Pharmaceutical Chemist

PSYGEN LABS INC. (PLI) aspires to be a global leader in synthetic and biotechnological manufacture of psychedelic medicines. Our mission is to provide access to psychedelic APIs and drug products for clinical research and therapeutic applications.

Psychedelic drugs are experiencing a renaissance in the clinical treatment of a wide variety of conditions that have eluded widespread successful treatment. Psygen is actively developing commercial infrastructure for the large-scale synthesis and distribution of psychedelic drugs. This is a unique opportunity to be part of a historical transformation in the mental health and addictions treatment sectors.

Psygen provides a progressive work environment, a competitive compensation and benefits package, and opportunities for personal growth.

Pharmaceutical Chemist – Summary

Reporting to the Chief Scientific Officer and working closely with the Director of R&D Operations, the successful candidate will be responsible for conducting syntheses of various psychedelic substances in a dedicated R&D lab. They must have an excellent understanding of synthetic organic chemistry procedures and related Quality and Regulatory requirements. In addition to the R&D work, the candidate will assist as needed with active synthetic chemistry projects at kilo and process scales in separate dedicated kilo-scale and pilot plant production labs.

The candidate will support team operations in Psygen’s state-of-the-art 6000 sqf R&D and commercial scale manufacturing labs. They will conduct multi-step organic synthetic procedures, manage method development and validation, operate and maintain lab instrumentation, and ensure that high-purity cGMP psychedelic APIs and drug products are produced to the highest quality standards.

The successful candidate must have solid working experience operating and maintaining various lab instruments, and be familiar with UHPLC-MS, GC-MS, UV, IR, DSC, and NMR analysis and interpretation of analytical results. Candidate must be willing to re-locate to Calgary, Alberta.

Responsibilities

• Plan, schedule, and execute gram to kilogram scale synthesis and purification of tryptamines, lysergamides, phenethyl-/phenylisopropylamines, and other psychedelic substances in a cGMP context
• Develop, optimize, and validate novel synthetic pathways leading to improved alternatives to complex existing methodologies
• Develop SOPs, document GMP batch data and information, and prepare reports and technical presentations
• Install, validate, service, and maintain lab instrumentation in a 6000 sqf ISO8 modular clean lab
• Perform cleaning validation procedures
• Assist in develop specifications for raw materials, intermediates, and APIs
• Coordinate with QA/QC, Regulatory Compliance (RC), and Customer Relations (CR) teams
• Collaborate with the QA/RC team for the preparation of Drug Master Files and client CTA/IND filings
• Coordinate with Psygen analytical chemist for release testing of finished APIs
• Maintain lab cleanliness, safety and cGMP guidelines, certification, and records for audit purposes
• Assist with kilo and process scale manufacturing as assigned
• Contribute to internal and client-focused projects

Qualifications and Experience

• Graduate degree in synthetic organic chemistry or medicinal chemistry (PhD preferred)
• In-depth bench scale experience with multi-step synthetic manufacturing procedures in a GMP context
• Ability to perform air and moisture sensitive reactions at gram to kilogram scale
• Practical experience with automated UV- and mass-directed flash chromatography
• Publication record demonstrating expertise in synthetic organic chemistry
• Interest in / focus on 5HT-2A receptor agonists and the current resurgence of related research in psychedelic science
• Demonstrated ability to design, implement, and execute strategies
• Hands-on, resourceful, proactive, and highly detail-oriented
• Team player who excels in a dynamic environment with challenging timelines
• Excellent verbal and written communicator with strong organizational and time management skills
• Curiosity driven with the motivation and ability to troubleshoot reaction problems and solve complex technical problems
• Committed to continuously improving and updating technical and scientific skills and knowledge
• Ability to work independently with minimal oversight
• Ability to multi-task and adapt to changing priorities in a team-oriented entrepreneurial environment