(Senior / Principal) Scientist, Peptide Chemistry

About the Role

Responsibilities

• Lead and scale end-to-end peptide workflows, including sequence design, resin loading, coupling and deprotection, cleavage, purification, characterization, and final quality control.
• Run, optimize, and maintain microwave-assisted solid-phase peptide synthesis systems.
• Resolve difficult synthetic and analytical issues, including failed couplings, low conversion, low crude purity, side products, cleavage problems, solubility limitations, purification challenges, and instrument downtime.
• Own compound identity, purity, yield, analytical records, and readiness for biological testing.
• Interpret SAR, in vitro, and in vivo readouts—including potency, stability, exposure, tolerability, and efficacy—to design or prioritize next-round compounds.
• Improve synthesis, purification, and handoff workflows so the team can make high-quality compounds faster and more reproducibly.
• Set a high technical bar, communicate risks clearly, and guide other scientists while remaining directly involved in experimental work.

Ideal Qualifications

• Five or more years of hands-on industry experience in peptide, medicinal, organic, or closely related chemistry.
• Strong experimental judgment and deep troubleshooting ability across synthesis, purification, characterization, and laboratory instrumentation.
• Experience owning chemistry end to end, from compound or sequence design through material ready for biological testing.
• The ability to work close to biological readouts and translate potency, efficacy, stability, exposure, or tolerability data into the next chemistry decision.
• A creative, fast, and rigorous approach to technical problem-solving and workflow improvement.
• The ability to provide technical direction and raise the quality of the team’s work without becoming removed from the bench.

Pay & Benefits

• In addition to the posted salary range, we offer generous equity options.
• Compensation will depend on the skills, experience, and scope of impact you bring. If your background, experience, or compensation needs fall outside this range, we are still open to a conversation based on the scope and impact you could bring.
• $500+ monthly wellness budget for training, supplements, coaching, recovery, or other tools that help you perform at your best.
• Healthcare: We offer a broad range of medical, dental, and vision coverage options, with Capable covering 100% of the base policy.
• You will also have access to HSA, FSA, and 401K plans.
• Healthy dinners with the team are provided daily.
• We support visa sponsorship where appropriate, including O-1, H-1B, J-1, TN, and other employment-based pathways. Our team is already international, with members from Canada, Pakistan, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, China, India, and the United States.

Application Process

• Our process is fast, transparent, and personal. We care about getting to know the person behind the application.
• Initial application
• First phone screen
• Second phone screen
• In-person work trial in San Francisco: designed to give both sides a realistic sense of working together. Get to know the founding team!

Apply Today

Equal Opportunity