Senior Scientist I, Discovery Chemistry (Synthetic Chemistry)

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals•Madison, WI

10h•$120,000 - $135,000•Onsite

About The Position

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing medicines that treat intractable diseases by silencing the genes that cause them. The company utilizes a broad portfolio of RNA chemistries and efficient modes of delivery to trigger the RNA interference mechanism for rapid, deep, and durable knockdown of target genes. Arrowhead's RNAi-based therapeutics leverage the natural pathway of gene silencing. The company is focused on developing innovative drugs for diseases with a genetic basis, typically characterized by the overproduction of one or more proteins involved in disease. Arrowhead's technologies enable the potential to address conditions in virtually any therapeutic area and pursue disease targets not addressable by small molecules and biologics. Arrowhead is a leader in bringing RNAi to address diseases outside of the liver, with a clinical pipeline including disease targets in the liver and lung, and a promising pipeline of preclinical candidates. Arrowhead's corporate headquarters is in Pasadena, CA, with R&D teams in Madison, WI & San Diego, CA, and a manufacturing facility in Verona, WI. The company's employees are described as nimble, science-driven innovators collaborating to bring new therapies to patients. The specific position is for a hands-on synthetic chemist to support the discovery and development of novel oligonucleotide-based therapeutics. The successful candidate will be responsible for the synthesis, purification, and characterization of novel molecular structures to support extrahepatic oligonucleotide delivery. This role involves close collaboration with colleagues across chemistry, DMPK, biology, analytical sciences, and formulation to support multidisciplinary discovery programs. It is a laboratory-focused position for a scientist who enjoys solving challenging synthetic problems, developing reliable methods, and delivering high-quality compounds for biological evaluation. This position is posted at the Senior Scientist I level and may also be considered at the Scientist III level, depending on experience.

Requirements

PhD. in Chemistry or a related discipline.
3+ years of pharmaceutical industry or relevant postdoctoral experience.
Strong record of hands-on synthetic chemistry and experimental problem-solving.
Demonstrated ability to independently define synthetic strategy, solve complex chemistry problems, and guide compound-design decisions.
Ability to interpret cross-functional data and use the results to propose new compounds and supporting experiments.
Experience leading chemistry activities, mentoring colleagues, or coordinating work across internal and external teams.

Nice To Haves

Experience with siRNA, antisense oligonucleotides, or other nucleic acid modalities.
Experience designing and synthesizing multifunctional molecules, focused libraries, or compounds requiring orthogonal functional-group strategies.
Experience working on plasma PK (pharmacokinetic) extension.
Experience working with highly polar, charged, amphiphilic, or otherwise challenging compounds.
Familiarity with one or more adjacent areas, including DMPK or pharmacokinetics, formulation or pharmaceutics, drug delivery, supramolecular or colloidal chemistry, lipid or nanoparticle systems, bioconjugation, or bioanalytical chemistry.
Experience working with external chemistry vendors, contract research organizations (CROs), suppliers, or contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs).
Experience supporting intellectual property, technical transfer, or progression of discovery compounds.

Responsibilities

Design, synthesize, purify, and characterize novel compounds and focused analog series.
Develop and troubleshoot multistep synthetic routes, purification methods, and characterization workflows.
Coordinate internal and external production of compounds to support project timelines.
Work with analytical and oligonucleotide chemistry teams to review compound identity, purity, concentration, and suitability for biological testing.
Coordinate compound availability and timing with DMPK and in vivo pharmacology teams.
Integrate chemical, analytical, formulation, and pharmacokinetic data to guide subsequent compound designs and recommend appropriate supporting studies.
Monitor the scientific literature and use emerging findings to propose novel, creative, and testable chemical approaches.