Principal Scientist - Oligonucleotide Design and Chemistry

Location: On-site in South San Francisco, California, United States

Salary: $143,200–$266,000 USD annually, based on the primary California location. A discretionary annual bonus may also be available.

Company

hirify.global, a member of the Roche group, develops medicines for serious and life-threatening diseases through biotechnology research and scientific innovation.

What you will do

• Lead the design, synthesis, purification, and characterization of novel oligonucleotide modalities, including ASOs, siRNAs, and saRNAs.
• Support nucleic-acid-based drug discovery programs and contribute technical leadership across the portfolio.
• Guide and mentor scientists in chemical synthesis, troubleshooting, impurity profiling, and analytical characterization.
• Partner with biology and biochemistry teams to design assays, interpret in vitro and in vivo data, and support decision-making.
• Communicate scientific progress, milestones, and insights to multidisciplinary project teams and stakeholders.
• Manage laboratory instrumentation and maintain efficient research operations.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in organic or medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, oligonucleotide chemistry, or a closely related field.
• 3+ years of postdoctoral or industry experience.
• Strong hands-on experience with siRNA and/or ASO therapeutics, including synthesis, purification, analytics, backbone modifications, and delivery technologies.
• Experience leading scientific initiatives, mentoring team members, and driving cross-functional collaborations, supported by publications or patents.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills for explaining complex scientific concepts to diverse audiences.
• Ability to work on-site in South San Francisco, California.

Nice to have

• Experience designing optimized oligonucleotide conjugates.
• Experience with linker discovery or bioconjugation optimization.

Culture & Benefits

• Collaborative and inclusive research environment.
• Relocation benefits are available.
• Employee benefits are provided according to the applicable hirify.global program.
• Work alongside multidisciplinary teams focused on developing medicines for serious diseases.