Formulation Scientist - Startup Biotech

Enigma Search; Pleasanton (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Enigma Search is seeking a hands-on Formulation Scientist to support development-stage formulation and pre‑formulation work for small molecule programs in a fast-paced startup setting in Pleasanton, CA. This onsite, contract‑to‑perm role reports to the Director of Pharmaceutical Sciences and emphasizes independent execution and data‑driven decision making.

The ideal candidate has 7–10 years of pharmaceutical formulation experience, strong wet chemistry and solid‑state characterization skills,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a closely related field.
• 7–10 years of hands‑on experience in pharmaceutical or biotechnology formulation and analytical development.
• Strong hands‑on experience with solid‑state characterization, troubleshooting, and wet chemistry techniques.

Responsibilities

• Platform optimization: Develop and optimize the formulation, scale‑up, and engineering of the company's proprietary technology platform.
• Pre‑formulation testing: Perform development‑stage analytical testing to support day‑to‑day formulation and pre‑formulation workflows.
• Wet chemistry: Conduct traditional wet chemistry analyses, including titrations and related measurement techniques.
• Scale‑up & isolation: Execute technical scale‑up and isolation techniques such as lyophilization, spray drying, and solvent‑mediated salt form isolations.
• Characterization: Perform physicochemical and solid‑state characterization as needed to evaluate drug properties and crystalline forms.
• Data integration: Analyze, interpret, and meticulously document experimental data to directly inform pipeline development decisions.

Skills

Solid-state characterization

Wet chemistry techniques

Data analysis & documentation

Solubility & pre-formulation

Startup environment adaptability

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Chemistry/Pharmaceutical Sciences

Tools

Lyophilization

Spray drying

Job description

Enigma Search is seeking a hands-on Formulation Scientist to support development-stage formulation and pre‑formulation work for small molecule programs in a fast-paced startup setting in Pleasanton, CA. This onsite, contract‑to‑perm role reports to the Director of Pharmaceutical Sciences and emphasizes independent execution and data‑driven decision making.

The ideal candidate has 7–10 years of pharmaceutical formulation experience, strong wet chemistry and solid‑state characterization skills,