Senior Production Scientist – Organic Synthesis

Work Schedule

Environmental Conditions

Job Description

Senior Production Scientist – Organic Synthesis

Work Location: Rockford, IL

As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you’ll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while developing solutions for some of the world’s toughest challenges.

How will you make an impact?

As a Senior Production Scientist – Organic Synthesis, you will play a key technical role in the manufacture of specialty chemical products within an ISO-regulated, Lean manufacturing environment.

You will independently perform small- and medium-scale organic synthesis, supporting the production of small-molecule crosslinkers, biotinylation reagents, resins, and other compounds at scales ranging from milligrams to kilograms. You will apply your expertise in organic chemistry and analytical techniques to troubleshoot processes, improve manufacturing performance, support new product introductions, and maintain high standards for quality and safety.

As a senior member of the laboratory team, you will also train and mentor less-experienced scientists and help drive continuous improvement across manufacturing operations.

What will you do?

• Independently perform small- and medium-scale organic synthesis for products ranging from milligram to kilogram scale.
• Manufacture small-molecule crosslinkers, biotinylation reagents, resins, and other specialty chemical products in accordance with approved manufacturing procedures.
• Operate laboratory and production equipment including analytical balances, round-bottom flasks up to 72 L, glass reactors up to 100 L, chromatography columns, rotary evaporators, and vacuum drying ovens.
• Perform in-process and final-product analysis using techniques including NMR, TLC, FTIR, UV/Vis, and HPLC.
• Apply analytical methods and organic chemistry expertise to troubleshoot reactions, processes, and product-quality issues.
• Execute manufacturing activities in accordance with manufacturing records, standard work instructions, SOPs, and applicable ISO and quality requirements.
• Maintain accurate and complete production documentation and support an audit-ready laboratory environment.
• Coordinate production activities within assigned areas to help the team achieve weekly manufacturing targets.
• Train and mentor scientists and production associates, partnering with management to establish and achieve cross-training objectives.
• Lead or support root-cause and corrective-action investigations related to manufacturing, quality, and product issues.
• Evaluate customer feedback and product complaints and ensure investigations are thorough and completed on schedule.
• Serve as a Manufacturing representative on multiple concurrent New Product Introduction (NPI) teams.
• Develop and support NPI and manufacturing documentation, including manufacturing batch records (MBRs), bills of material (BOMs), hazard assessments, and incoming specifications.
• Partner with commercial and technical teams to evaluate the feasibility of custom and large-volume production opportunities.
• Support process and equipment validation activities and provide technical input for new equipment purchases and cost justification.
• Drive Practical Process Improvement (PPI), Lean, and 5S initiatives to improve safety, quality, efficiency, and laboratory organization.
• Maintain assigned production metrics and support metrology activities necessary to keep laboratory equipment compliant and audit-ready.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe laboratory environment and reinforce laboratory standards across the team.
• Identify opportunities to improve laboratory safety and coach others on the safe handling of hazardous chemicals.
• Perform other projects and responsibilities as assigned.

How will you get here?

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Organic Chemistry, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Life Sciences, or a related scientific discipline.
• Master’s or PhD in Organic Chemistry or a related discipline with hands-on organic synthesis experience is preferred.

Experience

• Bachelor’s degree: typically 6+ years of relevant laboratory, chemical manufacturing, or organic synthesis experience; or
• Advanced degree: typically 3+ years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated ability to independently perform organic synthesis and chemical production activities.
• Experience working in a regulated, quality-controlled, or production laboratory environment.
• Experience training or mentoring other laboratory personnel.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong knowledge of organic chemistry and synthetic chemistry techniques, with the ability to troubleshoot reactions and train others.
• Hands-on experience with laboratory and chemical production equipment and safe handling of hazardous chemicals.
• Experience with analytical techniques such as NMR, HPLC, TLC, FTIR, and UV/Vis.
• Strong commitment to laboratory safety, quality, Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), and accurate documentation.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, coordinate work, and delegate tasks effectively in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Ability to lead technically complex projects and collaborate across Manufacturing, Quality, R&D, Operations, and other functions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present experimental designs, technical findings, and recommendations to peers, stakeholders, and management.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel, relevant ERP systems, and ChemDraw.
• Ability to develop manufacturing and NPI documentation, including MBRs, BOMs, hazard assessments, and incoming specifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with process and/or equipment validation.
• Experience with Lean manufacturing, Practical Process Improvement, 5S, or similar continuous-improvement methodologies.
• Experience leading root-cause investigations and implementing corrective actions.
• Familiarity with statistical tools used to evaluate and improve manufacturing and quality, including control charting, Pareto analysis, process capability, guard banding, Design of Experiments (DOE), and Measurement System Analysis (MSA).
• Experience with statistical analysis or DOE software.
• Experience supporting scale-up, custom manufacturing, or new product introduction activities.

Environmental, Health & Safety Requirements

This position may generate or manage hazardous waste as defined by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Individuals in this position are required to complete initial hazardous-waste training within the first 30 working days of assignment and annual refresher training thereafter.

Training includes hazardous and solid waste identification, hazardous-waste management, recycling, treatment and disposal, emergency preparedness, recordkeeping, pollution prevention, and waste reduction.

All employees are expected to follow applicable safety procedures and contribute to a safe working environment.

Additional Information

This position has not been approved for relocation assistance.

At Thermo Fisher Scientific, we share a common set of values—Integrity, Intensity, Innovation, and Involvement—and work together to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer.

Compensation and Benefits

This position may also be eligible to receive a variable annual bonus based on company, team, and/or individual performance results in accordance with company policy. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package that our U.S. colleagues and their families can count on, which includes:

• A choice of national medical and dental plans, and a national vision plan, including health incentive programs

• Employee assistance and family support programs, including commuter benefits and tuition reimbursement

• At least 120 hours paid time off (PTO), 10 paid holidays annually, paid parental leave (3 weeks for bonding and 8 weeks for caregiver leave), accident and life insurance, and short- and long-term disability in accordance with company policy

• Retirement and savings programs, such as our competitive 401(k) U.S. retirement savings plan

• Employees’ Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) offers eligible colleagues the opportunity to purchase company stock at a discount

For more information on our benefits, please visit: https://jobs.thermofisher.com/global/en/total-rewards