Thursday, February 28, 2019

The Medicinal Chemist Jobs List: 309 positions

The Medicinal Chemist Jobs list (curated by Joel Walker and myself) has 309 positions.

Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions, but if you want to do the traditional "leave a link in the comments", that works, too.

Want to chat about medchem positions? Try the open thread.

Positions I'm not including: positions outside the United States, computational positions (this will likely change), academic positions (likely never.)

36 new positions at Organic Chemistry Jobs

Over at Common Organic Chemistry, there's 19 new positions for February 24 and 17 new positions posted for February 22.

The Analytical Chemistry Jobs List: 15 positions

The Analytical Chemistry Jobs List has 15 positions; this is curated by the ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry. Want to help out? Fill out this form. 

The Process Chemistry Jobs List: 283 positions

The Process Chemistry Jobs List has 283 positions.

Want to help? Here's a form to fill out.

Want to chat process jobs? Try the open thread. 

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

#chemjobs, #altchemjobs and the center of the central science

Marshall Brennan is a long-time denizen of the chemblogosphere. He’s written many years at Colorblind Chemistry. After his postdoctoral position, he’s taken on editor positions at Nature Chemistry and now he is the founding publishing manager of ChemRxiv, the ACS/RSC/GDCh open-access preprint server. He’s a tireless advocate of preprints for chemistry on Twitter.

If you haven’t had a chance to read his piece on the tag #altchemjobs and why he hates the term, you should. Marshall is not the only person who feels this way, and the piece is an eloquent cri de coeur on why he feels excluded when people use the tag. I’ve summarized his points below:
  1. Marshall believes that, as of late, the #altchemjobs tag has become a bit of a joke on Twitter. He believes it is rude, and dismissive of non-laboratory jobs. 
  2. He also believes that we overly focus on what is the central "thing" and bucket the rest of these things as "alternatives." 
  3. He dislikes the overall feeling in graduate school that you can 1) get a research track job (industry, academia or government or 2) "something else." 
  4. He notes that many people feel that there is some level of stigma or shame associated with expressing interest in non-research jobs during graduate school, citing the many messages he gets where people will privately express their interest to leave the laboratory (as he has), but are unwilling to express this to their advisers. 
So, as with many blog posts about conflict, I’m going to start with an apology: as the main poster of the #chemjobs and #altchemjobs tag, I hadn’t noticed that that the #altchemjobs tag had become increasingly jokey and outré. For that, I apologize to Marshall and the undoubted many people on Twitter who were offended/put off by this. I am sorry.

I am also going to indulge myself in some definitional discussion, which I am very fond of.

I find this statement by Marshall worth examination: “I have an “altchemjob” that I feel makes very good use of my chemistry background and has a measurable impact on chemistry research.” As a main arbiter of what is and isn’t in #chemjobs tag or the #altchemjobs tag, I am not sure I agree with Marshall’s characterization. I can see both sides: he works for the American Chemical Society, which is the professional society for chemists. In that regard, Marshall is part of the “chemical enterprise” (another frustratingly vague term that the American Chemical Society is fond of).

But what is the “chemical enterprise”? Marshall works for ACS Publications (I think), and they are a publishing house and (to throw out one definition) they are not part of the chemical manufacturing subsector (NAICS 325). Then again, neither are professors (NAICS code 611310 - Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools.) If chemistry professors aren’t part of the “chemical enterprise”, then no one is.

I would like to put all of this definitional folderol aside and just settle on numbers. As I never, ever tire of reminding people who meet me in person, you can look at the Census Bureau’s 2012 study of those who have gotten a science and engineering degree and discover one true fact: the majority of people in the United States who have physical science undergraduate degrees do not work as physical scientists. In other words, most of the people who have a chemistry degree do not work as chemists. As the (few) people who have heard me speak in person on this topic have heard me say: this is not good or bad, it just is. It’s not what should be, or what ought to be, it is what IS. One more time: to the best of my interpretative ability, I believe the Census Bureau has determined that most of the people in the United States who have gotten a chemistry B.A. or B.S. do not work as chemists. If that’s the case, this should free people from any burden that they are doing something not normal by not working in the laboratory.

[This means YOU, grad students and postdocs who are forwarded this post.]

