Mass Spectrometry Scientist LCMSMS HRMS GCMS

Work setting: On-site laboratory position

Pay: $64,000–$88,000 per year

Job type: Full-time

Location: Olympia, Washington

Work setting: On-site laboratory position

Vanguard Laboratory is a small, family-owned analytical chemistry and microbiology laboratory in Olympia, Washington. We test food and beverage products, pharmaceuticals, supplements, peptides, SARMs/SERMs, nootropics, agricultural products, drinking water, and environmental samples.

We operate under an ISO/IEC 17025 quality-management system and maintain accreditations through A2LA and Washington State agencies. We are expanding our mass spectrometry, pharmaceutical, peptide, supplement, and small-molecule testing capabilities.

We are seeking a well-rounded Mass Spectrometry Scientist with strong hands-on experience in instrument operation, method development, troubleshooting, data interpretation, and technical documentation.

Experience analyzing peptides, pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, or related small molecules is strongly preferred
.

This is not a narrowly defined production-testing position. The successful candidate will work with LC-MS/MS, Orbitrap HRMS, GC-MS, HPLC, and UHPLC. Responsibilities include developing and validating methods, performing routine testing, investigating unexpected results, reviewing data, maintaining instruments, and training other analysts.

Our instrumentation includes a SCIEX 4500 QTRAP LC-MS/MS, Thermo Scientific Orbitrap Exploris 120, GC-MS systems, and HPLC/UHPLC systems with UV/DAD and other detectors. Experience with comparable platforms is welcome.

• Operate, maintain, and troubleshoot LC-MS/MS, HRMS, GC-MS, HPLC, and UHPLC systems.
• Develop targeted LC-MS/MS methods using MRM and other appropriate acquisition modes.
• Perform HRMS analysis for accurate-mass confirmation, isotope-pattern evaluation, charge-state analysis, spectral deconvolution, and impurity characterization.
• Perform qualitative and quantitative GC-MS analysis where appropriate.
• Optimize sample preparation, extraction, cleanup, columns, mobile phases, gradients, source conditions, collision energies, acquisition parameters, and processing settings.
• Establish efficient, high-throughput workflows without compromising traceability, system suitability, or data quality.
• Perform routine analyses when needed to support client turnaround times.

• Analyze synthetic peptides, pharmaceutical ingredients, finished products, dietary supplements, research compounds, and related materials.
• Confirm identity using reference standards, retention time, accurate mass, isotope pattern, and MS/MS fragmentation.
• Evaluate peptide charge states, adducts, fragments, degradation products, and sequence-related impurities.
• Investigate oxidation, deamidation, truncations, deletion sequences, hydrolysis products, synthesis byproducts, and other modifications.
• Develop quantitative methods for active ingredients, impurities, adulterants, degradation products, and contaminants.
• Address matrix effects, ion suppression or enhancement, extraction recovery, analyte adsorption, solubility, carryover, and stability.
• Support screening and confirmation methods for supplement actives, undeclared adulterants, SARMs/SERMs, nootropics, and other small molecules.
• Provide defensible interpretations without overstating what the data demonstrate.

• Develop, optimize, verify, validate, and implement analytical methods.
• Review scientific literature, compendial procedures, regulatory references, and manufacturer information.
• Design validation studies addressing specificity, selectivity, linearity, range, accuracy, recovery, precision, LOD/LOQ, carryover, matrix effects, dilution integrity, stability, robustness, and measurement uncertainty where applicable.
• Document development trials, including unsuccessful approaches and troubleshooting decisions.
• Prepare validation protocols and reports, SOPs, worksheets, instrument procedures, review checklists, and training records.
• Transition validated methods into routine use and train analysts before independent testing.

• Review chromatograms, mass spectra, calibration models, system-suitability results, controls, blanks, calculations, technical data packages, and Certificates of Analysis.
• Evaluate integration, retention time, ion ratios, mass accuracy, isotope fit, spectral quality,…