Senior Scientist, Automated Purifications & Separations

Senior Scientist, Automated Purifications & Separations

Location: Cambridge, MA (Kendall Square) — fully on-site laboratory role

Introduction to 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.

What You'll Do Day-to-Day

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.

Accountabilities

• 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; escalate 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

Essential Requirements

• 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

Desirable Requirements

• 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
• Comfort leveraging modern tools (e.g., light scripting, LLM-assisted coding, cross-vendor software environments)
• Working knowledge of NMR and/or MS as a user
• Interest in advancing data-driven and AI-enabled workflows
• Track record of contributing to publications or scientific communications

Why AstraZeneca

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 scientific rigor, from AI-enabled workflows to novel analytical approaches, so you can learn fast, iterate faster, and see your contributions move programs forward.

This is a team that enjoys being productive together. We celebrate science highlights, share what we learn, and support each other through the inevitable challenges of building something new. If you thrive in a high-throughput environment, love separations science, and want to be part of a team that's genuinely building the future of automated purification — submit your application today.

The annual base pay for this position ranges from $118,870 to $178,306. Our positions offer eligibility for various incentives—an opportunity to receive short-term incentive bonuses, equity-based awards for salaried roles and commissions for sales roles. Benefits offered include qualified retirement programs, paid time off (i.e., vacation, holiday, and leaves), as well as health, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms of the applicable plans.

Date Posted

29-Jul-2026

Closing Date

05-Aug-2026

Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In furtherance of that mission, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please complete the corresponding section in the application form.

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorisation and employment eligibility verification requirements.