Associate Director, Process Chemistry

Septerna; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Annual bonus

Benefits package

Job summary

Septerna, a biotechnology company in South San Francisco, is seeking an Associate Director of Process Chemistry to lead drug substance development across our small molecule programs. This role will act as an SME and guide strategic CMC direction, collaborating with CDMOs and internal teams to enable scalable GMP manufacture.

Responsibilities include route scouting, process optimization, and scale-up, defining starting materials and impurity controls, and ensuring timely regulatory-ready

Qualifications

• PhD/MS/BS in organic chemistry or related field.
• 7–12+ years in small molecule drug substance development.
• Proven route evaluation, scale-up and GMP manufacturing experience.
• Knowledge of ICH, FDA, EMA guidelines and regulatory expectations.

Responsibilities

• Act as SME for Process Chemistry supporting drug substance development, including crystallization and GMP manufacture.
• Lead route scouting, process optimization, scale-up, and mitigation strategies.
• Define starting materials, impurity controls, and specifications for drug substance.
• Oversee CDMO evaluation, technology transfer, and GMP manufacture.
• Contribute to CMC strategies to meet program targets and regulatory approvals.
• Collaborate with Analytical Chemistry, Formulation, Quality, and cross-functional teams.
• Manage multiple priorities to ensure on-time supply for studies and trials.
• Write and review CMC-related documents and stay current on regulatory guidance.

Skills

Drug substance development

Regulatory knowledge

Project management

Communication skills

Data integrity

Education

PhD in organic chemistry

MS in organic chemistry

BS in chemistry

Tools

UPLC/HPLC

GC

MS

NMR

XRPD

Job description

Septerna is a biotechnology company based in South San Francisco, CA on a mission to develop life-changing medicines for patients with the vision to become the industry-leading G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-focused drug discovery company. The company’s Native Complex Platform™ recapitulates GPCRs with their native structure, function, and dynamics outside of the cellular context. This approach enables novel access to modern structural and screening technologies used in industrial-scale drug discovery for the entire class of GPCRs. Septerna has an emerging pipeline of GPCR-targeted small molecule programs with potential for growth to target many GPCRs that have been undruggable and unexploited to date.

We are excited to expand our multidisciplinary team of individuals focused on creating revolutionary medicines to address the unmet needs of patients. At Septerna we strive to embrace diversity of thought, expertise, and background through collaboration. To join our ambitious team, be prepared to bring your real self to work every day; grow and learn from a talented team of drug hunters, scientists, and business professionals; and contribute your passion, creativity, and energy to accomplish our mission. We share a fearless pursuit of ground-breaking innovations and cultivate an environment where our employees succeed by learning from each other and working as a team.

We are committed to the development of meaningful therapeutics for patients with indications of high unmet need. This is a tremendous opportunity to work with talented individuals on the frontlines of therapeutic discovery and development. You will directly help move therapies through preclinical research, positioning them for success in the clinic. The successful candidate will add their passion, unique talents, and expertise to a dynamic team motivated to discover new disease-modifying therapeutics for patients in a fast-paced environment.

For more information see: www.septerna.com.

THE ROLE

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Associate Director of Process Chemistry to manage and drive drug substance process development and delivery activities across our small molecule drug discovery and development programs. This individual will fill a critical role as a subject matter expert (SME) and will contribute to the strategic direction, technical management, and operational execution for CMC development and manufacturing activities. This position is instrumental in collaborating with and managing a network of consultants and Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) partners to enable our efforts to discover and develop small molecule therapeutics from preclinical through commercial.

Responsibilities

• Act as an SME for Process Chemistry in the support of drug substance development, including process chemistry, solid form selection, crystallization development, and GMP manufacture.
• Lead process development efforts, including route scouting, process optimization, and scale-up activities, proactively implementing mitigation strategies to ensure robust, cost-effective, safe, scalable, and phase-appropriate manufacturing processes.
• Contribute to CMC control strategies defining starting materials, impurity control strategies, and the specifications for starting materials, intermediates, and drug substance in alignment with industry standards and regulatory expectations.
• Support the evaluation, selection, technology transfer, and management of CDMOs to perform route and process development, and GMP manufacture.
• Contribute to the development of CMC strategies to meet program and project development targets, ensure timely and efficient delivery of high-quality products, and facilitate regulatory approvals.
• Collaborate closely within the CMC function with Analytical Chemistry and Formulation Development, and across cross-functional teams including Quality, Medicinal Chemistry, DMPK, Toxicology, Project Management, Development Sciences, and Clinical Pharmacology to achieve project goals.
• Manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and enact quick problem solving to ensure on-time supply of drug to support non-GLP toxicology studies, IND-enabling activities, and clinical trials across multiple programs.
• Support development of the Quality system to ensure product quality and data integrity, including authoring and reviewing standard operating procedures, guidelines, and work instructions.
• Author and review process development reports, batch records, campaign reports, change controls, corrective and preventative actions, deviations, and investigations.
• Write and review CMC sections of regulatory documents and submissions (IMPD, IB, IND, NDA, etc.) and the supporting technical documents, and remain current on Health Authority guidance and expectations.

Qualifications

• A PhD, MS, or BS degree in organic chemistry or related field with a minimum of 7 years, 10 years, or 12 years, respectively, of relevant industry experience in small molecule drug substance development with demonstrated increasing responsibilities within process chemistry.
• Exhibited track record of success in delivering timely execution of drug substance activities ranging from non-GLP and IND-enabling material supplies, through GMP clinical trial supplies and commercialization.
• Demonstrated expertise in small molecule synthetic route evaluation, process development, scale-up and manufacturing, and phase-appropriate control strategy and specification development.
• Experience with analytical techniques to support small molecule process development, with proficiency in UPLC/HPLC, GC, MS, NMR, and solid-state characterization techniques such as particle size distribution and XRPD.
• Strong understanding of Quality systems including SOPs, manufacturing record review, batch release and disposition, Good Documentation Practices, cGMP data traceability, Deviations, and Change Management.
• Demonstrated knowledge and application of current industry and compendial standards and regulatory authority guidance and expectations, including ICH, FDA, MHRA, and EMA guidelines and USP-NF, Ph. Eur, BP, and JP compendia.
• Proven ability to manage and collaborate with external partners, including consultants and CDMOs.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written and oral) with the ability to effectively prepare high-quality technical documentation and concisely present data to peers, management, and external groups.
• Exhibited strong organizational and critical thinking skills with an attention to detail and data integrity enabling sound, technically driven decision making.
• Able to travel domestically and internationally as needed, up to 20% of the time.

The anticipated salary range for candidates who will work in South San Francisco, CA is $200,000 - $220,000. Individual pay may vary based on additional factors, including, and without limitation, job-related skills, experience, work location and relevant education or training. Septerna's compensation package also includes benefits, stock options, and annual target bonus for full-time positions.

We are an Equal Opportunity employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, and disability status.

Septerna participates in the E-Verify program.