Research Associate, Chemical Development

About the Department

The Boulder Site is home to the specialized technical operations/CMC team for oligonucleotides and RNAi therapeutics. The CMC team works alongside Quality, Regulatory, Technical Operations and RNAi Early Development professionals at our Boulder, Colorado facility and works closely with our teams in Lexington, Massachusetts. Together, we are driving change.

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 develop innovative solutions for scalable syntheses, work‑up, purifications, and isolations of oligonucleotides, improving purity, yield, reproducibility, throughput and environmental impact. The role supports therapeutic programs in multiple disease areas and contributes to scalable processes for Novo Nordisk oligonucleotide programs.

Collaboration and independent execution across a wide range of oligonucleotide and organic chemistry projects are expected.

Reports to a senior position within the Chemical Development department. Manages relationships within the Technical Operations group, including external partners involved in bulk manufacturing of oligonucleotide API. Builds strong working relationships internally and externally, providing excellent customer service.

• Provide research and development support of current chemical development projects using state‑of‑the‑art techniques for preparation and analysis of oligonucleotides or nucleic acids.
• Conduct laboratory work safely, cleanly, and efficiently to ensure a safe working environment for colleagues.
• Characterize starting materials, intermediates, and synthesized molecules using analytical techniques such as HPLC, LCMS, NMR, GC, KF, and UV‑Vis.
• Develop and optimize all elements of chemical transformations—including reaction conditions, work‑up, purification, and isolation—to ensure robustness and reproducibility.
• Collaborate with the Technical Operations team to optimize current manufacturing processes for key oligonucleotide intermediates and reagents for synthesis.
• Document and summarize results in a laboratory notebook and written reports, drawing valid conclusions from data.
• Contribute to the team’s knowledge through scientific literature review and discussion.
• Maintain and troubleshoot common laboratory equipment.
• Support development and authoring of research reports for internal and external manufacturing teams.
• Complete assignments that meet defined deadlines and time schedules.

0–10% overnight travel. Ability to lift up to 10 lbs.

• BA/BS or Master’s degree in Chemistry, Biology, or related field with no industrial experience, or a High School Diploma with 8+ years of relevant lab experience.
• Ability to follow technical instructions independently.
• Demonstrable 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 data analysis and project timeline management.
• Self‑motivated with a proactive mindset.
• Excellent writing and communication skills; ability to work independently and with cross‑functional teams.
• Ability to thrive in a multidisciplinary, fast‑paced research environment with tight deadlines.

The base compensation range for this position is $75,452 to $92,220. Compensation is determined by factors such as experience, performance, and level. The position may include a company bonus, long‑term incentive compensation, or company vehicle based on level or other factors.

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Life insurance
• Disability insurance
• 401(k) savings plan
• Flexible spending accounts
• Employee assistance program
• Tuition reimbursement program
• Voluntary benefits such as group legal, critical illness, identity theft protection, pet insurance, and auto/home insurance
• Sick time, flexible vacation, and parental leave policies

We commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all applicants. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal laws.

If you need special assistance or an accommodation to apply, please call 1‑855‑411‑5290. This contact is for accommodation requests only.