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Chemical Synthesis Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Satomic

Scientist - Synthetic Chemistry

San Diego, CA · On-site

Improve chemical methods and workflows to support automated synthesis needs. * Stay current with emerging trends and innovations in synthetic and medicinal chemistry to identify high-value reaction ...

Techlink Systems

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Chemical Development Principal Scientist - JPA2025

Charles City, IA · On-site

$113K - $121K/yr

Carries out multistep chemical synthesis and product isolation/purification operations in the laboratory, independently or as part of an integrated team. Chemist utilizes modern analytical tools to ...

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How much do chemical synthesis jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 14, 2026, the average hourly pay for chemical synthesis in the United States is $22.97, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $19.23 and $25.72 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the highest paid job in chemistry?

The highest paid jobs in chemistry are often executive roles such as Chief Scientific Officer or Director of R&D, which require extensive experience and advanced degrees. These positions typically offer salaries exceeding $150,000 annually and involve overseeing research strategies and managing teams in pharmaceutical, biotech, or chemical manufacturing industries.

What is the difference between Chemical Synthesis vs Chemical Technician?

AspectChemical SynthesisChemical Technician
Required CredentialsBachelor's degree in chemistry or related field; lab experienceAssociate's degree or diploma in chemistry or related field; technical training
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, manufacturing facilities, R&D settingsLaboratories, production plants, quality control labs
Job FocusDesigning, developing, and executing chemical reactions and processesAssisting with experiments, maintaining equipment, data collection
Industry UsageResearch institutions, pharmaceutical, chemical manufacturingManufacturing plants, quality assurance, process support

While both roles work within the chemistry industry, Chemical Synthesis professionals focus on creating and optimizing chemical reactions, often requiring advanced degrees and research experience. Chemical Technicians support these processes through technical tasks, equipment maintenance, and data collection, typically with technical diplomas. Understanding these differences helps job seekers identify the right career path based on their skills and education.

What is the highest paid chemical engineering job?

The highest paid chemical engineering roles are often in executive management, such as Chief Chemical Engineer or Director of Chemical Operations, with salaries exceeding $150,000 annually. Specialized roles in process engineering, petrochemical, or pharmaceutical industries with advanced skills and certifications tend to offer higher compensation.

What are some common challenges faced by professionals in chemical synthesis roles, and how can they be managed?

Professionals in chemical synthesis often encounter challenges such as reproducibility of reactions, managing hazardous materials, and troubleshooting unexpected results. Addressing these requires strong attention to detail, rigorous documentation, and adherence to safety protocols. Collaborating closely with analytical teams and leveraging the collective expertise of colleagues can help overcome technical hurdles. Staying current with literature and new methodologies also enables chemists to devise innovative solutions and adapt to evolving project needs.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Chemical Synthesis Chemist, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Chemical Synthesis Chemist, you need a strong background in organic or inorganic chemistry, laboratory techniques, and typically a bachelor’s or advanced degree in chemistry or a related field. Familiarity with analytical instruments like NMR, HPLC, GC-MS, and knowledge of laboratory safety protocols are essential, and certifications such as GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) may be beneficial. Strong problem-solving, attention to detail, and effective communication skills help chemists excel when troubleshooting complex reactions and collaborating with colleagues. These skills are vital for ensuring safe, efficient, and innovative synthesis processes that meet research or industrial objectives.

What are the 5 careers in chemistry?

Careers in chemistry include roles such as chemical researcher, quality control analyst, process development scientist, chemical engineer, and laboratory technician. These positions often require knowledge of laboratory techniques, safety protocols, and sometimes advanced degrees or certifications. Chemists work in industries like pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, environmental science, and academia.

What is chemical synthesis?

Chemical synthesis is the process used by chemical synthesis professionals to create complex chemical compounds from simpler substances through controlled chemical reactions. It involves designing reaction pathways, selecting appropriate reagents, and often requires knowledge of laboratory techniques and safety protocols. This process is fundamental in developing pharmaceuticals, materials, and other chemical products.
More about Chemical Synthesis jobs
What states have the most Chemical Synthesis jobs? States with the most job openings for Chemical Synthesis jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Chemical Synthesis jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Chemical Synthesis jobs are:
Chemical Synthesis jobs near you

Scientist - Synthetic Chemistry

Satomic

San Diego, CA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 11 days ago

Job description

About Satomic
Satomic's mission is to close the gap from idea to molecule with faster navigation of chemical space. We are building an automated chemistry platform that integrates laboratory robotics, software, and AI to transform small-molecule synthesis and drug discovery.
This role is critical to Satomic's mission by developing the chemistries that open valuable chemical space for exploration with reliability, speed, and scale on our automated platform. This work directly expands the possibilities our partners can explore in solving the most important challenges in drug discovery and human health.
About the role
This is an individual contributor role developing synthetic chemistry workflows that expand what Satomic's automated chemical synthesis platform can reliably make. You will design and execute experiments to pressure test workflows for high-throughput automated synthesis and turn compelling reactions into robust, platform-ready methods that expand our reach into chemical space.
An exceptional candidate has a rock solid foundation in synthetic organic chemistry and a bias towards thoughtful experiment design to probe assumptions in the field. You will design and optimize reactions, interpret analytical results and decide the next experiments needed to improve scope, performance, and reliability. You will collaborate with Platform and ML colleagues to ensure reaction development workflows produce experimental data that is structured, traceable, and reproducible for downstream applications.
This is a lab-based position for a chemist who takes pride in rigorous experimental execution, learns quickly, and is motivated to build chemistry workflows that are robust, scalable, and innovative.
Expected Outcomes
By 30 days, you will have:
  • Learned to independently operate core laboratory workflows, instrumentation, and software..
  • Generated decision-quality data for one project that contributes to workflow improvements for production chemistry challenges.
  • Proposed an experimental plan for testing chemical method robustness at scale.

