Senior Research Associate, Chemical Development

BioSpace; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 70,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision coverage

Life insurance

Disability insurance

401(k) savings plan

Flexible spending accounts

Employee assistance program

Tuition reimbursement program

Voluntary benefits

Job summary

Novo Nordisk in Boulder, CO is seeking highly motivated scientists to join its CMC Chemical Development team. You will develop scalable syntheses, work-up, purifications and isolations of oligonucleotides, and support process development and tech transfer into manufacturing.

Candidates should have a BA/BS in Chemistry, Biology, or a related field (2+ years) or a Master’s degree with relevant experience, with strong organic chemistry understanding and excellent writing and communication skills.

Qualifications

• BA/BS in Chemistry, Biology or related field with 2+ years, or Master’s degree with 0+ years of relevant industrial experience, or a High School Diploma with 10+ years relevant lab experience
• Ability to follow technical instructions of moderate complexity with independence and reduced supervision
• Responsible for experimental design/execution and analysis with limited supervision
• Demonstratable laboratory skills in synthetic organic chemistry and/or oligonucleotide synthesis, characterization and purification
• Solid understanding of synthetic organic chemistry and/or oligonucleotide relevant reactions and mechanisms
• Detail-oriented in both data analysis and project timelines
• Self-motivated with a proactive mindset
• The successful candidate must possess excellent writing and communication skills and a demonstrated ability to work independently and with cross-functional teams
• Ability to thrive in a multi-disciplinary and fast-paced research environment with tight deadlines

Responsibilities

• Provide research and development support of current chemical development projects utilizing state-of-the-art techniques for preparation and analysis of oligonucleotides or nucleic acids
• Conduct laboratory work in safe, clean, efficient manner that ensures a safe working environment for colleagues
• Characterize starting materials, intermediates and synthesized molecules using common analytical techniques such as HPLC, LCMS, NMR, GC, KF and UV-Vis
• Develop and optimize all elements of chemical transformations including reaction conditions, workup, purification and isolation. Ensure robustness and reproducibility of developed processes
• Work within Technical Operations team to develop & optimize manufacturing processes for key oligonucleotide intermediates / reagents for oligonucleotide synthesis and final API
• Document and summarize results in laboratory notebook and written reports. Capable of drawing valid conclusions from concrete and abstract variables
• Contribute to the team’s knowledge through scientific literature review and discussions
• Operate, maintain and troubleshoot common laboratory equipment
• Authoring of development and research reports to share with internal and external teams with reduced input
• Ability to complete assignments that meet clearly defined deadlines and time schedules with minimal instructions

Skills

Synthetic organic chemistry

Oligonucleotide synthesis

Independent researcher

Scientific writing

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

BA/BS in Chemistry or related field

Master’s degree in related field

High school diploma with lab experience

Tools

HPLC

LCMS

NMR

GC

KF

UV-Vis

Job description

About The Department

The Boulder Site is home to the specialized technical operations/CMC team for oligonucleotides and RNAi therapeutics. The CMC team works alongside Quality, Regulatory, Technical Operations and RNAi Early Development professionals at our Boulder, Colorado facility and works closely with our teams in Lexington, Massachusetts. Together, we are driving change. Are you ready to make a difference.

The Boulder Site is home to the specialized technical operations/CMC team for oligonucleotides and RNAi therapeutics. The CMC team works alongside Quality, Regulatory, Technical Operations and RNAi Early Development professionals at our Boulder, Colorado facility and works closely with our teams in Lexington, Massachusetts. Together, we are driving change. Are you ready to make a difference.

The Position

Novo Nordisk Global Nucleic Acid Therapies (GNAT) is seeking highly motivated scientists to join its CMC Chemical Development team in Boulder, Colorado. The candidate will be expected to be a key technical resource developing innovative solutions for scalable syntheses, work-up, purifications and isolations of oligonucleotides, establishing improvements in purity, yield, reproducibility, throughput and environmental impact. The successful candidate will ideally have a strong organic chemistry understanding with exposure to principles of process development, optimization, scale up and tech transfer into a manufacturing setting. This position will support therapeutic programs in multiple disease areas and will contribute to the development of scalable processes supporting Novo Nordisk oligonucleotide programs. Qualified candidates will be expected to work well in a collaborative team environment and be able to independently execute research across a wide range of oligonucleotide and organic chemistry projects.