However, we have no idea if this is true for those who hold master’s or doctoral degrees in chemistry. In fact, this is one of the most frustrating aspects of my discussions with people, including my dear friend and debating partner Lisa Balbes. How many chemists leave the lab? I have no idea. When do they do it? Don't know. Is it growing? Don’t know. Are more people going straight from graduate school into non-research careers? Don’t know. (Probably?) Are careers in laboratory chemistry getting longer or shorter? Don’t know. What is normal for Ph.D. chemists? Don’t know. What is abnormal for chemists in terms of careers? Don’t know. We just don't have the data.

But here’s what I do know - this is a solvable problem. There are numbers that can be quantified. Let’s quantify them, dammit. Because if we find that 95% of Ph.D. chemists go into research careers in industry, academia and government, and only 5% of them do something else, that’s a minority, and that’s worth noting, and worth taking into consideration. If we find that it’s 50% research careers, and 50% something else, that’s sure as heck worth noting as well. (Until that day, we’ll be stuck having this same f------ debate.)

I’d like to end by questioning a final statement that Marshall makes and I strongly disagree with. He says “I don’t think we’re going to be at a point where we equally revere and celebrate the folks who are currently under the #altchemjobs umbrella as those who do lab work anytime soon.”

So here’s my perspective: I don’t talk about my work much and what I do, but suffice it to say I work at a chemical manufacturer. What many people don’t know is that I too have transitioned out of the laboratory to a position that I charitably describe as “chemistry-adjacent.” Because I actually work at a plant (which is a relative minority of the chemical enterprise by employment), I have never forgotten who pays the bills: the chemists who invent the molecules, scale them up safely and economically, and the chemical operators who manufacture the products. No chemists, no product. No product, no money.

Laboratory chemists are central to the central science. If laboratory chemists do not produce the new products and new knowledge they do, Marshall doesn’t have a job and neither do I. All those alternative/non-traditional/non-research/non-laboratory jobs that we like to highlight? No lab chemists? No fancy IP lawyers. No smelly greasy lab coat wearing goob? No EHS consultants. No pedantic research fellow? No business development BMWs. That’s why laboratory chemists are special to the chemical enterprise, and that’s why they are celebrated as “the main thing” and that’s why they should be.

So here’s what I’m going to do: As Marshall has noted, the #altchemjobs tag has gotten dismissive and jokey (honestly, neglected), and because of that, I’m going to increase my posts on the tag, with the non-research/non-laboratory posts that I hope he and others will find appropriately respectful and worthwhile. I’m glad he’s started this conversation, and I hope it continues.

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Postdoctoral position: organic chemistry, Hill Group, UNC Chapel Hill

From the inbox, a postdoctoral position: 
The Hill group at UNC Chapel Hill is searching for a postdoctoral associate to join the lab starting June 1, 2019.  The lab's major foci are total synthesis of biologically active natural products and organocatalytic reaction methodology and development; experience in these areas is desirable. Please mail your cover letter, CV, research summary by March 15th to: 
Prof. Sidney M. Wilkerson-Hill
UNC Chemistry Department , CB #3290
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3290. 
For more information please see http://research.unc.edu/offices/postdoctoral-affairs/postdocs/. Underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply.
Best wishes to those interested.  

Altchemjobs discussion

Don't forget to read Marshall Brennan's thoughts on alternative jobs in chemistry. My response will be up on Wednesday morning. 

The Academic Staff Jobs List: 18 positions

The Academic Staff Jobs list has 18 positions.

This list is curated by Sarah Cady. It targets:
  • Full-time STAFF positions in a Chem/Biochem/ChemE lab/facility at an academic institution/natl lab
  • Lab Coordinator positions for research groups or undergraduate labs 
  • and for an institution in Canada or the United States
Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

Want to chat about staff scientist positions? Try the open thread.

Monday, February 25, 2019

Marshall Brennan: #altchemjobs are just #chemjobs

Over at Marshall Brennan's blog, a critique of the "altchemjobs" hashtag on Twitter that is a cogent summary of how a lot of people feel: 
I have given many career panel talks, Q&As, jobs seminars, etc as both an editor and preprint business lead, and usually the reason people want to hear from me is to learn how to break the news to their colleagues that they want to pursue something outside of research. They have the same concerns about being shunned by their peers, that their advisor will think less of them, or that going down such a path is akin to chemistry seppuku.  
Worse still are the folks that find their way into my DMs or email inbox with these concerns, where sometimes these students are having full on identity crises. (If you’re having stress about your career and think that I can offer you any advice, consolation, etc, please don’t hesitate to reach out. My inbox is a confidential, judgment-free place for you to seek help if you need it, and you can feel free to vent to me if that will help you.)  
Call me crazy, but I think that a student should pursue a career that excites them, that they’re passionate about, and that can help them maintain a life (both personal and professional) that they’re satisfied with. None of those criteria require you to take your PhD to a laboratory, and I think that anyone who is trained as a chemist is a chemist as long as they choose to identify that way.
I'm looking forward to responding to this on Wednesday morning. Read the whole thing.

