Mechanistic Chemist – Process Chemistry

Location:

Macclesfield, UK Salary:
Competitive Salary and Benefits! Introduction to role:

Are you ready to turn deep mechanistic insight into scalable, sustainable processes that speed life‑changing medicines to patients? In this role, you will combine Physical Organic Chemistry with digital modelling and automation to transform lab discoveries into robust manufacturing routes that deliver quality, reproducibility and efficiency.

In Chemical Development we believe that nothing is impossible, and we are determined to push the boundaries of science to deliver medicines to our patients. We combine people’s technical knowledge and understanding with their talent and drive to design, develop and optimise synthetic routes and processes that deliver the active pharmaceutical ingredients of our medicines in a sustainable, commercially viable way.

We believe in innovation and continuous improvement, working closely with colleagues in academia and across industry, to ensure that we apply the cutting‑edge technologies and principles in the processes we develop.

We have an exciting opportunity at Senior Scientist level to join our chemistry process, modelling and automation team as a Mechanistic Chemist.

As a mechanistic‑focused process chemist working closely with analytical chemists, engineers, scientists and the data science organization, you will use Physical Organic Chemistry (POC) principles to contribute to drug‑substance chemistry within pharmaceutical technology and Development (PT&D). Supporting projects to ensure progression through development and launch. You may lead activities, coaching other scientists.

Join us because you believe in doing all of this with transparency – doing the right thing in all our operations and interactions.

• Design and optimisation of chemical processes suitable for scale‑up, with a focus on mechanistic process understanding and prediction using in silico modelling. Working without direct supervision and with the ability to train less experienced scientist to initiate, direct, and perform experimental work and implement strategies.

• Collaborating with AZ scientists or external partners to contribute to the development and optimisation of manufacturing processes for new medicines, with consideration of the requirements of speed, quality, cost, sustainability, reproducibility and efficiency.

• Fully competent in own research area in order to identify and implement best experimental practice for generating high‑quality data, in an experimentally efficient way, including in collaboration with other technical specialists.

• Hold a scientific supervisory role when needed, but without line‑management responsibility.

• Drive new ways of working, in collaboration with technology experts, to focus on data‑driven experimentation which will act as a cornerstone to enable AZ’s modelling and simulation aspirations.

• Identification and effective communication of process risks arising from scale, equipment or process changes.

• Supporting problem solving when issues arise during development or manufacturing.

• Collaborating with digital experts to develop digital solutions for modelling and automation to deliver our bold strategy.

• Drive the adoption of digital solutions across the process chemistry community.

• Deriving and applying models based on experiments and the published literature to support control strategies for impurities across AZ’s portfolio.

• PhD in physical organic chemistry / organic chemistry with a mechanistic focus or MSc in chemistry with equivalent industrial experience.

• Experience in practical organic chemistry.

• Interest and enthusiasm for understanding reaction mechanisms and how chemical processes work on a fundamental level.

• Good understanding of synthetic methodologies, reaction mechanisms and modern analytical techniques.

• Strong understanding of digital solutions, with confidence in using them, developing them with experts, and a digital‑first mindset.

• Lab‑based pharmaceutical industry and/or process development experience, using a broad range of practical techniques.

• Experience in using a wide variety of…