Senior Scientist, Automated Purifications & Separations

Senior Scientist, Automated Purifications & Separations

Location:

Cambridge, MA (Kendall Square) — fully on-site laboratory 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.

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.

• 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; elevate 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

• 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

• 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
  
  Why Astra Zeneca

  Here, your craft in purification and automation powers a pipeline built on scientific courage and real‑world impact. You'll work alongside chemists, analysts, structural scientists, and automation specialists — a team that values kindness alongside ambition. We blend cutting‑edge technology with deep…