Senior Scientist; Organic Chemist-Oligonucleotide Delivery

Senior Scientist (Organic Chemist-Oligonucleotide Delivery)

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated organic chemist to join us in developing the next generation of RNA therapeutics and expanding the synthetic capabilities of the Genetic Medicines group. This role supports Amgen’s pipeline of siRNA-based therapeutics. The chemist will be part of our oligonucleotide delivery team and utilize state‑of‑the‑art methods to design and prepare novel delivery ligands, conjugation linkers, and nucleotides to chemically modify oligonucleotides for enhanced delivery and efficacy.

The ideal candidate will have a diverse organic chemistry skill set with experience in small molecule and carbohydrate synthesis, and a willingness to learn oligonucleotide chemistry. The candidate will be responsible for performing hands‑on ligand, linker/spacer, nucleotide, and oligonucleotide synthesis at mg‑to‑gram scales, including designing, purifying, analyzing synthetic products and optimizing synthetic protocols.

• Design and prepare novel delivery ligands, conjugation linkers, and nucleotides to chemically modify oligonucleotides for enhanced delivery and efficacy.
• Develop and optimize synthetic routes and purification strategies of molecular targets.
• Drive technical execution of projects from start to finish and perform hands‑on synthesis, isolation, and characterization of molecules.
• Synthesize oligonucleotides that incorporate novel synthetic moieties and conjugate novel linkers and ligands to improve tissue distribution and stability.
• Develop scalable and reproducible workflows that support therapeutic platform advancement.
• Serve as a chemistry subject‑matter expert (SME) in cross‑functional team meetings.
• Train as needed, collaborate with the Genetic Medicines group and cross‑functional teams to meet project objectives and timelines.
• Prepare research results for presentations, patent applications, and scientific publications.

The successful candidate will bring strong expertise in organic chemistry and will work at the interface of molecular design, analytical characterization, and platform innovation. This scientist will collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to develop robust oligonucleotide synthetic modification technologies that improve therapeutic performance, stability, manufacturability, and translational potential. The passionate and dedicated professional we seek is a motivated research scientist with the qualifications listed below.

• Doctorate degree.
• Master’s degree in synthetic organic chemistry or related discipline and 2 years of industry experience with expertise in small molecule or carbohydrate synthesis.
• Bachelor’s degree in synthetic organic chemistry or related discipline and 4 years of experience with expertise in small molecule or carbohydrate synthesis.

• Demonstrated hands‑on laboratory experience preparing a diverse range of synthetic compounds.
• Ability to collaborate with oligonucleotide chemists, conjugation chemists, and biologists to design and prepare molecules to chemically modify oligonucleotides.
• Experience with state‑of‑the‑art techniques and characterization of synthetic molecules.
• Must demonstrate ability to conduct independent research and have strong communication/teamwork skills in a dynamic environment.

• A comprehensive employee benefits package, including a Retirement and Savings Plan with generous company contributions, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts.
• A discretionary annual bonus program, or for field sales representatives, a sales‑based incentive plan.
• Stock‑based long‑term incentives.
• Award‑winning time‑off plans.
• Flexible work models where possible.

The expected annual salary range for this role in the U.S. (excluding Puerto Rico) is posted. Actual salary will vary based on several factors including but not limited to relevant skills, experience, and qualifications.

Sponsorship for this role is not guaranteed.

Amgen is an Equal Opportunity employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other basis protected by applicable law. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

Please contact us to request accommodation.