Principal Scientist / Senior Principal Scientist - Process Chemistry

6w1 month ago

Zoetis

Kalamazoo, US · Full-time · $145,000 – $195,000

About this role

The Principal Scientist / Senior Principal Scientist serves as an experienced scientific leader within process chemistry. This role leverages advanced knowledge across multiple disciplines to innovate, troubleshoot, and optimize complex chemical syntheses and scale-up processes. The position requires a highly motivated and independent leader with a proven track record in pharmaceutical or veterinary medicine research and development.

Day-to-day work includes independently designing, scaling up, and optimizing synthetic processes from milligram to multi-kilogram scale. The scientist applies green chemistry principles to select safer solvents, minimize waste, and improve overall efficiency while developing impurity control strategies for product quality and regulatory compliance.

The role involves leading multi-disciplinary teams and providing strategic direction across multiple projects simultaneously. Collaboration with cross-functional teams supports technology transfer to commercial manufacturing facilities, ensuring processes remain safe, robust, economical, and environmentally responsible in a global setting.

As a key scientific resource, the incumbent influences strategic direction and drives novel experimental approaches. The position offers opportunities to mentor colleagues, champion productivity improvements, contribute to intellectual property strategy, and represent the chemistry function on global research project teams.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Synthetic Organic Chemistry with minimum of 8 years of industry experience in pharmaceutical or veterinary medicine process chemistry research and development.
At least 2 years of leadership experience managing teams or projects.
Broad expertise in modern synthetic organic chemistry, with a track record of strategic and innovative solutions to synthetic problems.
Proficiency in chemical literature and demonstrated ability to drive projects from lead candidate identification through commercial process technical transfer.

Responsibilities

Lead process chemistry efforts, including design, development, and scale-up of chemical syntheses for novel veterinary therapeutics.
Independently design, scale-up, and optimize synthetic processes from mg to multi-kilogram scale.
Apply the principles of green chemistry in API process design to select safer solvents and reagents, minimize waste, and improve overall efficiency.
Develop and execute impurity control strategies to ensure product quality, safety and regulatory compliance.
Lead technology transfer activities to commercial manufacturing facilities ensuring processes are safe, robust, economical, and environmentally responsible.
Prepare and review technical and regulatory documentation, including CMC dossiers and development reports.
Mentor and supervise colleagues, providing guidance, coaching, and career development support.
Contribute to intellectual property strategy, including the protection and filing of small molecule IP.