Novo Nordisk US

Research Associate, Chemical Development

Novo Nordisk US$75K — $92K *
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • BA/BS or Master's in Chemistry, Biology, or related with 0 years experience, or High School Diploma with 8+ years relevant lab experience
  • Ability to follow technical instructions independently
  • Demonstrable skills in synthetic organic chemistry and oligonucleotide synthesis
  • Strong understanding of synthetic organic chemistry and oligonucleotide reactions
  • Detail-oriented in data analysis and project timelines
  • Self-motivated with a proactive mindset
  • Excellent writing and communication skills with teamwork experience

Responsibilities

  • Provide R&D support for chemical development projects in oligonucleotide synthesis
  • Conduct safe and efficient laboratory work
  • Characterize compounds using techniques like HPLC, LCMS, NMR
  • Develop and optimize chemical transformation processes
  • Optimize manufacturing processes for oligonucleotide synthesis
  • Document results in notebooks and reports
  • Contribute to team knowledge and scientific discussions

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage
  • Life and disability insurance
  • 401(k) savings plan
  • Flexible spending accounts
  • Tuition reimbursement
  • Employee assistance program
  • Voluntary benefits like critical illness and pet insurance
  • Flexible vacation and parental leave policies
Full Job Description
The Position

Novo Nordisk Global Nucleic Acid Therapies (GNAT) is seeking highly motivated scientists to join its CMC Chemical Development team in Boulder, Colorado. The candidate will be expected to be a key technical resource developing innovative solutions for scalable syntheses, work-up, purifications, and isolations of oligonucleotides, establishing improvements in purity, yield, reproducibility, throughput and environmental impact. The successful candidate will ideally have a strong organic chemistry understanding with exposure to principles of process development, optimization, scale up and tech transfer into a manufacturing setting. This position will support therapeutic programs in multiple disease areas and will contribute to the development of scalable processes supporting Novo Nordisk oligonucleotide programs. Qualified candidates will be expected to work well in a collaborative team environment and be able to independently execute research across a wide range of oligonucleotide and organic chemistry projects.

Relationships

Reports to a more senior position within the Chemical development department. Manages mutually beneficial relationships within entire Technical Operations group. This may include external partners relevant to the planning and implementation of bulk manufacturing of oligonucleotide API. Provides excellent customer service and builds strong working relationships within Chemical Development and internal/external partners.

Essential Functions
  • Provide research and development support of current chemical development projects utilizing state of the art techniques for preparation and analysis of oligonucleotides or nucleic acids
  • Conduct laboratory work in safe, clean, efficient manner that ensures a safe working environment for colleagues
  • Characterize starting materials, intermediates, and synthesized molecules using common analytical techniques such as HPLC, LCMS, NMR, GC, KF, and UV-Vis
  • Develop and optimize all elements of chemical transformations including reaction conditions, workup, purification and isolation. Ensure robustness and reproducibility of developed processes
  • Work within Technical Operations team to optimize current manufacturing processes for key oligonucleotide intermediates and reagents for oligonucleotide synthesis
  • Document and summarize results in laboratory notebook, and written reports. Capable of drawing valid conclusions from concrete and abstract variables
  • Contribute to the team's knowledge through scientific literature review and discussions
  • Maintain and troubleshoot common laboratory equipment
  • Support development and authoring of research reports to provide to internal and external manufacturing teams
  • Ability to complete assignments that meet clearly defined deadlines and time schedules


Physical Requirements

0-10% overnight travel required. Ability to lift 0-10 lbs.

Qualifications
  • BA/BS or Master's degree in Chemistry, Biology or related field with 0 years of industrial experience, or a High School Diploma with 8+ years relevant lab experience
  • Ability to follow technical instructions with some independence
  • Demonstratable laboratory skills in synthetic organic chemistry and/or oligonucleotide synthesis, characterization, and purification
  • Solid understanding of synthetic organic chemistry and/or oligonucleotide relevant reactions and mechanisms
  • Detail-oriented in both data analysis and project timelines
  • Self-motivated with a proactive mindset
  • The successful candidate must possess excellent writing and communication skills and a demonstrated ability to work independently and with cross-functional teams
  • Ability to thrive in a multi-disciplinary and fast-paced research environment with tight deadlines


The base compensation range for this position is $75,452 to $92,220. Base compensation is determined based on a number of factors. This position is also eligible for a company bonus based on individual and company performance. Novo Nordisk offers long-term incentive compensation and or company vehicles depending on the position's level or other company factors.

Employees are also eligible to participate in Company employee benefit programs including medical, dental and vision coverage; life insurance; disability insurance; 401(k) savings plan; flexible spending accounts; employee assistance program; tuition reimbursement program; and voluntary benefits such as group legal, critical illness, identity theft protection, pet insurance and auto/home insurance. The Company also offers time off pursuant to its sick time policy, flex-able vacation policy, and parental leave policy.

The job posting is anticipated to close on July 14, 2026. The Company may however extend this time-period, in which case the posting will remain available on our careers website at www.novonordisk-us/careers.com.

About Novo Nordisk US

Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company that specializes in diabetes care and other chronic diseases. The company was founded in Denmark in 1923 and has since expanded to become a leading provider of insulin and other diabetes treatments. Novo Nordisk operates in more than 80 countries and employs over 43,000 people worldwide. The company is committed to improving the lives of people with diabetes and other chronic conditions through innovative research, development, and manufacturing of pharmaceutical products. Novo Nordisk US is headquartered in Plainsboro, New Jersey and has facilities in several other states including North Carolina and New Hampshire.
Learn more about Novo Nordisk US
Size
49,295 employees
Market Cap
$230.5 billion
Industry
Net Income
$42.1 billion
Founded
1923
5 Year Trend
+4.7%
Revenue
$126.9 billion
NASDAQ

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