Senior Drug Substance Scientist

Does it excite you to combine a strong scientific mindset with innovation to drive drug substance (DS) strategy and process development for peptide-based active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), and do you have experience partnering with external DS manufacturing organizations (CMOs)? If this sounds like you, and you are ready to take on a broad area of responsibilities, then you could be our new colleague. Your new position As a Senior Drug Substance Scientist, you will be the professional anchor and subject-matter expert for drug substance activities from early research through Phase 2. The role is central to defining DS strategy, driving process development with external CMOs, and ensuring processes are robust and scalable. You will be empowered—and expected—to take full ownership of your area and drive scientific decision-making in close collaboration with cross-functional CMC stakeholders. We offer exciting responsibilities: Evaluate new technologies and approaches for DS manufacturing Drive DS process development with internal process laboratory support and CMOs to deliver preclinical, Phase 1 and Phase 2 supply, and mature processes toward Phase 3 in collaboration with late stage colleagues Key player in the collaboration with DS CMOs, including day-to-day communication and oversight, follow-up on project timelines, documentation review, knowledge transfer, and scoping of process development Contribute to risk assessments, critical process parameters (CPP), and scoping process development at the CMO Represent DS in cross-functional CMC teams and drive scientific and strategic input to clinical trial applications and regulatory interactions in collaboration with Regulatory Affairs Your profile A strong scientific mindset and deep understanding of process chemistry are key to succeeding in this role. The ideal candidate takes ownership, works in a structured way, and thrives in a dynamic environment with evolving needs and priorities. Strong collaboration and stakeholder management skills are essential, given close interaction with CMOs and cross-functional teams. M.Sc. or PhD within chemistry, biochemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, or another relevant field +5 years of experience from the pharmaceutical industry Experience from DS process chemistry laboratories and process development activities Experience with solid-phase peptide synthesis and contributing to process optimization Experience with other fields of synthetic chemistry such as antibody-drug conjugates, liquid-phase peptide synthesis, and small molecules is an advantage Experience with outsourcing of DS/API production at CMOs, including technical oversight and review of CMO documentation Experience with regulatory aspects of CMC work and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), and strong oral and written communication skills in English Your new team You will be joining a department of approximately 25 people, with a DS specialist area currently consisting of 2 DS specialists. The team works closely both within and across departments with a shared goal of enabling projects and helping colleagues succeed through collaboration, knowledge sharing, and strong day-to-day teamwork. Let's bond and be bold We have a unique culture, characterized by excellent teamwork and strong engagement across the organization. And we want you to help us strengthen this culture. Making bonds is at the core of everything we do. From discovering and developing the best new peptide drugs for patients, to engaging with our partners or connecting with each other. We bond through curiosity and playfulness as a team, allowing ourselves to challenge common thinking and drive future innovation. Join us and let's bond and be bold. Interested in bonding with us? Then please apply no later than April 12, 2026, or as soon as possible. The applications will be reviewed as they come in. While a cover letter is not required, please include a few sentences in your CV explaining your motivation for applying. For further information, please contact Vice President, Head of Pharmaceutical Development, Lise Giehm on LGiehm@ZealandPharma.com. We are committed to an inclusive recruitment process and welcome applications from all job applicants. About Zealand Pharma A/S Zealand Pharma A/S (Nasdaq: ZEAL) is a biotechnology company focused on advancing medicines for obesity and metabolic health. Combining more than 25 years of peptide R&D expertise with a proprietary data platform that leverages advanced data-driven and AI/ML approaches, Zealand Pharma aims to lead a new era in obesity and metabolic health. To date, more than ten Zealand Pharma-invented drug candidates have entered clinical development, of which two products have reached the market and three candidates are in late-stage development. The Company has collaborations with global pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners for research, development, and commercialization. Founded in 1998, Zealand Pharma is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, with a U.S. presence in Boston, Massachusetts. Learn more at www.zealandpharma.com. #LI-Onsite Since our founding in 1998, Zealand Pharma has built a core expertise in the discovery, design, and development of therapeutic peptides. This expertise has led to an R&D pipeline of innovative investigational candidates designed to address a broad range of disease areas. We have four therapeutic focus areas: obesity, rare diseases, chronic inflammation, and type 1 diabetes. In obesity, our peptide capabilities place us in a unique position to address a vast global health challenge and positively impact hundreds of millions of lives. Within rare diseases, we have a long-standing commitment to deliver new treatments to patients living with congenital hyperinsulinism and short bowel syndrome. For chronic inflammatory diseases, we are progressing peptide programs focused on high-profile targets shown to be difficult to address with small molecules and antibodies. For type 1 diabetes, we aspire to change the management of this disease. Our strategy is to pursue global co-development and commercialization partnerships that complement and extend our capabilities across the value chain to deliver new peptide therapies to people who need them.