Principal Scientist - Oligonucleotide Chemistry

Novel oligonucleotide therapies are an area of high scientific interest in drug discovery. This Oxford BioEscalator start-up biotech is built on research from eminent Oxford University professors and East Coast US biotech founders. My client has surpassed their milestones and investors are committing to a seed extension round in January 2025.

You will have the opportunity to shape the direction of projects and foster a culture of scientific excellence as your team grows. You will help build an independent high throughput and medium scale capability in preparation for Series A raise.

The culture is one where everyone manages their time accordingly and emphasises having time to recharge and decompress. The goals and urgency of developing new treatments shouldn’t mean you have to burn out!

This is what your day to day will look like

• Develop, evaluate, optimize, and troubleshoot methods, and perform synthesis, purification, characterization, and formulation of target oligonucleotides.
• Oversee, build, and manage a team and infrastructure to create an efficient and streamlined workflow for synthesis, purification, and QC of oligonucleotides.
• SAR optimization of novel nucleic acids, including implementing medicinal chemistry strategies to optimize nucleobases, sugars, and backbones that improve the safety and efficacy of oligonucleotides.
• Work with the team to create a cheminformatics oligonucleotide drug discovery platform.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external partners to drive innovation and build company IP.
• Evaluate and manage CROs for synthesis or starting materials and external synthesis projects and support process transfer to CROs for drug substance manufacturing.
• Prepare management timeline reports, technical reports, presentations, and publications.

If you have these skills, you will be a great fit for the position

• Organic Chemistry PhD with multiyear industry experience in oligonucleotide field.
• Strong record in solid phase synthesis and purification of nucleic acids at high and medium throughput as well as planning and executing novel organic synthesis routes
• Hands-on extensive experience in instrumentation for oligonucleotide synthesis (low and high throughput), preparative chromatographic separation (IEX, RPC) and analytical characterization (RPC, LCMS, IEX, UV).
• Proven record of optimising oligonucleotides used in biological assays in-vitro (SAR), as well as optimising PK/PD properties of oligonucleotides in-vivo, or preferably clinic.

This knowledge would be exceptional

• Oligonucleotide drug development processes related to CMC including following regulatory guidelines, equipment and reagent management, development, validation of analytical methods, and characterization and mitigation strategies for impurities.
• Oligonucleotide delivery strategies, including formulation and post-synthetic conjugation.

Interested in finding out more?

My client is offering £65,000 – £75,000 + potential for future shares, 25 days holiday, pension and life assurance cover.

Atomic Talent is the agency exclusively handling this position, and we are happy to speak about this opportunity in the first instance via email ( ) or here on LinkedIn. We respond to all applicants, so please apply even if you feel you only hit 80% of the requirements.