CatSci Ltd, based in Cardiff, UK, is an innovation partner to the chemical research, development and manufacturing industries, specialising in process research and development for manufacturing drug substance and other high value materials. CatSci Ltd has extensive knowledge and expertise in a wide range of chemistry from discovery support through to full scale manufacturing and life-cycle management.

Working within a highly collaborative team of synthetic organic chemists and catalysis experts, R&D Chemist (Physical Organic Chemistry) will be responsible for measuring, understanding and modelling the physical properties that we use to help design and develop the next generation of small molecules. R&D chemist will also work with scientists from a range of other disciplines to understand the challenges that we face, and to design and develop the new methods that ensure that physical chemistry meets the demands of our clients.

Your Impact as R&D Chemist (Physical Organic Chemistry)

  • Designing model-based experimental strategies for laboratory execution
  • Applying novel technologies to optimise the performance of products containing active ingredients
  • Utilising data-driven models to enable digital exploration and optimisation of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) development space
  • Designing and executing experiments that identify reaction kinetics and mass transfer issues that could affect product quality, process safety and manufacturability
  • Identifying gaps in current workflows and working with external partners to evaluate and internalise next-generation process modelling techniques for pharmaceutical development.

Requirements for R&D Chemist (Physical Organic Chemistry)

  • A PhD or good graduate degree in chemistry or a related discipline (ideally physical organic chemistry)
  • Theoretical and/or practical understanding of physical organic chemistry
  • A practical understanding of commonly-used analytical and chromatographic techniques and technologies
  • Practical understanding of heterogeneous catalysis
  • Ability to use modelling software (e.g. Aspen, DynoChem, Visimix)
  • A strong interest in process/technology development and scale-up
  • Knowledge of reaction kinetics, reactor design, chemical thermodynamics, heat and mass transport or engineering statistics
  • A good foundational understanding of synthetic organic chemistry

Benefits 

  • Competitive salary: £35,000 – £47,000 per annum (DOE)
  • 25 days annual leave + 8 days bank holidays + 2 charity days
  • Company benefits
  • Annual bonus
  • Wellbeing Program
  • Flexible working arrangements (subject to prior agreement)
  • The best team to work with (even if it is us saying so!)

*As an equal opportunities employer, we will provide reasonable support to disabled applicants throughout the recruitment process. If you require any adjustments in order to attend/ perform in the interview, please do not hesitate to let us know.