Purification Scientist

When joining PerkinElmer, you select an experienced and trusted leader in scientific solutions, with the support of a global service network and distribution centers, providing the right solution, at the right time, to meet critical customer needs. With over an 80+ year legacy of advancing science and a mission of innovating for a healthier world, our dedicated team collaborates closely with commercial, government, academic and healthcare customers to deliver our broad portfolio of analytical solutions, and OneSource services.

Job TitlePurification Scientist
Location(s)GSK Stevenage (UK) – Customer Site

Job Responsibilities:

• Deliver a flow process, involving varied instrumentation platforms, to enable the isolation of compounds of interest from crude mixtures.

• Utilise relevant analytical instrumentation for separations method development; primarily analytical UPLC-MS.

• Operate mass-directed automated purification (MDAP) HPLC platforms to purify complex, crude sample mixtures.

• Identify desired chromatographic fractions and consolidate for isolation using liquid handling robots.

• Removal of chromatographic purification solvents by lyophilisation and generation of post-purification analysis samples for multiple techniques, such as UPLC-MS and NMR.

• Use liquid handling technology and other appropriate instrumentation (including nitrogen dry-down units and lyophilisation units) to dispense purified compounds for ongoing screening.

• Oversee the collection of appropriate analytical data to characterise and register final drug candidate molecules prior to organising submission for screening.

• Document purification conditions and method development used to isolate compounds and provide this information to the originating chemist.

• Maintain instrumentation as appropriate and escalate any identified instrumentation or hardware issues that cannot be resolved locally to next level support, as determined by GSK.

• Support CAPS scientists with evaluations of new chromatographic systems and related processes as appropriate.

• Operate and maintain laboratory equipment in accordance with appropriate internal maintenance SOPs and work instructions.

• Collect service metrics where applicable.

• Follow all safety protocols and operating requirements as defined by local management and GSK policy.

• Liaise with colleagues to determine the appropriate consumable provisions required to support ongoing CAPS progression.

• Perform routine lab maintenance & organisation.

• Support process improvement projects related to service deliverables as capacity allows and as approved by the PE team manager.

Qualifications/Personal Qualities:

• Bachelor’s degree with 3+ years of experience or Master’s degree with 2+ years of experience in chemistry, analytical chemistry or a similar scientific discipline.

• Demonstrated working familiarity with different analytical and preparative techniques.

• Strong desire to learn with multifunctional learning agility.

• Self-motivated.

• Outstanding verbal and written communication.

• Basic preparative instrumentation knowledge including simple maintenance and repair.

• Ability to multitask across purification and analysis.

• Ability to manage the workflow within the group.

• Experience with analytical method development and preparative chromatography in small molecule pharmaceuticals.

• Ability to analyse chromatographic data and make decisions for follow up experiments

• Awareness of Waters analytical and preparative chromatography systems.

Physical/Mental Demands:

The overall physical exertion of this position may require:

• Sit or stand 4-5 hours in laboratory areas.

• Reach above/below the shoulder, bend at the knees and waist.

• Office work activities, including computer-based activities

• Work around moving laboratory equipment and machinery.

• Use of personal protective equipment in laboratory.

• Work with biohazards such as hazardous compounds and chemical in compliance with local safety rules and regulations.

Working Environment

• Must be able to work in a laboratory, controlled environment requiring personal protective equipment.

• Job pace may be fast and job completion demands may be high.

• Employee will be required to manage hazardous wastes in compliance with local company procedures & UK hazardous waste regulations. Duties may include: identifying, handling, generating, accumulating, storing, labelling and appropriate disposal.

• Ensure safety, security, and environmental care in all aspect of the daily activities, and any potential safety hazards are addressed and corrected immediately.

• Understand ergonomic relationship between people, equipment and working environment.