PhD Organic Chemist

Cpl Group; Dublin; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career development

Annual bonus

Education program

Pension

Private healthcare

Competitive base salary

Job summary

SK pharmteco in Swords, Co Dublin, seeks a PhD Chemist to join the R&D team focused on small molecule APIs. The role involves leading development projects, process scale-up, tech transfer, and collaboration with Operations, Quality, and EHS to ensure robust, in-control processes.

The candidate should hold a PhD in organic chemistry with 2+ years in the pharmaceutical industry, strong problem solving, and data-driven decision making for continuous process verification.

Qualifications

• PhD in organic chemistry is required.
• Strong problem solving and continuous improvement mindset.
• Experience working across functions in a matrix organization.
• Ability to manage projects and troubleshoot processes in pharma.

Responsibilities

• Lead development projects in the laboratory, including route scouting and crystallisation optimisation.
• Provide technical support to API/intermediate manufacture with a focus on optimisation.
• Identify and implement process optimisation across scale-up and manufacturing aspects.
• Utilise PAT tools (e.g., FBRM, Raman, IR) for data-driven development and tech adoption.
• Coordinate tech transfer for new products, including process development, customer engagement, and documentation.
• Support chemistry assessments for new products as required.
• Lead throughput/yield optimisation with Operations engineers.
• Support CVP through data trends, OOT, SAE investigations with RD and QC teams.
• Participate in manufacturing campaign performance and quality/safety investigations.
• Collaborate with RD analytical chemists and Operations engineers on scale-up activities.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Problem solving

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Continuous improvement

Education

PhD in organic chemistry

Tools

PAT

Chromatography

Process safety

Job description

PhD Chemist

Location: Swords. Co.Dublin

About the company:

SK pharmteco is a global Contract Development and Manufacturing organisation (CDMO) with state-of-the-art facilities in Korea, US, France and Ireland. We are part of SK Inc., a Korean company with revenues of $99 billion in 2023. Our mission is to ‘produce and deliver life-changing therapies that improve patient outcomes and save lives’. The SK pharmteco Small Molecule, Europe, facility located in Swords, Co Dublin, Ireland has led the way in the development, scale-up and commercial manufacture of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and Chemical Intermediates for over 60 years. With a talented workforce, exceptional technical capabilities and facilities we have made some of the world’s most important medicines and continue to do so.

Further information on SK pharmteco can be found at www.skpharmteco.com

Current Need:

A vacancy now exists for a PhD Chemist within the R&D group. This position is based at the R&D Centre in Swords, Co Dublin. The R&D Centre has co-located technical and operational expertise, including analytical expertise that supports the development and manufacture of clinical and commercial products (small molecule APIs). The R&D Chemist will have experience in synthetic organic chemistry. They will be responsible for providing support for all aspects of new and existing chemical processes development, technology transfer, process scale-up, process safety, process monitoring, and process troubleshooting for small molecules. The role will involve cross functional collaboration with other functions including Operations, Quality, EHS and external stakeholders working towards existing and new product introduction and ensuring all processes are understood, robust, efficient and in control.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Lead development projects in the laboratory, including route scouting and route development, proof of concept, crystallisation optimisation, and process safety assessment.
• Provide technical support to the manufacture of APIs and intermediates manufactured at SK biotek Ireland, with a focus on optimisation and investigation support.
• Identify and implement projects to optimise processes, considering scale-up and manufacturing aspects and Critical to Quality Attributes.
• Leverage data monitoring and PAT tools in the laboratory such as FBRM, Raman, IR, as required. Identify and implement new technologies to support development for the business needs of the site.
• Coordinate tech transfer activities for introduction of new clinical and commercial products to the site, including process development in the laboratory, customer engagement, troubleshooting, documentation, and campaign readiness.
• Support chemistry assessments for new products as required.
• Lead optimisation projects on throughput and yield in collaboration with Operations engineers.
• Support continuous process verification through collection and trending of data for commercial products, identifying Out of Trends (OOT) and Statistical Alert Events (SAE) and leading investigations where required with support from R&D engineers and analytical chemists.
• Actively participate in manufacturing campaign performance support teams.
• Lead and support quality and safety investigations.
• Collaborate with R&D analytical chemists and Operations engineers on new products introduction and scale up activities

Minimum Requirements:

• Strong technical background in chemistry
• PhD in organic chemistry
• 2+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry
• Strong interpersonal and communicational skills and demonstrated ability to work across a matrix.
• Excellent problem solving skills and commitment to continuous improvement.
• Experience in project management, troubleshooting and continuous process verification.
• Demonstrated capability in the use of standard tools for root cause analysis and standard statistical tools.
• Demonstrated capability in the use of various analytical/diagnostic tools including PAT, chromatography and process safety.
• Ensure that GMP, Quality, Health & Safety are considered in all aspects of the role.

Other Benefits Include:

• Excellent opportunities for career enhancement and personal development
• Competitive base salary
• Annual bonus linked to business results
• A well-established further education program
• Pension scheme
• Private healthcare