Senior Scientist (Synthetic Chemist)

6d6 days ago

Polysciences

Warrington, GB · Full-time · $80,000 – $110,000

About this role

Kyfora Bio, the bioprocessing brand of Polysciences, advances cell and gene therapy through specialized transfection reagents and excipients for viral vector and mRNA delivery. Leveraging over six decades of chemical R&D, it offers scalable, cGMP-compliant solutions from bench to clinic. The Senior Scientist role focuses on designing, synthesizing, purifying, and characterizing molecules for drug delivery.

The position involves lab-scale synthesis of polycations, lipids, reactive monomers, and polymers, plus reaction optimization for yield, purity, and scalability. Daily tasks include multi-step syntheses, air-sensitive techniques, purification via chromatography or dialysis, and characterization with NMR, HPLC, GPC, and MS. Troubleshooting draws on literature and team collaboration.

Report to the R&D team leader and VP, working closely with formulation, QC, and process engineering. Maintain detailed notebooks per Good Documentation Practices and draft batch records, SOPs for cGMP scale-up. Ensure documentation traceability and audit compliance.

Support early-stage development, process optimization, and technology transfer to manufacturing. Contribute to Chemistry sections of regulatory reports. Enable next-generation therapies to reach patients efficiently and safely.

Requirements

M.S. degree or higher in chemistry or related field
Strong background in synthetic organic chemistry
Lipid and polymer synthesis experience preferred
Familiarity with cGMP principles
Ability to efficiently execute and document lab-scale reactions under tight timelines
Proficiency in analytical techniques including NMR, FTIR, GPC, HPLC, GC, MS
Experience with purification methods such as chromatography, dialysis, crystallization
Knowledge of air-sensitive techniques and multi-step polymerizations

Responsibilities

Conduct lab-scale synthesis of drug delivery agents such as polycations, lipids, reactive monomers, and polymers
Optimize reactions to improve yield, purity, and scalability
Plan and perform multi-step syntheses and polymerizations, including air-sensitive techniques when needed
Purify products using chromatography, precipitation, dialysis, or crystallization
Monitor reactions and characterize compounds using NMR, FTIR, GPC, HPLC, GC, MS, UV-Vis, Karl Fischer titration
Maintain detailed laboratory notebooks with precise experimental data following Good Documentation Practices
Draft and revise batch records, SOPs, and technology transfer documents for scale-up and cGMP production
Collaborate with formulation, QC, process engineering to review records and support validation