Synthetic Chemist / Senior Synthetic Chemist (Contract 3-6 months)

Chemify Limited; Glasgow; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading chemistry innovation company is seeking a Synthetic Chemist in Glasgow. This role involves working closely with a multidisciplinary team while executing manual synthetic procedures and interpreting complex analytical data. Candidates should have at least 2 years of practical experience, ideally with a PhD in organic or medicinal chemistry, and strong skills in data interpretation and problem-solving. The role offers a chance to lead in a flat organizational structure and contribute to cutting-edge developments in synthetic chemistry.

Qualifications

• > 2 years of practical experience as synthetic chemist.
• Deep expertise in specific areas of synthetic chemistry.
• Fluency in English for oral and written communication.

Responsibilities

• Carry out manual synthetic procedures for product development.
• Interpret analytical data generated by the platform.
• Plan, supervise, and execute scientific projects.

Skills

Synthetic chemistry

Data interpretation (NMR, UPLC-MS/LCMS)

Problem-solving skills

Communication skills

Education

PhD in organic or medicinal chemistry

Tools

Preparative HPLC

Electronic Laboratory Notebooks

Job description

Chemify is creating a future where important molecules, drugs and new materials currently unimaginable are instantly accessible and thereby radically increasing the speed of innovation, quality of life, and reach of humanity. The company is building the infrastructure to digitize chemistry to design, make, and discover new molecules with the desired function and properties instantly and on-demand. Chemify has built a platform that combines purpose-built programming languages, robotics, AI, and the world’s largest and continuously growing database of chemical programs to accelerate chemical discovery to new, transformative heights.

Chemify is supported by some of the best investors from Silicon Valley and across the world, including Triatomic Capital, BlueYard ventures, DCVC, Founders Fund, and others.

Job Description

You will be joining our rapidly expanding team based at one of our sites in Glasgow. The position provides the opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary team spanning engineering, robotics, chemical synthesis, drug discovery and software development.

As a Synthetic Chemist / Senior Synthetic Chemist, you will provide the organization with expert insights and know-how for the interpretation of analytical data from reactions, reaction optimization and manual synthesis. Ideally you bring knowledge of complex and/or advanced synthetic chemistry techniques of high-value reaction types complementary to the skills and expertise of the existing team.

You will be trained in the usage of our modern synthesis platform, participate in the development of the most efficient, automated, and versatile chemical manufacturing laboratory in the world, and lead the synthesis of complex molecules in the framework of our platform. You will work closely with the software and engineering teams to provide feedback, troubleshooting help, and new feature ideas to continuously improve the performance of the company’s technology serving you and other synthetic chemists.

We believe in a flat organizational structure and provide the opportunity for all team members to lead, take significant responsibilities, and make key decisions regarding our scientific projects and the overall direction of our efforts.

Responsibilities

You will primarily be:

• Carrying out manual synthetic procedures on milligram and gram scale to support Chemify’s product development needs and compound sales.
• Interpret analytical data generated by our platform.
• Working closely with other world-class chemists, the laboratory operation team, laboratory management, and other stakeholders to maximize the overall effectiveness of synthetic campaigns.
• Troubleshooting issues in the laboratory as they relate to the successful execution of chemistry.
• Communicating transparently with the analysis and purification team, software and hardware team, and the project management organisation to brainstorm and agree upon the best path to provide company and partner value through advanced chemistry.
• Planning of experiments and development of processes and reaction conditions.
• Planning, supervising, and executing of scientific or technical projects.
• Working with the engineering and software teams to develop modules of the automation platform and execute test plans for hardware revisions and software updates.
• Taking the initiative in developing new and more efficient processes for synthesis and automation.
• Documenting experiments accurately and in a timely manner according to the agreed standards.
• Working on tasks as needed as the company priorities change and evolves.

Requirements

• > 2 years of practical experience as synthetic chemist, ideally holding a PhD in organic or medicinal chemistry.
• Deep expertise in specific areas of synthetic chemistry.
• Strong foundation in interpretation of NMR and UPLC-MS/LCMS data.
• Theoretical and practical synthesis knowledge and skills.
• Problem‑solving skills and ability to abstract and formalise problems.
• Enthusiasm to learn new approaches and concepts and to work with an experimental automation platform.
• Oral and written communication & presentation skills (English fluency).

Desired skills & attributes

• Experience with total synthesis or multi-step syntheses and/or enantioselective syntheses.
• Experience with medium to high‑throughput parallel synthesis.
• Experience with preparative HPLC.
• Retrosynthetic analysis skills.
• Experience with synthesis and handling of air and moisture sensitive compounds (e.g., phosphines).
• Experience leading a small team of chemists or leading/managing syntheses projects.
• Experience with robotic systems for synthetic chemistry.
• Experience in industry / CRO environments a strong plus.
• Experience with electronic tools such as Electronic Laboratory Notebooks, etc…