Senior Scientist - Analytical Chemistry, Purification

Satomic•San Diego, CA

1d•$140,000 - $160,000•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced analytical chemist to own, develop, and run Satomic's chromatography-based purification fleet with SFC as the primary technique, LC in support, using mass spectrometry as primary for detection and fraction collection. This role is central to Satomic's mission: purification is a bottleneck and our throughput targets demand a fleet that runs as a coordinated, automation-friendly system built for throughput rather than as individual instruments. The successful candidate will develop, optimize, and standardize high-throughput, mass-directed purification methods and workflows, from fraction collection logic through post-purification data and sample handling. The work centers on SFC and LC purification, with a strong emphasis on SFC and on mass-directed purification, to deliver high-quality compounds and data that accelerate drug discovery efforts. You will keep the fleet running through preventive maintenance and fast troubleshooting, and partner closely with our software and automation teams to scale the purification capabilities. This is a hands-on, lab-based position for a candidate who thrives in high throughput environments and is motivated to develop purification methodologies that are robust, scalable, and innovative while prioritizing rigorous data quality standards and sample integrity.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry, Chemistry, or related field with 4+ years of relevant industry experience; or M.S. with 6+ years of relevant industry experience; or B.S. with 10+ years of relevant industry experience.
Extensive hands-on experience with chromatography-based purification of organic small molecules, with core expertise in SFC and strong experience in high throughput preparative LC and/or SFC.
Mass-directed purification experience is strongly preferred.
Strong experience operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting LC, LC/MS, and SFC/MS instruments at the hardware level (pumps, autosamplers, detectors, ESI sources, fraction collectors)
Demonstrated ability to develop generic purification methods that work across diverse small-molecule sample sets at high throughput
Familiarity with purification informatics and automation tools (Analytical Studio, Virscidian, OpenLab, MassLynx, Pipeline Pilot, KNIME, or equivalent)
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment

Nice To Haves

Hands-on familiarity with Waters analytical and preparative SFC instrumentation and software is a plus, as well as with Agilent LC/MS systems. SFC depth gained on other platforms is equally valued.

Responsibilities

Day-to-day operation of the SFC and reverse-phase LC purification fleet, including method development, run execution, fraction collection strategy, and data review
Develop and maintain generic, automation-friendly purification methods that cover the majority of incoming sample types without per-sample tuning
Perform preventive maintenance, diagnostics, and troubleshooting across SFC, LC, and LC/MS systems; partner with vendors for service, upgrades, and installations
Identify gaps in purification and reformatting workflows to recommend innovations for efficiency and throughput targets.
Partner with synthetic chemistry to understand sample characteristics upstream and deliver purified material that meets purity and quantity targets downstream
Solvent, waste, and consumable management for a fleet of purification instruments.
Collaborate with software and automation teams to integrate purification workflows, including sample submission, queueing, fraction analysis, and structured data export
Develop materials and protocols for training and mentoring new lab staff on proper use and care of the purification instrumentation and development of chromatography methodologies for SFC and LC purification.