ABOUT US:

Northern RNA Inc. is a Canadian CDMO specializing in the production of nucleic acid products that support life-enabling work. Our goal is to work alongside our customers to provide scalable manufacturing capacity and to help them accelerate innovation in bringing their products from benchtop to bedside or field.

ABOUT OUR OPPORTUNITY:

We are seeking a motivated, detail-oriented, and innovative Scientist to join our Research and Development Chemistry team. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the discovery, development, and optimization of novel chemical entities that support our broader scientific and commercial objectives.
In this role, the successful candidate will apply synthetic organic chemistry techniques to develop and characterize new compounds, while supporting process development efforts to ensure scalability, reproducibility, and cost efficiency. The role demands a strong commitment to laboratory safety, scientific rigor, and continuous improvement.
If you are enthusiastic about solving complex scientific problems, thrive in a collaborative environment, and are passionate about applying chemistry to cutting-edge biotechnological innovation, we invite you to bring your expertise and creativity to our growing team.

FORMAL EDUCATION:

• PhD in Organic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, or a related field.
• Minimum of 2-3 years of experience in synthetic organic chemistry. Experience in nucleic acid and lipid chemistry will be preferred.

WORK EXPERIENCE:

• Demonstrated ability to scout and troubleshoot synthetic routes and perform high difficulty synthetic chemistry.
• Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to work independently and in a team-oriented environment
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to present complex data to diverse audiences.
• Great attention to detail and thorough record-keeping

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Experience in bioconjugation, Oligonucleotide synthesis, peptide chemistry and Lipid nanoparticles formulation.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as in cross-functional team
• Ability to meet multiple deadlines across a variety of projects/programs, with a high degree of accuracy and efficiency
• Self-motivated, strong work ethic, independent and results oriented.

• Apply modern synthetic technologies to design synthetic routes and troubleshoot synthetic issues.
• Perform structural determination of targeted molecules using Spectral techniques (NMR and Mass)
• Utilize analytical instrumentation (HPLC / LCMS) for product analysis and characterization.
• Design, synthesis, purification and characterization of proposed novel molecules specifically oligonucleotide and lipids.
• Optimize purification techniques (reversed-phase and ion-exchange chromatography) to refine synthetic pathways.
• Explore new and innovative technologies for both synthesis and purification to enable cost-effective high-volume molecules.
• Provide scientific and technical expertise in meetings and project discussions.
• Perform technology transfer to manufacturing and provide technical support during production.
• Track progress against project timelines, generate regular status updates, and communicate progress and issues to management and to the client, including presentation of findings at team meetings
• Satisfactorily complete all assigned training in compliance with departmental requirements and follow appropriate safety practices in the workplace.
• May perform other related duties as assigned.