Peptide Synthesis Specialist

Ellison Medical Institute • Los Angeles, CA

9d • $87,000 - $115,000

About The Position

The Ellison Medical Institute is seeking a Peptide Synthesis Specialist to design, execute, and optimize peptide synthesis workflows, including solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS), purification, and analytical characterization.

The role will involve hands-on peptide production, collaboration with cross-functional teams, and continuous process improvement to deliver high-quality, reproducible peptides that support preclinical research and therapeutic development efforts. The ideal candidate will have a strong foundation in peptide synthesis chemistry, HPLC-based purification methods, and peptide analysis techniques.

Requirements

• Hands-on experience planning and executing peptide synthesis using SPPS and related methodologies.
• Strong experience with purification and analytical characterization techniques (e.g., HPLC, LC-MS).
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot synthesis challenges and optimize peptide workflows.
• Solid understanding of peptide chemistry principles, including protecting group strategies and coupling methods.
• Excellent time management, teamwork, documentation, and communication abilities.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research environment.
• Bachelor’s in Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Peptide Chemistry, Chemical Biology, or a closely related discipline

Nice To Haves

• Experience with recombinant protein expression and purification
• Familiarity with biophysical techniques for characterizing biomolecular interactions (e.g., SPR)
• Master’s of Science preferred

Responsibilities

• Peptide Synthesis: Perform and optimize peptide synthesis using solid-phase and Fmoc and Boc chemistries; manage automated peptide synthesizer operations and workflows.
• Purification & Characterization: Execute peptide purification using chromatographic techniques and perform analytical characterization (e.g., LC-MS, UPLC/HPLC) to ensure material meets defined quality standards. Support recombinant protein expression and purification for select targets as required.
• Quality, Documentation & Compliance: Maintain accurate and complete documentation of synthesis procedures, analytical data, and standard operating procedures, while ensuring adherence to laboratory safety protocols and consistent quality standards across synthesis, purification, and characterization processes.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with design, discovery, analytical, and biology teams to align synthesis outputs with experimental needs, and provide scientific insights to support downstream evaluation. Communicate findings clearly with scientific teams.
• Culture & Leadership: Promote and uphold a team culture of efficient time management, transparency, innovation, collaboration, and accountability, while maintaining high scientific and technical standards.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level