Principal Scientist/Senior Principal Scientist, Process Chemistry
Zoetis
August 24, 2026
Remote friendly (Kalamazoo, MI)
United States
Clinical Research and Development
Position Summary:
The Principal Scientist / Senior Principal Scientist leads process chemistry efforts to innovate, troubleshoot, and optimize complex chemical syntheses and scale-up processes for veterinary therapeutics. Drives projects from lead candidate identification through commercial process technical transfer; leads multi-disciplinary teams; designs and executes complex experiments independently in ambiguous situations; influences strategic direction and ensures alignment with departmental and organizational goals. Provides people management (mentoring, coaching, career development) and champions productivity and collaboration; may serve as project leader for corporate initiatives.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Lead process chemistry: design, development, and scale-up of chemical syntheses.
- Independently design, scale-up, and optimize synthetic processes from mg to multi-kilogram scale.
- Apply green chemistry principles to improve solvent/reagent selection, waste minimization, environmental impact, and efficiency.
- Develop and execute impurity control strategies for quality, safety, and regulatory compliance.
- Provide strategic direction across multiple projects; act as scientific/technical resource.
- Lead technology transfer to commercial manufacturing; ensure safety, robustness, economy, and environmental responsibility.
- Collaborate cross-functionally; make recommendations on key high-impact decisions.
- Prepare/review technical and regulatory documentation (e.g., CMC dossiers, development reports).
- Develop strategies/tools for continuous process improvement; drive digital transformation.
- Mentor and supervise colleagues.
- Represent chemistry function on global project teams; manage internal/external relationships.
- Contribute to IP strategy for small molecule protection and filings.
Requirements:
- Ph.D. in Synthetic Organic Chemistry; 8+ years industry experience in pharma/veterinary R&D; 2+ years leadership experience.
- Expertise in modern synthetic organic chemistry; SciFinder/Reaxys; characterization/spectral analysis (HPLC, GC, NMR, UV, LC-MS).
- Hands-on process chemistry scale-up; multi-kilogram API manufacturing; technology transfer.
- Risk assessment experience (e.g., robustness/FMEA; mutagenic impurities; nitrosamines; PFAS; E&L).
- Strong communication skills.
- Working knowledge of ICH and cGMP.
- Process safety/regulatory knowledge (e.g., OSHA, REACH).
- Automated reactors/data-rich experimentation; DOE; QbD.
- Global collaboration with CROs/CMOs/CDMOs.
- Small molecule IP knowledge.
Preferred/Plus:
- Post-doctoral experience.
- Animal health/veterinary drug development experience.
- Continuous flow manufacturing experience.
- Data analytics/digital transformation; AI/ML in process chemistry.
The Principal Scientist / Senior Principal Scientist leads process chemistry efforts to innovate, troubleshoot, and optimize complex chemical syntheses and scale-up processes for veterinary therapeutics. Drives projects from lead candidate identification through commercial process technical transfer; leads multi-disciplinary teams; designs and executes complex experiments independently in ambiguous situations; influences strategic direction and ensures alignment with departmental and organizational goals. Provides people management (mentoring, coaching, career development) and champions productivity and collaboration; may serve as project leader for corporate initiatives.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Lead process chemistry: design, development, and scale-up of chemical syntheses.
- Independently design, scale-up, and optimize synthetic processes from mg to multi-kilogram scale.
- Apply green chemistry principles to improve solvent/reagent selection, waste minimization, environmental impact, and efficiency.
- Develop and execute impurity control strategies for quality, safety, and regulatory compliance.
- Provide strategic direction across multiple projects; act as scientific/technical resource.
- Lead technology transfer to commercial manufacturing; ensure safety, robustness, economy, and environmental responsibility.
- Collaborate cross-functionally; make recommendations on key high-impact decisions.
- Prepare/review technical and regulatory documentation (e.g., CMC dossiers, development reports).
- Develop strategies/tools for continuous process improvement; drive digital transformation.
- Mentor and supervise colleagues.
- Represent chemistry function on global project teams; manage internal/external relationships.
- Contribute to IP strategy for small molecule protection and filings.
Requirements:
- Ph.D. in Synthetic Organic Chemistry; 8+ years industry experience in pharma/veterinary R&D; 2+ years leadership experience.
- Expertise in modern synthetic organic chemistry; SciFinder/Reaxys; characterization/spectral analysis (HPLC, GC, NMR, UV, LC-MS).
- Hands-on process chemistry scale-up; multi-kilogram API manufacturing; technology transfer.
- Risk assessment experience (e.g., robustness/FMEA; mutagenic impurities; nitrosamines; PFAS; E&L).
- Strong communication skills.
- Working knowledge of ICH and cGMP.
- Process safety/regulatory knowledge (e.g., OSHA, REACH).
- Automated reactors/data-rich experimentation; DOE; QbD.
- Global collaboration with CROs/CMOs/CDMOs.
- Small molecule IP knowledge.
Preferred/Plus:
- Post-doctoral experience.
- Animal health/veterinary drug development experience.
- Continuous flow manufacturing experience.
- Data analytics/digital transformation; AI/ML in process chemistry.