AstraZeneca

Senior Scientist, Automated Purifications & Separations

AstraZeneca$118K — $178K *
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • PhD in chemistry or related field, or Bachelor's/Master's with relevant experience
  • Experience with SFC and/or LC-based purification in discovery R&D
  • Proven ability to work in a collaborative lab environment
  • Hands-on experience with instrument troubleshooting and system ownership
  • Strong organizational, communication, and integrity skills
  • Familiarity with digital tools and willingness to learn new systems

Responsibilities

  • Execute high-throughput purification of samples using automated SFC and RP-LCMS
  • Manage sample preparation, dry-down, and reformatting with clear traceability
  • Screen available purification methods and communicate results
  • Use NMR data to analyze recovery and flag relevant issues
  • Conduct first-line troubleshooting and routine maintenance to ensure automation uptime
  • Identify bottlenecks and propose solutions for process improvement
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver purified compounds
  • Contribute to scientific publications and highlights

Benefits

  • Qualified retirement programs
  • Paid time off, including vacation and holidays
  • Health, dental, and vision insurance coverage
Full Job Description
Senior Scientist, Automated Purifications & Separations

Location: Cambridge, MA (Kendall Square) - fully on-site laboratory role

Introduction to Role

Join our Analytical, Structural, and Chromatography (ASC) team in Cambridge at an exciting moment - we're establishing new laboratories at Kendall Square and expanding automated purification capabilities for oncology discovery. This is a hands-on, high-throughput separations role in a collaborative team that values productivity, scientific curiosity, and genuine enjoyment of working together.

What You'll Do Day-to-Day

This role is the engine of our library purification workflow. You'll run automated and semi-automated achiral and chiral SFC and RP-LCMS purifications at high throughput - screening available methods, passing to the custom team when method development is needed, and keeping the pipeline moving. You'll also use NMR data (crude and post-purification) to assess recovery, flag issues, and build understanding of how physical-chemical properties predict purification outcomes.

You'll work on an evolving automation platform. Things won't always work perfectly - and that's part of the role. We need someone who troubleshoots collaboratively, contributes to continuous improvement, and finds satisfaction in making systems better rather than waiting for someone else to fix them.

Accountabilities
  • High-throughput purification delivery: Maintain strong, shared productivity across automated achiral and chiral SFC and RP-LCMS platforms to meet program timelines for libraries, batched singletons, and singleton compounds
  • End-to-end workflow execution: Sample preparation through dry-down and reformatting, including robotic transfer to plates and NMR tubes, with clear traceability and smooth handoffs
  • Screening and triage: Screen available methods for incoming samples; escalate to the custom purification team when no hits are found, with clear communication of what was tried
  • NMR-informed purification science: Use crude and post-purification NMR data to understand recovery, flag science-based themes, and contribute to predictive approaches alongside physical-chemical property data
  • Instrument ownership and reliability: First-line troubleshooting and routine user maintenance to maximize automation uptime - working with the team, not in isolation
  • Continuous improvement: Identify bottlenecks, contribute solutions, and implement process improvements to increase throughput and data quality
  • Cross-functional collaboration: Partner with medicinal chemistry, analytical, structural, and chromatography colleagues to align priorities and deliver purified, characterized compounds
  • Science impact: Contribute to publications, science highlights, and postcards that tell the story of what our team delivers and discovers


Essential Requirements
  • PhD in chemistry or related field with 0+ years of relevant separations experience -OR- Bachelor's/Master's with 5+ years relevant experience
  • Proven experience with SFC and/or LC-based purification, ideally in discovery R&D
  • Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a lab-based, team environment - collaborative, communicative, and energized by shared goals
  • Experience with instrument troubleshooting and hands-on system ownership
  • Strong organizational and communication skills
  • Operates with integrity, curiosity, and accountability
  • Comfortable working with digital tools and data systems, with willingness to learn
  • We value scientific curiosity, proactive communication, and a collaborative approach to problem-solving


Desirable Requirements
  • Experience with automated purification platforms and workflow orchestration
  • Familiarity with chiral SFC (experience or strong interest in developing capability)
  • Exposure to end-to-end automated workflows, including robotics and sample handling
  • Experience with light programming, scripting, or workflow customization
  • Comfort leveraging modern tools (e.g., light scripting, LLM-assisted coding, cross-vendor software environments)
  • Working knowledge of NMR and/or MS as a user
  • Interest in advancing data-driven and AI-enabled workflows
  • Track record of contributing to publications or scientific communications


The annual base pay for this position ranges from $118,870 to $178,306. Our positions offer eligibility for various incentives-an opportunity to receive short-term incentive bonuses, equity-based awards for salaried roles and commissions for sales roles. Benefits offered include qualified retirement programs, paid time off (i.e., vacation, holiday, and leaves), as well as health, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms of the applicable plans.

Date Posted
29-Jul-2026

Closing Date
05-Aug-2026

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical company that specializes in the research, development, and manufacturing of prescription drugs. The company was formed in 1999 through the merger of Astra AB and Zeneca Group plc. AstraZeneca's products are used to treat a wide range of medical conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and diabetes. The company has operations in over 100 countries and employs more than 76,000 people worldwide. AstraZeneca is committed to developing innovative medicines that improve the health and well-being of people around the world.
Learn more about AstraZeneca
Size
83,100 employees
Market Cap
$211.5 billion
Industry
Net Income
$3.1 billion
Founded
1999
5 Year Trend
+10.2%
Revenue
$26.6 billion
NASDAQ

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