Lead Chemical Process R&D Scientist

ITech Consult AG; Basel; On-site; CHF 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

ITech Consult Basel invites an accomplished Lead Chemical Process R&D Scientist to drive late-stage pharmaceutical process development and scale-up for APIs and advanced intermediates. You will lead internal chemists and coordinate CDMO activities to deliver robust, sustainable processes.

The ideal candidate holds a PhD or Postdoc in Synthetic Organic Chemistry with 5+ years in pharmaceutical R&D, strong leadership, and fluent English. German is a plus.

Qualifications

• PhD or Postdoc in synthetic organic chemistry.
• 5+ years pharma R&D experience in late-stage process development.
• Leadership and project management track record.
• CDMO management experience.
• Proficiency with chemistry tools and DoE/analytical software.
• Fluent English; German a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead internal and external chemical process R&D activities with a team or CDMO partners.
• Oversee synthetic route scouting, process optimization, scale-up, and supply support.
• Coordinate cross-functional delivery with CDMO timelines for APIs and intermediates.
• Ensure quality and compliance with internal specs and safety standards.

Skills

Leadership & PM

CDMO management

Process R&D

Late-stage development

Project management

Education

PhD or Postdoc in Synthetic Organic Chemistry

Tools

ChemDraw

Literature search engines

DoE software

Kinetic modeling tools

Project planning software

Job description

Background:

In this function you will lead chemical process R&D activities to deliver safe, scalable, efficient and sustainable processes as well as drug substance material for projects in clinical development, with a focus on late-stage development, leveraging internal and external CDMO capabilities.

The Perfect Candidate:

The ideal candidate is a PhD/PostDoc-level organic chemist with 5+ years of pharmaceutical R&D experience specializing in late-stage process optimization and scale-up. They bring demonstrated leadership in guiding internal project teams and managing CDMO operations, technical transfers, and material supply. Fluent in English, they marry outstanding scientific acumen with strong organizational skills. They are an articulate, collaborative communicator who effectively motivates teams to deliver safe, scalable, and sustainable chemical processes.

Tasks & Responsibilities:

• Lead Internal & External Chemical Process R&D activities: Direct chemical process research and development work, managing an internal team of 1-5 process chemists and/or leading external activities at contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs).
• Oversee end-to-end process chemistry workflows, including synthetic route scouting, process optimization, scale-up, and support for supply activities.
• Coordinate Cross-Functional Delivery: Synchronize internal laboratory efforts with CDMO timelines to guarantee the timely, safe, and cost-effective production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and advanced intermediates
• Ensure Quality & Compliance: Deliver the target compounds following internal quality processes and according to specifications, safety standards and sustainability objectives.

Must Haves:

• PhD or Postdoctoral background in Synthetic Organic Chemistry.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience in pharmaceutical chemical process R&D, with demonstrated expertise in late-stage process development and scale-up.
• Leadership & Project Management: Proven track record of leading, mentoring, and driving project deliverables within internal process chemistry teams.
• CDMO Management: Direct experience managing external chemical development, technology transfers, and manufacturing activities at CDMOs.
• Technical & Software Proficiency: High proficiency with standard office applications alongside core chemistry tools, including chemical drawing tools, literature/patent search engines, Design of Experiments (DoE) applications, analytical software, and project planning platforms. Proficiency in the use of kinetic modeling or scale-up simulation software is a plus.
• Professional fluency in spoken and written English is required.

Nice to Haves:

• Familiarity or prior experience working within Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) environments is an advantage, though not strictly required.
• Professional working proficiency or fluency in German is a plus.

Reference Nr.: 925320
Rolle: Lead Chemical Process R&D Scientist
Industrie: Pharma
Location: Basel
Pensum: 100%
Start: ASAP(01.02.2027)
Duration: 12 + Months
Deadline: 19/09/2026

About us:

ITech Consult is an ISO 9001:2015-certified Swiss company with offices in Germany and Ireland. ITech Consult specializes in placing highly qualified candidates for temporary staffing in the fields of IT, life sciences, and engineering. We offer temporary staffing and payroll services. This is free of charge for our candidates, and we do not charge any additional fees for payroll services.