The newest chapter in the UT-Austin case

Via Chemical and Engineering News, an article from Bethany Halford on the Suvi Orr/Stephen Martin retraction/thesis revocation case: 
The University of Texas at Austin does not have the authority to revoke a student’s degree, according to a Feb. 11 ruling by Judge Karin Crump in Travis County, Texas district court. The judgment is the latest turn in the university’s years-long effort to strip Suvi Orr of her doctorate in chemistry. 
Orr began her graduate studies in organic synthesis in Stephen Martin’s lab in 2003. In 2008 she successfully defended her thesis. But six years later, UT Austin sent a certified letter to Orr saying the school was invalidating her thesis based on research misconduct. The university cited a 2011 Organic Letters paper that was retracted in 2012 (DOI: 10.1021/ol302236g) because two steps in the synthesis could not be reproduced 
Orr, now a senior principal scientist at Pfizer, denies any wrongdoing. “The allegations were all related to the 2011 Organic Letters paper,” she says. “It was drafted and put together by Professor Martin and a postdoc who was at UT at the time. I did not write it.” Her attorneys, Anita Kawaja and David Sergi, say UT Austin’s claim of misconduct revolves around three nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. 
“She discussed all this data with Professor Martin, and he reviewed it with her,” Kawaja says. With his input as her mentor, she reported it in her dissertation. “The three datapoints at issue are entirely irrelevant to Dr. Orr’s dissertation,” Kawaja adds. “She could have taken that data out of her dissertation and it wouldn’t have affected the conclusion. She still would have been qualified to receive her degree.” It wasn’t until 2011 that Martin approached Orr about publishing the work. Kawaja said Orr agreed to do so only because Martin reassured her that the data had been reproduced. 
Martin declined to comment.
I haven't followed this case closely enough to intelligently comment on it. I suppose all I can say is that it seems pretty unusual for a professor to press forward with revocation of a Ph.D. thesis - can anyone else point to another instance where this was the course of action decided upon? 

Job posting: program coordinator, Center for Autonomous Chemistry, UMass-Amherst

From the inbox, a program coordinator position at the Center for Autonomous Chemistry at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst:
The Program Coordinator for the Institute of Diversity Sciences and the Center for Autonomous Chemistry organizes and supports all programmatic activities related to the Institute of Diversity Sciences (IDS) and the Center for Autonomous Chemistry (CAC) at UMass Amherst. This position will manage the scheduling and logistics of research meetings, be responsible for annual reports and evaluations, oversee the IDS and CAC budgets, manage the seed grant application process for IDS, serve as liaison between IDS/CAC and their respective stakeholders on and off campus, keep records of IDS and CAC activities, and assist with communication strategies (website and social media development and maintenance).
CAC leadership notes that applications from scientists are welcomed. Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested.  

Friday, February 22, 2019

Post-it Notes

A list of small, useful things (links):
An open invitation to all interested in writing a blog, a hobby that will bring 
you millions thousands hundreds tens of dollars joy and happiness. Send me a link to your post, and I'd be happy to put it up.

Have a good weekend!

Safety warning: injection of DCM

DCM injected into finger, after two hours (credit: Seb Vidal)
Via Twitter, the rather concerning photo at right from French chemist (Sebastien Vidal, who was not
the person affected). Here is the text, via his tweets (clarified for grammar):
Which solvent could have caused such injury after poking one's finger with a syringe and injecting 1-2 drops of solvent? 15 minutes and 2 hrs pictures (CJ's note: 2 hour picture shown) 
So this is dichloromethane. 
It got purple immediately then necrosis. Heat in the finger and nerve affected. Got surgery within 2 hr in ER. Self skin graft from his arm. 3 month recover.
Quite ok now. That was a huge shock for me. 
This is really to alert everyone about simply injecting DCM in a flask which turned in almost losing a finger if surgery was done too late. 
Surgeon had to remove dead flesh and self-graft was needed to reconstruct. Nerve was 90% damaged and regeneration was slow but nearly 70% ok now after 8 months. Painkillers did not help after 10 days and lots of rough night for him.
Well, I consider myself warned. Be careful out there. 

