Team Leader

Role Overview

• Position Title:
  Team Leader - Process R&D
• Role Band :
  L1
• Location
  : Hyderabad

Purpose:
Lead the design, development, and scale-up of safe, robust, and cost-efficient chemical processes that meet client specifications for quality, yield, and timelines.

Objective:
Ensure on-time delivery with scientific rigor, data-driven decision-making, and measurable value addition across route selection, optimization, and tech transfer.

Minimum Requirements

• Education:
  PhD in Organic Chemistry with 10 + years of experience (Mandatory)
• Business/Domain Understanding:
  Strong grasp of CDMO workflows, client expectations, IP awareness, and drug discovery/development interfaces (non-GMP to GMP handoffs).

Areas of Responsibilities (AOR)

AOR 1: Project Execution and Delivery

• Plan and distribute daily/weekly experimental work, track plans vs. actuals and de-risk critical path tasks.
• Review and interpret complex analytical datasets (e.g., HPLC/UPLC, GC, LC–MS, NMR) for mass balance, assay, purity, and chiral integrity; ensure data integrity and scientific traceability.
• Coordinate with SCM, ARD, SHE, and E&M to align material availability, method readiness, safety clearances, and equipment uptime.
• Forecast and ensure timely procurement of raw materials, solvents, and consumables with suitable alternates.

AOR 2: Process Development, Troubleshooting, and Value Addition

• Anticipate chemistry and scale-up risks; resolve issues using literature (Reaxys, SciFinder) and structured experimentation (e.g., DoE, mechanistic probes).
• Map impurity genesis, fate, and purge; implement control strategies via reagent/solvent selection, stoichiometry, temperature profiles, and workup design.
• Improve routes for safety, robustness, and COGS (e.g., step telescoping, solvent swaps, greener reagents, reduced PMI/E-factor).
• Develop crystallization strategies (solvent/anti-solvent screening, seeding, supersaturation control) for polymorph selectivity and particle-size control; minimize column chromatography.

AOR 3: Team and Laboratory Management

• Provide day-to-day scientific mentorship; conduct technical reviews and ensure high-quality ELN documentation.
• Build team competencies in key unit operations (e.g., hydrogenations, low-temperature chemistry, moisture/air-sensitive handling, continuous/flow where applicable).
• Enforce GLP/SLP, PPE compliance, chemical hygiene, waste segregation, and instrument calibration; maintain audit readiness.
• Escalate instrument downtime, safety hazards, or deviations impacting delivery or safety to the Group Leader promptly.

AOR 4: Client Communication and Proposal Preparation

• Prepare high-quality technical updates, data packages, and final dossiers with clear narratives, risks, and mitigation plans.
• Lead/participate in client calls; communicate progress, deviations, and next-step experiments with timeline and resource implications.
• Support proposals with feasible synthetic routes, preliminary control strategies, and realistic costing/throughput estimates within required TAT.

AOR 5: Safety, Health, and Environment (SHE)

• Comply fully with SHE guidelines; conduct risk assessments (e.g., thermal/pressure hazards), and define safe operating spaces.
• Drive continuous improvement via incident/near-miss analysis, CAPA implementation, and periodic safety audits.

AOR 6: People Management

• Create a collaborative, high-performance environment with clear objectives and feedback.
• Identify training needs, develop skill matrices and IDPs, and ensure completion of mandatory training.
• Ensure smooth administration and adherence to organizational policies and procedures.

Required Knowledge and Skills

• Technical Expertise
  : Deep command of synthetic organic chemistry, route scouting, and lab-to-pilot scale-up principles.
• Analytical Literacy:
  Proficient interpretation of NMR, LC–MS, HPLC/UPLC, GC, KF, and related in-process controls to drive decisions.
• Literature and IP:
  Expert use of Reaxys and SciFinder; strong patent and prior-art orientation for route/source ability.
• Software and Documentation
  : Proficient in Word, PowerPoint, Excel; disciplined ELN practices and data management.
• Leadership:
  Proven ability to lead and develop 7–10 scientists/RAs; strong prioritization and resource levelling.
• Communication:
  Clear scientific writing and presentation for internal stakeholders and external clients.
• Problem Solving
  : Hypothesis-driven experimentation, DoE mindset, and data-driven optimization with clear acceptance criteria.