Senior Pharmaceutical Chemist

Placements24; Siyancuma Local Municipality; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Conference participation

Cutting-edge equipment

Job summary

Placements24 in Upington is seeking a Senior Pharmaceutical Chemist to lead synthesis and process development. You will design multi-step routes, optimize processes, and scale from bench to pilot plant in a state-of-the-art laboratory environment.

The ideal candidate holds a PhD in Organic or Medicinal Chemistry with 5–7 years of pharma R&D experience, strong GMP knowledge, and expertise in NMR, MS, HPLC, and GC.

Qualifications

• PhD in Organic or Medicinal Chemistry required.
• 5–7 years in pharma process chemistry or R&D.
• Expert in modern organic synthesis techniques.
• Experience with GMP and scale-up principles.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute multi-step organic synthesis routes for novel compounds.
• Optimize synthetic processes for higher yield and cost-efficiency.
• Characterize compounds using NMR, MS, HPLC, and GC.
• Develop and scale-up processes from bench to pilot plant.
• Troubleshoot synthetic challenges and propose innovative solutions.
• Maintain lab notebooks and prepare technical/regulatory reports.
• Collaborate with analytical chemists, formulation scientists, and process engineers.

Skills

Organic synthesis

Analytical techniques

Process scale-up

GMP knowledge

Problem solving

Education

PhD in Organic Chemistry

PhD in Medicinal Chemistry

Tools

NMR

Mass Spectrometry

HPLC

GC

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Pharmaceutical Chemist to join their innovative synthesis and process development team in Upington . This role is pivotal in the research and development of new pharmaceutical entities, focusing on the synthesis, characterization, and optimization of chemical processes for drug candidates. You will contribute to the advancement of our pipeline by designing and executing complex synthetic routes and ensuring the scalability and efficiency of chemical manufacturing processes within a state-of-the-art laboratory environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and execute multi-step organic synthesis routes for novel pharmaceutical compounds.
• Optimize existing synthetic processes to improve yield, purity, and cost-effectiveness.
• Characterize synthesized compounds using advanced analytical techniques (e.g., NMR, Mass Spectrometry, HPLC, GC).
• Develop and scale-up chemical processes from laboratory bench to pilot plant scale.
• Troubleshoot synthetic challenges and identify innovative solutions to chemical problems.
• Maintain detailed laboratory notebooks and prepare technical reports for internal review and regulatory submissions.
• Collaborate with analytical chemists, formulation scientists, and process engineers.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, or a closely related field.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of relevant experience in pharmaceutical process chemistry or medicinal chemistry R&D.
• Proven expertise in modern organic synthesis techniques and reaction mechanisms.
• Proficiency with a wide range of analytical instrumentation for compound characterization.
• Strong understanding of process safety, scale-up principles, and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
• Excellent problem-solving skills, meticulous attention to detail, and strong organizational abilities.

Benefits

• A highly competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package including bonuses.
• Relocation assistance may be available for qualified candidates.
• Extensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
• Opportunities for professional growth, patent contributions, and conference participation.
• Access to cutting-edge synthetic chemistry equipment and collaborative research environment.