Scientist, Peptide Chemistry (Night Shift)

Capable Lab

$95K — $115K *
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Willingness to reliably work night shifts and operate independently.
  • Hands-on experience in a chemistry or biochemistry lab with strong experimental discipline.
  • Desire to take ownership of the entire peptide synthesis workflow.
  • Quick and safety-conscious approach to lab work.
  • Ability to make proactive decisions during troubleshooting situations.
  • Experience with solid-phase peptide synthesis and analytical techniques like HPLC or LC-MS is a plus, but training available.

Responsibilities

  • Execute overnight peptide synthesis workflows including all necessary processes.
  • Run and maintain microwave-assisted solid-phase peptide synthesizers during night shifts.
  • Independently troubleshoot synthesis and instrumentation issues as they arise.
  • Purify and characterize peptide candidates using various analytical techniques.
  • Maintain detailed records of identity, purity, yield, and quality data during handoff.
  • Prepare and document compounds for biological testing.
  • Provide comprehensive handoffs to the day team, summarizing work and any open questions.

Benefits

  • Generous equity options in addition to salary.
  • $500+ monthly wellness budget for health and performance tools.
  • Comprehensive healthcare coverage, including medical, dental, and vision.
  • Access to HSA, FSA, and 401K plans.
  • Daily team dinners provided for a healthy work environment.
  • Support for visa sponsorship for eligible international candidates.
Full Job Description
About the Role

You will run peptide-synthesis workflows on a dedicated night-shift schedule so compounds are ready for characterization, biological testing, or handoff the next day. You will own careful overnight execution, troubleshoot issues independently, maintain complete records, and give the day team a clear account of every batch, result, and open question.

Responsibilities
  • Execute overnight peptide synthesis workflows, including resin loading, coupling and deprotection cycles, cleavage, purification, characterization, and sample preparation.
  • Run microwave-assisted solid-phase peptide synthesis and support routine synthesizer maintenance during night-shift hours.
  • Troubleshoot failed couplings, low crude purity, side products, cleavage issues, and instrument downtime.
  • Purify and characterize candidates using analytical HPLC, prep HPLC, LC-MS, and related methods.
  • Record identity, purity, yield, analytical traces, and batch-level quality-control data for morning handoff.
  • Prepare compounds for in vitro and in vivo testing and maintain accurate experimental records.
  • Provide clear handoffs covering completed work, failures, results, sample locations, risks, and follow-up actions.


Ideal Qualifications
  • Able and willing to work the designated night-shift schedule reliably and operate independently when needed.
  • Hands-on chemistry or biochemistry laboratory experience and strong experimental discipline.
  • Interest in owning the overnight synthesis workflow from reaction execution through purification, characterization, documentation, and sample handoff.
  • A fast, rigorous, and safety-conscious approach to laboratory work.
  • Proactive judgment when an instrument breaks, a synthesis fails, data look unusual, or a handoff needs clarification.
  • Experience with solid-phase peptide synthesis, HPLC, prep HPLC, or LC-MS is valuable, but we can teach specific workflows.


Pay & Benefits
  • In addition to the posted salary range, we offer generous equity options.
  • Compensation will depend on the skills, experience, and scope of impact you bring. If your background, experience, or compensation needs fall outside this range, we are still open to a conversation based on the scope and impact you could bring.
  • $500+ monthly wellness budget for training, supplements, coaching, recovery, or other tools that help you perform at your best.
  • Healthcare: We offer a broad range of medical, dental, and vision coverage options, with Capable covering 100% of the base policy.
  • You will also have access to HSA, FSA, and 401K plans.
  • Healthy dinners with the team are provided daily.
  • We support visa sponsorship where appropriate, including O-1, H-1B, J-1, TN, and other employment-based pathways. Our team is already international, with members from Canada, Pakistan, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, China, India, and the United States.


Application Process

Our process is fast, transparent, and personal. We care about getting to know the person behind the application.
  • Initial application
  • First phone screen
  • Second phone screen
  • In-person work trial in San Francisco: designed to give both sides a realistic sense of working together. Get to know the founding team!


Apply Today

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