Chemical Analysis (Post-Doc Level) Position - National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) - Po[...] in March

Overview

Job Title: Senior Synthetic Organic Chemists, Ph.D.

Company Name: Wilmington PharmaTech

Location: Newark, DE

Link to Application

Position Overview

Wilmington PharmaTech (WPT) is seeking a highly skilled Senior Synthetic Organic Chemist, PhD to support the design, development, and optimization of synthetic routes for small-molecule APIs and advanced intermediates. This role will play a critical technical leadership position within process development, contributing deep expertise in organic synthesis, route scouting, and scale-up to support kilo-scale and commercial manufacturing programs. The successful candidate will work cross-functionally with Analytical, Manufacturing, and Quality Assurance teams to deliver robust, scalable, and cost-effective chemical processes. This position reports to the Executive VP of Process Chemistry.

Responsibilities

• Route Scouting & Design: Design, evaluate, and optimize synthetic routes for APIs and key intermediates, balancing efficiency, safety, scalability, and cost considerations.
• Reaction Development: Develop and optimize chemical reactions, including reagent selection, solvent systems, catalysts, and reaction conditions to improve yield, purity, and robustness.
• Process Understanding: Apply strong mechanistic understanding and scientific rationale to guide development decisions and troubleshoot complex synthetic challenges.
• Literature & IP Review: Conduct thorough literature and patent reviews to identify viable synthetic approaches and ensure freedom to operate.
• Technology Transfer: Support the transfer of synthetic processes from laboratory scale to pilot plant and manufacturing environments.
• Scale-Up Execution: Collaborate with manufacturing teams to scale reactions safely and reproducibly, addressing process risks and variability.
• Troubleshooting: Provide hands-on technical support during scale-up, validation, and routine manufacturing to resolve process deviations and performance issues.
• Safety & Risk Assessment: Conduct reaction hazard assessments and contribute to safe process design and implementation.
• Technical Mentorship: Provide scientific guidance and mentorship to junior chemists, fostering technical growth and best practices in the laboratory.
• Innovation & Improvement: Identify opportunities to improve synthetic efficiency, sustainability, and process robustness across development programs.
• Knowledge Sharing: Contribute to internal knowledge bases, best-practice documents, and continuous improvement initiatives within Process Chemistry.

Qualifications

• Education: PhD in Organic Chemistry or a closely related scientific discipline.
• Experience: 0-5+ years of postdoctoral or industry experience in synthetic organic chemistry, process development, or pharmaceutical R&D.
• Technical Expertise: Strong hands-on expertise in complex organic synthesis, reaction optimization, and impurity control for small-molecule APIs.
• Scale-Up Experience: Demonstrated experience supporting scale-up and technology transfer to pilot or commercial manufacturing environments.
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly document work and communicate technical concepts to cross-functional teams and external stakeholders.