Bioconjugation Chemist

**About Us**

Grafton Biosciences is a biotech startup focused on solving disease through groundbreaking innovations in early detection and therapeutics. We are combining cutting-edge synthetic biology, machine learning, and manufacturing to fundamentally extend healthy human lifespans. We’re looking for passionate team members who want to shape the future.

**About the Role**

**What You’ll Do**
- **Design & Execute Conjugations**:

- Plan and run reactions that couple oligos to peptides, oligos to small molecules, and peptides to small molecules (e.g., click chemistry, amide coupling, thiol-maleimide, strain-promoted cycloadditions, enzymatic ligations).
- **Synthesis & Purification**:

- Perform solid-phase oligonucleotide and peptide synthesis as needed; purify products via HPLC, FPLC, SEC, and prep LC-MS.
- **Analytical Characterization**:

- Confirm identity, purity, and stability using LC-MS/MS, MALDI-TOF, UV-Vis, CE, and NMR (as applicable); develop new analytical methods when existing ones fall short.
- **Method Development & Optimization**:

- Troubleshoot low-yielding steps, improve reaction scalability, and document SOPs for tech transfer to CROs or internal production.
- **Cross-Functional Collaboration**:

- Translate project goals into actionable chemistry plans, present data at team meetings, and contribute to IP and regulatory filings.
- **Lab Stewardship**:

- Maintain instrumentation, manage reagent inventories, and ensure safe handling of hazardous chemicals and oligos.

**Must-Have Qualifications**
- Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Biochemistry, or related discipline **- or** M.S./B.S. plus ≥ 5 years of directly relevant industry experience.
- Demonstrated track record (publications, patents, or project reports) of successful oligo-peptide or oligo/small-molecule conjugations.
- Strong synthetic toolkit: solution-phase and solid-phase methodologies, linker design, protecting-group strategy, and purification troubleshooting.
- Proficiency with analytical platforms: LC-MS (intact & fragmented), HPLC/UPLC method development, UV quantification, and basic spectroscopy.
- Familiarity with basic bioassays (e.g., SDS-PAGE, fluorescence, qPCR) to confirm biological activity post-conjugation.
- Clear, concise communication skills and a collaborative mindset.

**Nice-to-Haves**
- Experience scaling conjugates to >10 g under GMP or GLP.
- Knowledge of payload/antibody ratio (PAR) or drug/oligo ratio (DOR) analytics.
- Familiarity with in-vivo delivery platforms (LNPs, cell-penetrating peptides, GalNAc, etc.).
- Hands-on work with high-throughput or automated synthesis (e.g., MerMade, OligoPilot, Multipep).
- Prior involvement in IND-enabling studies or CMC documentation.

**What We Offer**
- Competitive salary plus performance bonus and ample opportunities for career advancement
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage from day one
- A say in the science—your ideas will directly shape our innovations

Pay: ₹1,500,000.00 - ₹2,600,000.00 per year

Supplemental Pay:

- Performance bonus

Application Question(s):

- Why are you a fit for this role?
- How soon can you begin?

Work Location: In person