Senior Scientist - Molecular Design & Synthesis

About the role

Illumina is seeking a Senior Scientist in Molecular Design & Synthesis to drive the design, synthesis and optimization of novel molecular architectures that enable next-generation sequencing technologies. The role combines hands-on molecular synthesis with computational molecular design and cheminformatics, covering the full Design-Make-Test-Learn cycle.

Key responsibilities

• Molecular design and cheminformatics (40-50%): use structure-property-function relationships and cheminformatics, molecular modeling and data-driven approaches to design and prioritize molecules; build and analyze molecular datasets; evaluate properties such as conformation, solubility and hydrophobicity; assess synthetic feasibility and manufacturability
• Molecular synthesis and characterization (40-50%): design and run syntheses of peptides, oligonucleotides, linkers and conjugates using SPPS, phosphoramidite synthesis, click chemistry, bioconjugation and synthetic organic methods; troubleshoot yields and purity; characterize with LC-MS, HPLC and spectroscopy; document experiments and report findings
• Project leadership (10-20%): lead DMTL workflows, collaborate across chemistry, biology, engineering, sequencing, bioinformatics and data science, mentor junior scientists, support IP generation and patent applications, and present findings to project teams and leadership

Required profile

• Demonstrated expertise in molecular design, synthetic chemistry and molecular characterization
• Proven track record of independently driving complex scientific projects from concept to execution
• Breadth of expertise across multiple scientific disciplines and ability to influence technical decisions
• Strong written, verbal and presentation skills
• Preferred: experience mentoring scientists and contributing to a culture of scientific excellence

Required skills

• Preferred: RDKit, Python, molecular modeling software and property prediction workflows
• Preferred: experience in peptide synthesis, oligonucleotide chemistry, bioconjugation, molecular modeling, cheminformatics, computational chemistry and machine learning for molecular design
• Preferred: experience generating IP and working in multidisciplinary R&D environments
• Typically 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree, 3 years with a Master's, a PhD with research experience or equivalent industry experience