Senior Scientist – Chemistry – Synthetic peptides  

Type: Permanent

Location: Macclesfield

AstraZeneca is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on innovating and delivering life-saving medicines while prioritizing sustainability and minimizing our environmental impact. We foster a collaborative, inclusive culture where colleagues are empowered to share ideas and feel valued and rewarded.

Pharmaceutical Technology & Development (PT&D) transforms groundbreaking science into medicines for millions, working across the value chain to design, develop, and scale up drug products from early research through commercial manufacture.

In Chemical Development or equivalent experience, we combine scientific expertise and innovation to create and optimize sustainable, commercially viable processes for active pharmaceutical ingredients. By collaborating widely and embracing new technologies, we continually improve how we deliver medicines.

We are offering an exciting Senior Process Chemist opportunity specializing in synthetic peptides within our New Modalities unit. If you have experience in peptide drug development, we encourage you to apply

Key responsibilities:

As an experienced process chemist, you will be responsible for providing strategic and technical leadership in the successful development of our peptide-related Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs). You will work collaboratively with a multiskilled team, including process chemists, engineers, project managers, quality assurance, supply chain, and external partners, to achieve the successful delivery of drug projects.

Specifically, this includes:

Ensuring successful peptide project development from phase 2b/3 through to the commercial market.

Deliver contributions to regulatory filings throughout clinical development and commercial filings.

Working on drug projects, developing and championing innovative syntheses, to provide the right scientific solution within the wider context of the project needs.

Provide scientific/technical leadership across the skill groups, identifying and mitigating project risks, and sharing learning across the department.

Identifying and solving potential issues

Contributing to the development and continuous improvement of the Chemical Development department.

Essential skills and experience:

BSc/PhD level education in a relevant subject area and industrial experience post-graduate within the pharmaceutical industry.

Understanding and practical knowledge of key synthetic techniques and manufacturing technologies associated with peptide manufacture.

Familiarity with the principles of analytical methods used for peptide analysis

Understanding of different types of impurities formed during peptide API manufacture and on storage, with awareness of required analytical controls.

Experience in defining control strategy for peptide API or drug products.

Capable of supporting clinical and/or commercial manufacture and/or working with contract manufacturing organisations.

An understanding of the principles and management of SHE and cGMP.

Desirable skills and experience:

A good understanding of the overall drug development process

Experience in delivering content or contributions to regulatory filings for clinical or commercial products.

Demonstrated communication and strategic influencing skills across interfaces of subject area, culture, both internally and externally.

Improvement projects success

AstraZeneca is an equal opportunity employer. AstraZeneca will consider all qualified applicants for employment without discrimination on grounds of disability, sex or sexual orientation, pregnancy or parental leave status, race or national or ethnic origin, age, religion or belief, gender identity or re-assignment, marital or civil partnership status, protected veteran status (if applicable) or any other characteristic protected by law.

Date Posted

04-Aug-2025

Closing Date

17-Aug-2025

Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.