Relationships

Reports to a more senior position within the Chemical Development department. Manages mutually beneficial relationships within entire Technical Operations group. This may include external partners relevant to the planning and implementation of bulk manufacturing of oligonucleotide API. Provides excellent customer service and builds strong working relationships within Chemical Development and internal/external partners.

Essential Functions

• Provide research and development support of current chemical development projects utilizing state-of-the-art techniques for preparation and analysis of oligonucleotides or nucleic acids
• Conduct laboratory work in safe, clean, efficient manner that ensures a safe working environment for colleagues
• Characterize starting materials, intermediates and synthesized molecules using common analytical techniques such as HPLC, LCMS, NMR, GC, KF and UV-Vis
• Develop and optimize all elements of chemical transformations including reaction conditions, workup, purification and isolation. Ensure robustness and reproducibility of developed processes
• Work within Technical Operations team to develop & optimize manufacturing processes for key oligonucleotide intermediates / reagents for oligonucleotide synthesis and final API
• Document and summarize results in laboratory notebook and written reports. Capable of drawing valid conclusions from concrete and abstract variables
• Contribute to the team’s knowledge through scientific literature review and discussions
• Operate, maintain and troubleshoot common laboratory equipment
• Authoring of development and research reports to share with internal and external teams with reduced input
• Ability to complete assignments that meet clearly defined deadlines and time schedules with minimal instructions.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift 0-10 lbs.

Qualifications

• BA/BS degree in Chemistry, Biology or related field with 2+ years, or Master’s degree with 0+ years of relevant industrial experience, or a High School Diploma with 10+ years relevant lab experience
• Ability to follow technical instructions of moderate complexity with independence and reduced supervision
• Responsible for experimental design/execution and analysis with limited supervision
• Demonstratable laboratory skills in synthetic organic chemistry and/or oligonucleotide synthesis, characterization and purification
• Solid understanding of synthetic organic chemistry and/or oligonucleotide relevant reactions and mechanisms
• Detail-oriented in both data analysis and project timelines
• Self-motivated with a proactive mindset
• The successful candidate must possess excellent writing and communication skills and a demonstrated ability to work independently and with cross-functional teams
• Ability to thrive in a multi-disciplinary and fast-paced research environment with tight deadlines

The base compensation range for this position is $70,400 to $105,200. Base compensation is determined based on a number of factors. This position is also eligible for a company bonus based on individual and company performance. Novo Nordisk offers long-term incentive compensation and or company vehicles depending on the position's level or other company factors.

• medical, dental and vision coverage
• life insurance
• disability insurance
• 401(k) savings plan
• flexible spending accounts
• employee assistance program
• tuition reimbursement program
• voluntary benefits such as group legal, critical illness, identity theft protection, pet insurance and auto/home insurance

The job posting is anticipated to close on November 8, 2026. The Company may however extend this time-period, in which case the posting will remain available on our careers website at www.novonordisk-us/careers.com.

We commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all our job applicants.

At Novo Nordisk, we're not chasing quick fixes – we're creating lasting change for long-term health. For over 100 years, we've been driven by a single purpose: to defeat serious chronic diseases and help millions of people live healthier lives. This dedication fuels our constant curiosity and inspires us to push the boundaries of what's possible in healthcare. We embrace diverse perspectives, seek out bold ideas, and build partnerships rooted in shared purpose. Together, we're making healthcare more accessible, treating and defeating diseases, and pioneering solutions that create change spanning generations. When you join us, you become part of something bigger – a legacy of impact that reaches far beyond today.

Novo Nordisk is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal laws, rules or regulations.

If you are interested in applying to Novo Nordisk and need special assistance or an accommodation to apply, please call us at 1-855-411-5290. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.