Principal Scientist

Chem-Impex International, Inc. • Wood Dale, IL

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

This role is responsible for setting the growth agenda for Chem-Impex’s peptide chemistry franchise. The Principal Scientist will identify customer segments, applications, and programs to pursue, translating these into a business development plan. They will drive new product discovery by recommending peptides, amino acids, reagents, resins, linkers, and building blocks to add, stock, or promote, and will help shape the roadmap for custom synthesis and scale-up services. The position serves as the senior technical authority in peptide chemistry, including SPPS, hybrid SPPS/LPPS, bioconjugation, macrocyclic and peptidomimetic chemistry, and will be a trusted scientific resource for customers. The role involves enabling the sales team by providing deep technical expertise, joining key customer visits, interpreting customer chemistry, scoping opportunities, and handing over scientifically validated opportunities. The Principal Scientist will develop strategic relationships with pharma, biotech, and academic labs, and partners across the peptide value chain. They will represent Chem-Impex as a thought leader at conferences, gather and synthesize competitive and technical intelligence, and partner with marketing to shape technical content and messaging. Collaboration with technical, purchasing, and customer service teams is essential to ensure product and service delivery meets quality standards.

Requirements

• Advanced degree (PhD or MS) in Chemistry, Biochemistry, or a related field, with genuine depth in peptide chemistry and SPPS.
• Hands-on experience in peptide synthesis and/or peptide API process development or manufacturing.
• The standing to hold a peer-level scientific conversation with discovery, medicinal, and process chemists, and to translate their chemistry into the products and services that support it.
• A builder’s instinct for business development: comfort identifying opportunities, opening new segments, and creating pipeline (measured by markets opened, products launched, and opportunities created rather than a personal sales quota).
• Strong presence as a presenter and representative: someone who can carry the Chem-Impex name credibly on a conference stage.
• A collaborative style that makes the sales team better rather than competing with it, and comfort working directly with company ownership.
• Willingness to travel for customer visits and key industry events.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with custom synthesis workflows and regulatory-grade documentation (COA, DMF) is a strong plus.

Responsibilities

• Set the growth agenda for Chem-Impex’s peptide chemistry franchise by identifying customer segments, applications, and programs to pursue, and translating them into a clear business development plan.
• Drive new product discovery: use market signals and direct customer dialogue to recommend which peptides, Fmoc amino acids, coupling reagents, resins, linkers, and specialty building blocks to add, stock, or promote and help shape the roadmap for custom synthesis and scale-up services.
• Serve as the senior technical authority in peptide chemistry (SPPS, hybrid SPPS/LPPS, bioconjugation, macrocyclic and peptidomimetic chemistry) and be the scientific resource customers trust.
• Enable the sales team: partner with the account managers to bring deep technical expertise into their customer relationships joining key visits, interpreting customer chemistry and program stage, scoping custom and bulk opportunities, and handing over opportunities that are already scientifically validated.
• Develop strategic relationships with pharma, biotech, and academic labs, and with partners across the peptide value chain, opening doors the account managers can grow.
• Represent Chem-Impex as a thought leader at peptide and life-science conferences (such as the American Peptide Society) by speaking, presenting, and building the company’s scientific reputation in the field.
• Gather and synthesize competitive, market, and technical intelligence from GLP-1s and incretins to half-life extension and cyclic peptides to inform catalog, pricing, stocking, and go-to-market decisions.
• Partner with marketing to shape technical content, campaigns, and messaging that resonate with medicinal and process chemists.
• Work with technical, purchasing, and customer service teams to ensure the products and services we promote can be delivered with Chem-Impex’s standard of quality and reliability.

Benefits

• Direct visibility to the company ownership. Your work will be seen and your voice will matter
• A book of business at the core of what we do — peptide chemistry is our heartland, not a sideline
• Strong underlying fundamentals: 99%+ on-time delivery, ISO 9001 certified, 30,000+ SKUs
• The chance to help shape a growing, modernizing commercial team
• A values-driven team with genuine tenure and institutional knowledge
• Competitive compensation, commensurate with experience, plus performance bonus
• Medical, dental, and short-term disability insurance; optional vision and long-term disability
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off and holidays

What This Job Offers

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