Senior Scientist / Principal Scientist – Process Chemistry

Treeline Biosciences, a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing precision medicines, is seeking an experienced small molecule process chemist to drive the development, scale-up, and commercial readiness of our small molecule, clinical-stage portfolio. This role centers around close collaboration with the medicinal chemistry team within the discovery portfolio. Additionally, the role is critical to ensuring clinical supply and commercial readiness for identified programs and ensuring that drug substance manufacturing processes meet quality, regulatory, safety, scalability, and scalability expectations. 

 

About the Position

Senior Scientist / Principal Scientist – Process Chemistry (Discovery Process Research)

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced synthetic chemist to join our Process Chemistry (Discovery Process Research) team supporting drug discovery programs. This role focuses on route invention, reaction development, and scalable synthesis of key intermediates and drug candidates.

The scientist will lead from the bench within our project-based research and development organization, designing and executing synthetic strategies that enable discovery programs. The successful candidate will collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Medicinal Chemistry, DMPK, Toxicology, Drug Product, and Analytical Sciences to develop practical routes that support SAR exploration and deliver material for biological and early toxicology studies. The role emphasizes modern synthetic methodologies, efficient route design, and early scalability assessment.

Scientific Impact

• Enable drug discovery through innovative synthetic strategy. Develop creative and efficient routes that accelerate SAR exploration, enable rapid evaluation of new chemical matter, and deliver material for early toxicology studies.
• Solve complex synthetic challenges. Apply modern synthetic methodologies to access structurally complex molecules and support emerging therapeutic modalities.
• Translate discovery chemistry into scalable processes. Design practical routes that support both rapid compound synthesis and early-stage scale-up.
• Advance cross-disciplinary drug discovery. Partner closely with discovery scientists to translate synthetic innovation into therapeutic progress.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with medicinal chemistry partners to support candidate selection and developability assessments.  Advise and assist with sourcing scaffolds and intermediates as appropriate. 
• Design and execute route scouting and synthetic strategies for drug candidates and key intermediates.
• Design and optimize chemical transformations and scalable synthetic routes to enable efficient and robust processes for discovery and early development programs.
• Enable rapid compound synthesis and methodologies to support SAR campaigns and discovery timelines.
• Apply modern synthetic technologies to address complex synthetic challenges.
• Support multi-gram to kilogram-scale synthesis for biological and toxicology studies.
• Manage external partners and cultivate strong, collaborative relationships to support program objectives.
• Contribute to early CMC understanding, including impurity identification and process considerations.
• Communicate results through technical reports, documentation, and presentations.
• May be involved with preparations for the first GMP synthesis of a clincial candidate for Phase 1 trials.
• Ability to travel up to 10% to support program needs, including on-site support at manufacturing plants and partner collaboration.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry or related discipline with 3–8+ years of relevant industry or postdoctoral experience; M.S. with 6–10+ years of industry experience also considered.
• Strong expertise in synthetic organic chemistry, reaction development, and route design.
• Experience with complex molecule synthesis and route optimization.
• Familiarity with scale-up considerations and impurity control in chemical processes.
• Ability to work effectively within cross-functional discovery teams.
• Experience working with and managing external CDMO partners. 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong project leadership skills with the ability to manage complex timelines, multiple stakeholders, and evolving program priorities. 
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with a proven ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-paced, science-driven environment. 
• High level of personal integrity, commitment to excellence and to our patients 

Desired Experience

• Experience with modern synthetic methodologies and technologies (e.g., catalysis, flow chemistry, photochemistry, high-throughput experimentation, as well as other techniques).
• Experience enabling synthesis of structurally complex drug candidates or emerging modalities.
• Demonstrated creative problem solving in synthetic chemistry.

 

This position is classified as exempt. The anticipated annual base salary range for candidates who will work in San Diego is $166,380 to $189,533. The final base salary offered to the successful candidate will be dependent upon several factors that may include but are not limited to the type and length of experience within the job, and other factors. Treeline Biosciences is a multi-state employer, and this salary range may not reflect positions that work in other cities or states.

 

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