Manager, Chemical Development South San Francisco, CA

Initial Therapeutics, Inc.; South San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 158,000 - 193,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity incentive plan

401(k) with employer match

Health/Dental/Vision insurance

Holiday and PTO

Job summary

Maze Therapeutics is seeking a Manager, Chemical Development to oversee external CMOs that manufacture drug substance for clinical programs. You will work closely with discovery teams, QA, and Regulatory Affairs to ensure cGMP compliance and scalable processes from bench to clinic.

This role provides direct ownership of how a molecule becomes a manufacturable drug substance, with exposure across discovery, quality, and regulatory functions at a clinical‑stage company.

Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry with process chemistry experience.
• Experience with cGMP chemical manufacturing.
• Availability to travel domestically and internationally.

Responsibilities

• Direct international CMOs developing new chemical processes.
• Analyze existing production methods and recommend improvements.
• Partner with QA and Regulatory Affairs to ensure compliance and audit readiness.
• Prepare technical reports and present results to internal teams and external partners.
• Track industry trends and advancements in chemical technology.

Skills

Reaction mechanisms

Process optimization

C GMP compliance

Technical reporting

ChemDraw/SciFinder

Project management

Travel availability

Education

M.S. or Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry

Tools

ChemDraw

SciFinder

Job description

Maze's Chemical Development team manages the manufacture of drugsubstance(DS) for Maze's clinical programs. The team develops,optimizes, and scales chemical manufacturing processes so that reactions run safely, effectively, and economically from bench to clinic.

As Manager, Chemical Development, you will manage external contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) that manufacture and test drug substance and starting materials (SM). You will work closely with Maze's discovery teams, for example medicinal chemistry, drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK), and pharmacology, to carry candidates smoothly from preclinical work into manufacturing. You will also partner with Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs to keep Maze's manufacturing compliant with current good manufacturing practices (cGMPs) and federal regulations.

This is a role for someone who wants direct ownership of how a molecule becomes a manufacturable drug substance, with visibility across discovery, quality, and regulatory functions at a clinical-stage company.

The Impact You’ll Have

• Direct international CMOs developing new chemical processes, designing experiments to improve process efficiency, and troubleshooting manufacturing issues.
• Analyze existing production methods and recommend improvements that support Maze's clinical timelines.
• Partner with Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs to ensure manufacturing stays compliant andaudit-ready.
• Prepare technical reports and present results to internal teams and external partners.
• Track industry trends and advancements in chemical technology that could improve Maze's processes.

Because this role works closely with international CMOs, meetings outside standard business hours may berequiredto accommodate global time zones. Domestic and international travel will also berequiredbased on program and CMO needs.

What We’re Looking For

• M.S. or Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry, with postgraduate experience in process chemistry and/or cGMP chemical manufacturing, gained internally or at an external CMO: 2 to 3 or more years for a Ph.D., or 5 or more years for an M.S.
• Working knowledge of chemical reaction mechanisms and kinetics.
• Experience with process optimization and scale-up.
• Familiarity with cGMP regulatory compliance in chemical manufacturing.
• Experience preparing technical reports and presenting findings to technical and cross-functional audiences.
• Proficiencywith standard chemistry software such asChemDrawandSciFinder.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines concurrently.
• Availability to travel domestically and internationally.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working directly with external CMOs on technology transfer or scale-up.
• Background in environmental health and safety practices in a laboratory or manufacturing setting

This role follows a hybrid schedule, with an expectation to be onsite at our South San Francisco headquarters at least three days per week.

About Maze Therapeutics

Maze Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company harnessing human genetics to develop precision medicines for patients with kidney and metabolic diseases. Our clinical pipeline is anchored by two small molecule programs: MZE829, an APOL1 inhibitor for patients with APOL1‑mediated kidney disease, and MZE782, which targets genetic drivers of disease in phenylketonuria (PKU) and chronic kidney disease. We are also advancing a preclinical pipeline through our Compass platform, which links human genetic variants to the biological pathways that drive disease.

Our People

Maze is comprised of a team of passionate and creative professionals committed to discovering and delivering transformative medicines to patients suffering from both rare and common genetic diseases. We are fostering a culture that encourages vision, initiative and the development of talent. Our supportive work environment inspires creative thinking and freedom of expression, resulting in a stimulating atmosphere where people enjoy coming to work. While we have a passion for advanced science and pride ourselves in excellence in execution, ultimately, everything we do is about patients.

Our Core Values

Further Together – Our path is paved with challenges, but with resilience and a team-first mentality, we’ll achieve our mission.

Impact Obsessed – We embrace the bold, take calculated risks, and learn from our mistakes to improve the lives of others.

Stand True – Our integrity is foundational; it guides us no matter the obstacle.

The expected annual salary range for employees located in the San Francisco Bay Area is $158,000 - $193,000. Additionally, this position is eligible for an annual performance bonus.

Maze performs position-based compensation benchmarking to industry market data to ensure we pay competitive wages. Determination of starting salary will depend upon a variety of job-related factors, which may include professional experience, skills, and job location. The expected salary range for this role may be modified in the future.

Maze offers a robust benefits package to our eligible employees including competitive medical, dental, and vision insurance, mental health offerings, equity incentive plan, 401(k) program with employer match and a generous holiday and PTO policy.