Research Associate - Chemical Development

About the Department   

The Boulder Site is home to the specialized technical operations/CMC team for oligonucleotides and RNAi therapeutics, continuing its legacy as the hub for all manufacturing-related activities for GalXC™ and GalXC-Plus™ investigational therapeutics developed from Novo Nordisk’s acquisition of Dicerna Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in December 2021. With a new laboratory completed in 2021 to support analytical and process development, the CMC team works alongside Quality, Regulatory, Technical Operations and RNAi Early Development professionals at our Boulder, Colorado facility and works closely with our teams in Lexington, Massachusetts. Ranked the No. 1 Place to Live for the second consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report, Boulder is experiencing a renaissance in biotech investment and is one of the world’s leading centers for oligonucleotide innovation and manufacturing. Together, we are driving change. Are you ready to make a difference?

The Position

Novo Nordisk Global Nucleic Acid Therapies (GNAT) is seeking highly motivated scientists to join its CMC Chemical Development team in Boulder, Colorado. The candidate will be expected to be a key technical resource developing innovative solutions for scalable syntheses, work-up, purifications, and isolations of oligonucleotides, establishing improvements in purity, yield, reproducibility, throughput and environmental impact. The successful candidate will ideally have a strong organic chemistry understanding with exposure to principles of process development, optimization, scale up and tech transfer into a manufacturing setting. This position will support therapeutic programs in multiple disease areas and will contribute to the development of scalable processes supporting Novo Nordisk oligonucleotide programs. Qualified candidates will be expected to work well in a collaborative team environment and be able to independently execute research across a wide range of oligonucleotide and organic chemistry projects.

Relationships

Reports to a more senior position within the Chemical development department. Manages mutually beneficial relationships within entire Technical Operations group. This may include external partners relevant to the planning and implementation of bulk manufacturing of oligonucleotide API. Provides excellent customer service and builds strong working relationships within Chemical Development and internal/external partners.

Essential Functions

• Provide research and development support of current chemical development projects utilizing state of the art techniques for preparation and analysis of oligonucleotides or nucleic acids
• Conduct laboratory work in safe, clean, efficient manner that ensures a safe working environment for colleagues
• Characterize starting materials, intermediates, and synthesized molecules using common analytical techniques such as HPLC, LCMS, NMR, GC, KF, and UV-Vis
• Develop and optimize all elements of chemical transformations including reaction conditions, workup, purification and isolation. Ensure robustness and reproducibility of developed processes
• Work within Technical Operations team to optimize current manufacturing processes for key oligonucleotide intermediates and reagents for oligonucleotide synthesis
• Document and summarize results in laboratory notebook, and written reports. Capable of drawing valid conclusions from concrete and abstract variables
• Contribute to the team’s knowledge through scientific literature review and discussions
• Maintain and troubleshoot common laboratory equipment
• Support development and authoring of research reports to provide to internal and external manufacturing teams
• Ability to complete assignments that meet clearly defined deadlines and time schedules

Physical Requirements

0-10% overnight travel required. Ability to lift 0-10 lbs.

Qualifications

• BA/BS or master’s degree in chemistry, Biology or related field with 0 years of industrial experience, or a High School Diploma with 8+ years relevant lab experience
• Ability to follow technical instructions with some independence
• Demonstratable laboratory skills in synthetic organic chemistry and/or oligonucleotide synthesis, characterization, and purification
• Solid understanding of synthetic organic chemistry and/or oligonucleotide relevant reactions and mechanisms
• Detail-oriented in both data analysis and project timelines
• Self-motivated with a proactive mindset
• The successful candidate must possess excellent writing and communication skills and a demonstrated ability to work independently and with cross-functional teams
• Ability to thrive in a multi-disciplinary and fast-paced research environment with tight deadlines

The base compensation range for this position is $70,000 to $80,000. Base compensation is determined based on a number of factors. This position is also eligible for a company bonus based on individual and company performance.  The job posting is anticipated to close on 01/06/2025 . The Company may however extend this time-period, in which case the posting will remain available on our careers website at www.novonordisk-us/careers.com.
 
Novo Nordisk offers long-term incentive compensation and or company vehicles depending on the position's level or other company factors. 
 
Employees are also eligible to participate in Company employee benefit programs including medical, dental and vision coverage; life insurance; disability insurance; 401(k) savings plan; flexible spending accounts; employee assistance program; tuition reimbursement program; and voluntary benefits such as group legal, critical illness, identity theft protection, pet insurance and auto/home insurance. The Company also offers time off pursuant to its sick time policy, flex-able vacation policy, and parental leave policy.

We commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all our job applicants.

At Novo Nordisk we recognize that it is no longer good enough to aspire to be the best company in the world. We need to aspire to be the best company for the world and we know that this is only possible with talented employees with diverse perspectives, backgrounds and cultures. We are therefore committed to creating an inclusive culture that celebrates the diversity of our employees, the patients we serve and communities we operate in. Together, we’re life changing.

Novo Nordisk is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal laws, rules or regulations.

If you are interested in applying to Novo Nordisk and need special assistance or an accommodation to apply, please call us at 1-855-411-5290. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.