By 90 days, you will have:
  • Delivered at least one optimized workflow based on experiments you designed and executed with clear before-and-after performance data (yield, throughput, purity, stability, coverage, etc.)
  • Improved at least one tool, method, or workflow in collaboration with the Platform team.
  • Delivered at least 4 automated reaction condition sets for addition to our predictive models that will expand Satomic's accessible chemical space.

By 1 year, you will have:
  • Developed and optimized at least 10 automated reaction condition sets supporting platform expansion
  • Independently proposed and executed next-step experiments for 75% of assigned projects and workflows without requiring detailed direction.
  • Identified and implemented at least 2 improvements to laboratory workflows, condition optimization approaches, or data methods which are adopted by the wider team.

By 5 years, you will have:
  • Become a subject matter expert in multiple reaction classes, synthetic workflows, and platform features.
  • Expanded Satomic's reaction roadmap by identifying and developing high-value reaction classes that unlock broader chemical space, simpler routes, or faster molecule delivery.
  • Established reaction development practices that consistently produce platform-ready methods with high-quality data, clear substrate coverage, and reliable performance
  • Become a recognized technical leader within Satomic, mentoring exceptional junior chemists and shaping how the company tackles new chemistry.

What You Will Own
  • Design, execute, and optimize synthetic routes and chemical reactions.
  • Analyze and interpret analytical data to guide experimental decisions, including LCMS, NMR, and other data types.
  • Improve chemical methods and workflows to support automated synthesis needs.
  • Stay current with emerging trends and innovations in synthetic and medicinal chemistry to identify high-value reaction classes to expand Satomic's accessible chemical space.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to execute on multidisciplinary initiatives including machine learning, laboratory automation, and software development.
  • Ensure proper documentation and reproducibility of laboratory experiments and workflows.

What This Role Is (and Is Not)
This role is:
  • A synthetic chemistry role focused on developing platform-ready reaction workflows that expand what Satomic can reliably make
  • A role for a chemist who combines strong experimental execution with judgment about data quality and platform constraints
  • A role that works closely with automation, software, and ML colleagues on a daily basis

This role is not:
  • A narrow execution role where problems are handed to you fully defined
  • A role focused on maximizing yield on isolated examples without regard to substrate coverage or platform utility
  • A medicinal chemistry design role developing an internal pipeline

Qualifications
  • PhD in organic chemistry or related discipline and + 0-2 years relevant industry experience (MS + 3 years, BS + 7 years)
  • Strong foundation in small molecule organic chemistry, including experiment design and reaction optimization
  • Experience with collection and interpretation of analytical data including mass spectrometry and NMR
  • Record of innovation and impactful contributions that changed the speed, direction, or outcome of research programs
  • Experience in high throughput experimentation, laboratory automation, and/or data science preferred
  • Demonstrated ability to design and execute experiments independently, troubleshoot routine challenges, and interpret ambiguous results to decide productive next steps
  • Eager to question assumed standards for innovative solutions to complex challenges.

Compensation
This role offers a base salary of $100,000 - $130,000, along with meaningful equity ownership and competitive benefits. We are an early-stage company and design offers to balance cash compensation and long-term ownership. The salary range above reflects base pay only, and we work with candidates to build a package that aligns with their preferences. Final offers are based on a candidate's experience and expected impact.
Overview of Satomic's Hiring Process
  • Phone Call: the hiring manager will contact you to schedule a 15 minute call to give an overview of Satomic and the role, and better understand your career goals, experience, and motivations.
  • Core Interviews: the hiring manager will coordinate a block where you can have three 45 minute interviews back to back with different members of the Satomic team, who will ask questions about your past experience and fit for the role.
  • Final Interview: candidates that are selected for the final round will be asked to present on their past work most relevant to the open position (45 minutes) and discuss a representative scenario ("case study") live with the interview panel (45 minutes). The scenario will be given to the candidate at least one week prior to the final interview.

Diversity and Inclusion
We know there's a serious lack of diversity in our industry, and that needs to change. At Satomic, we're committed to helping drive that change. Our culture is built on inclusion, humility, humanity, and ingenuity - values that guide how we work with one another and how we approach the challenges of scaling science. We believe that bringing together people with diverse perspectives, experiences, and ways of thinking is not just the right thing to do, but makes us stronger: we want every member of our team to feel they belong and can do the best work of their career here.
Our mission is to close the gap from idea to molecule. That mission carries responsibility: the chemistry we enable can accelerate access to life-changing medicines and technologies, but it can also pose risks if used carelessly. We're not agnostic to how our platform is applied-we care deeply about ensuring it is used for good. Building a team of diverse and thoughtful voices gives us the best chance of delivering a platform that not only advances the future of chemistry and drug discovery, but does so responsibly and with lasting positive impact on our world.

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