below.

Key responsibilities:

As a process chemist working closely with analytical chemists, engineers, project managers and other scientists, you will contribute to pharmaceutical development programmes, supporting project progression through late clinical development and launch. You may lead significant parts of chemistry development programmes, directing the work of other scientists. Your role will involve:

• Design and implementation of new chemical routes and processes suitable for scale-up, with a focus on process understanding.
• Being responsible for optimising chemical manufacturing processes taking consideration of speed, quality, cost, sustainability, reproducibility and efficiency
• Collaboration with other scientists to contribute to the development of new medicines.
• Assessment and management of process risks arising from scale, equipment or process changes.
• Supporting problem solving when development or manufacturing issues arise.
• Working with third party organisations to develop and manufacture API processes.

Essential Requirements:

• A PhD in Organic Chemistry, or BSc/MSc/MChem with relevant industrial experience to an equivalent level
• Substantial experience in practical organic synthesis
• Proven record of innovation through, for instance, authorship of papers, inventor status on patents, or presenting at external conferences
• An excellent understanding of synthetic reagents and methodologies, reaction mechanisms and modern analytical techniques
• The ability to think innovatively to drive improvement and address issues when contributing to project strategies

Desirable Requirements

• Lab-based pharmaceutical industry and/or process development experience, using a broad range of practical techniques
• Practical experience of modern synthetic technologies, e.g. process analytical techniques, continuous processing, high through-put experimentation, etc.
• A substantial and influential record of publication
• Proven laboratory team leadership skills
• The ability to develop and analyse multiple solutions to problems
• The confidence to coach and drive performance and development among your peers

Skills and capabilities

• Ability to challenge and innovate, bringing new solutions and opportunities for chemical development.
• Ability to analyse and interpret complex chemistry problems and provide solutions
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to communicate across interfaces of scientific disciplines, culture, and expertise both internally and externally.
• The ability to confidently participate in, and potentially lead, improvement projects.

Please note applications must include your current CV and a covering letter which presents your key areas of strength and why you should be considered for the role.

Closing date: Sunday 19th March 2023

AstraZeneca is an equal opportunity employer. AstraZeneca will consider all qualified applicants for employment without discrimination on grounds of disability, sex or sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity leave status, race or national or ethnic origin, age, religion or belief, gender identity or re-assignment, marital or civil partnership status, protected veteran status (if applicable) or any other characteristic protected by law.

Date Posted

Closing Date

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.