Synthetic Organic Chemist

ProClinical; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Proclinical partners with an innovative pharmaceutical organisation in Cambridge to recruit a Synthetic Organic Chemist for the discovery chemistry team. You will design, synthesize and optimize novel molecules supporting cutting-edge drug discovery programmes in state-of-the-art laboratories.

You’ll contribute to medicinal chemistry projects from route design through to compound delivery, collaborating with multidisciplinary research teams.

Qualifications

• PhD in synthetic organic or medicinal chemistry with industry experience.
• Strong practical/theoretical knowledge of modern organic synthesis.
• Experience designing and optimising synthetic routes.
• Broad hands-on experience in synthesis, purification and analytics.
• Ability to interpret characterization data.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimise synthetic routes to novel target molecules.
• Execute organic synthesis, purification and characterisation activities.
• Troubleshoot synthetic and analytical challenges.
• Interpret analytical data, including NMR and LC-MS.
• Contribute to Design-Make-Test-Analyse cycles across drug discovery projects.
• Maintain accurate experimental records and communicate results effectively.
• Present scientific findings to project teams.
• Support laboratory equipment, safety initiatives and continuous improvement.
• Contribute to publications, patents and scientific presentations where appropriate.

Skills

Organic synthesis expertise

Analytical techniques (NMR, LC-MS)

Team collaboration

Problem-solving

Education

PhD in Synthetic Organic Chemistry or Medicinal Chemistry

MSc with pharmaceutical/biotech experience

Tools

HPLC

LC-MS

NMR

ELN

KNIME/Dotmatics/Spotfire

Schrödinger/MOE/PyMOL

Job description

Synthetic Organic Chemist

Are you a talented Synthetic Organic Chemist looking to contribute to the discovery of next-generation medicines?

Proclinical is partnering with an innovative pharmaceutical organisation in Cambridge seeking a scientist to join their growing discovery chemistry team. You'll play a key role in designing, synthesising and optimising novel molecules that support cutting-edge drug discovery programmes.

Working within state-of-the-art laboratories, you'll contribute to medicinal chemistry projects from route design through to compound delivery, collaborating closely with multidisciplinary research teams.

Location: Cambridge, UK

Sector: Pharmaceutical | Drug Discovery | Small Molecule Research

Working Pattern: Laboratory-based (5 days per week)

Contract: 12 Months

Key Responsibilities

• Design and optimise synthetic routes to novel target molecules.
• Execute organic synthesis, purification and characterisation activities.
• Troubleshoot synthetic and analytical challenges.
• Interpret analytical data, including NMR and LC-MS.
• Contribute to Design-Make-Test-Analyse cycles across drug discovery projects.
• Maintain accurate experimental records and communicate results effectively.
• Present scientific findings to project teams.
• Support laboratory equipment, safety initiatives and continuous improvement.
• Contribute to publications, patents and scientific presentations where appropriate.

Requirements

• PhD in Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry or a related discipline, plus industry experience, or MSc with significant pharmaceutical or biotech experience.
• Strong practical and theoretical knowledge of modern organic synthesis.
• Experience designing and optimising synthetic routes.
• Broad hands-on experience across organic synthesis, purification and analytical techniques.
• Ability to interpret compound characterisation data.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a results-focused approach.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work within multidisciplinary teams.

Desirable Experience

• Photochemistry or high-throughput experimentation
• Oligonucleotide chemistry
• HPLC, LC-MS or NMR
• Electronic laboratory notebooks and scientific data management
• KNIME, Dotmatics, Spotfire or related software
• Computational chemistry tools such as Schrödinger, MOE or PyMOL
• Publications, patents or intellectual property support

The Opportunity

This is an excellent opportunity to join a growing research organisation developing innovative small-molecule therapeutics. You'll work alongside experienced scientists in a collaborative environment that encourages scientific creativity, innovation and professional development.