Director, Analytical Chemistry

3d3 days ago

Moderna

Cambridge, US · Full-time · $167,000 – $300,700

About this role

Moderna is seeking a Director, Analytical Chemistry to provide scientific, strategic, and organizational leadership for discovery-stage analytical chemistry activities supporting mRNA-LNP research across nucleic acid medicines. This leader defines analytical strategies that enable rapid design-make-test-learn cycles for novel ionizable lipids, polymers, excipients, and delivery systems.

The role serves as senior analytical partner to medicinal chemistry, computational chemistry, formulation, and platform biology teams. It guides approaches spanning small-molecule characterization, impurity profiling, structure elucidation, and fit-for-purpose evaluation of RNA, lipid, and nanoparticle attributes to accelerate candidate progression.

The position builds Moderna's technical model for analytical leadership with oversight of method development, qualification, impurity identification, and control strategies. It ensures alignment of analytical deliverables with program milestones while providing guidance to internal teams and external CRO/CDMO partners.

This Cambridge-based role requires deep expertise in separation science and proven leadership to translate complex data into actionable decisions. Experience supporting discovery through IND-enabling studies and familiarity with high-throughput or AI/ML techniques strengthens the candidacy.

Requirements

Deep expertise in modern analytical chemistry with technical depth in separation science, characterization, and structure elucidation.
Proven leadership experience and sound scientific judgment to build partnerships across internal teams and external collaborators.
Experience supporting transitions from discovery through IND-enabling or early clinical development.
Strong ability to translate complex data into actionable scientific decisions.
Experience with high-throughput methodologies is highly desirable.
Familiarity with artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques is considered a strong plus.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop a high-performing team of analytical scientists supporting discovery-stage mRNA-LNP research.
Set the analytical chemistry vision and strategy ensuring fit-for-purpose capabilities for lipid design and candidate advancement.
Serve as senior analytical partner to medicinal chemistry teams for structure confirmation, purity profiling, and route support.
Partner with computational chemistry teams to translate molecular design hypotheses into analytical learning plans.
Collaborate with formulation and delivery sciences teams to establish analytical workflows for LNP screening and characterization.
Provide strategic oversight of method development, qualification, impurity identification, and analytical control strategies.
Define decision-quality analytical packages and ensure alignment with program milestones across internal and external partners.