Research Associate I or II - Peptide Chemistry

Make your mark for patients

We are seeking a motivated new BS or MS scientist to be an integral member of the chemistry drug discovery team in Cambridge, MA as either a Research Associate I (BS) or Research Associate II (MS). The candidate will be part of a small, focused team within our highly collaborative global organization to apply our powerful peptide discovery platform to identify and engineer novel ligands of target proteins that are implicated in human diseases with unmet medical needs. This lab-based position will be part of our well-equipped peptide chemistry group and will be supervised by an experienced peptide scientist, prosecuting a variety of challenging therapeutic targets, with novel chemical methods. While primarily responsible for the synthesis, purification, characterization and delivery of next-generation peptides and conjugates for biological studies, the successful candidate will have opportunities to learn from and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams in pursuit of early therapeutic discovery, including hit identification, high-throughput organic synthesis, computation, biology, ADME, and safety. The successful candidate will be motivated, demonstrate superb communication and technical skills, practice organizational awareness, and commit to excellence in their work.

Responsibilities:

• Independently synthesize peptides and associated compounds manually or with modern automated solid-phase synthesizers, and perform followup chemistry or conjugation per project needs
• Apply various and diverse instrumentation to purify, characterize, register, and deliver samples for biological assays, performing excellent electronic notebook record keeping.
• Develop and implement innovative solutions to challenges in therapeutic synthesis and discovery, including chemical methodology, process challenges, and library or array synthesis.
• Work closely with biology, ADME, and computation teams to understand chemical outcomes for therapeutic progression and propose synthetic solutions to meaningfully impact projects.
• Operate in full compliance with all safety protocols and policies, and invest in promoting the culture of communication, collaboration, and patient-value focus that drives our team and company.

Required Experience and Skills:

• A recent MS/BS graduate in chemistry, chemical biology, organic chemistry, or related laboratory-centered field.
• Well-practiced laboratory skills in organic synthesis, purification, characterization, and notebooking.
• Demonstrated commitment to laboratory maintenance and safety protocols
• Excellent oral and written communication skills

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry
• Solid-phase organic synthesis, especially for peptides
• Experience in bioconjugation technologies or strategies
• Reagent, intermediate, and product management
• Chemical software usage and application

Base Salary Range: $70,400 to $92,400

Are you ready to ‘go beyond’ to create value and make your mark for patients? If this sounds like you, then we would love to hear from you!

About us
UCB is a global biopharmaceutical company, focusing on neurology and immunology. We are over 9.000 people in all four corners of the globe, inspired by patients and driven by science.

Why work with us?
At UCB, we don’t just complete tasks, we create value. We aren’t afraid to push forward, collaborate, and innovate to make our mark for patients. We have a caring, supportive culture where everyone feels included, respected, and has equal opportunities to do their best work. We ‘go beyond’ to create value for our patients, and always with a human focus, whether that’s on our patients, our employees, or our planet. Working for us, you will discover a place where you can grow, and have the freedom to carve your own career path to achieve your full potential.

At UCB, we’ve embraced a hybrid-first approach to work, bringing teams together in local hubs to foster collaborative curiosity. Unless expressly stated in the description or precluded by the nature of the position, roles are hybrid with 40% of your time spent in the office.

UCB is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions will be made without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable laws.

Should you require any adjustments to our process to assist you in demonstrating your strengths and capabilities contact us on EMEA-Reasonable_Accommodation@ucb.com. Please note should your enquiry not relate to adjustments; we will not be able to support you through this channel.