Got a career dilemma?

I'm always game for writing answer requests for advice in my column at Chemical and Engineering News. Please feel free to write me (chemjobber@gmail.com) if you have a career-oriented dilemma that you'd like me to write about in the magazine. Also, you can submit your questions with this handy web form. Thanks!

Thursday, February 21, 2019

The Medicinal Chemist Jobs List: 305 positions

The Medicinal Chemist Jobs list (curated by Joel Walker and myself) has 305 positions.

Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions, but if you want to do the traditional "leave a link in the comments", that works, too.

Want to chat about medchem positions? Try the open thread.

Positions I'm not including: positions outside the United States, computational positions (this will likely change), academic positions (likely never.)

19 new positions at Organic Chemistry Jobs

Over at Common Organic Chemistry, there's 14 new positions for February 18 and 5 new positions posted for February 14.

The Analytical Chemistry Jobs List: 15 positions

The Analytical Chemistry Jobs List has 15 positions; this is curated by the ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry. Want to help out? Fill out this form. 

The Process Chemistry Jobs List: 277 positions

The Process Chemistry Jobs List has 277 positions.

Want to help? Here's a form to fill out.

Want to chat process jobs? Try the open thread. 

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Warning Letter of the Week: wood burner edition

Via a friendly note from the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research to the Chairman and Managing Director of Vipor Chemicals Private Ltd. (Gujarat, India):
2.      Failure to have the procedures and processes necessary to ensure the API manufactured at your facility meet established specifications for quality and purity.
Batch Control
You do not have a procedure to control the issuance, usage, and reconciliation of batch manufacturing records (BMRs). Your production personnel record manufacturing activities in personal notebooks or on draft BMRs. Production managers then transcribe the data onto another BMR, which is then circulated to the production operators and supervisors for their signatures. Production management stated that drafts are incinerated in a wood burner. Your firm’s representative asked our investigator why such a practice was problematic.
 Have you tried sourcing a good shredder? They're expensive! 

Job posting: principal investigator, Nephron Technologies, Minneapolis, MN

From the inbox, a position with a new startup in Minneapolis, MN:
Job Title: Principal Investigator
Company Name: Nephron Technologies
Location: Minneapolis, MN 
Education Requirement: PhD or MS in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering or related field. 
Skills: Analytical chemistry, Chemical/Process Engineering, Electrical/Computer Engineering, Prototyping, Systems Analysis, Controls, Computer Programming, Mass Transport. 
Job Description: Nephron Technologies is a seed-stage startup company focused on revolutionizing dialysis technology. We are searching for a Principal Investigator to lead our proof-of-concept operations, contingent on award of an NIH SBIR Phase I grant. The term of employment begins as soon as the grant is awarded. If we are successful with the Phase I grant, which covers six months of work, we will apply for a Phase II grant, which covers an additional year of work. We will then seek other sources of funding to continue our efforts. 
Because this is a startup company, we cannot guarantee that this will be a stable source of employment. We can only employ you if we are successful with grants. Compensation will include equity in the company in addition to a salary. 
Your work will include designing and testing a benchtop dialysis device. We will collect data, write reports, and plan experiments. There may be an opportunity for publications. Because you will be a technical leader on the project, there is an opportunity to become an executive officer depending on how long you want to stay! 
Please email me only if you meet the requirements above, and you are seeking a fast-paced, high-risk, high-reward position like this. Unfortunately, we cannot support relocation. 
Contact Information: goodman.danielj@gmail.com
Best wishes to those interested.  

This week's C&EN

From this week's issue of Chemical and Engineering News:

The Academic Staff Jobs List: 18 positions

The Academic Staff Jobs list has 18 positions.

This list is curated by Sarah Cady. It targets:
  • Full-time STAFF positions in a Chem/Biochem/ChemE lab/facility at an academic institution/natl lab
  • Lab Coordinator positions for research groups or undergraduate labs 
  • and for an institution in Canada or the United States
Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

Want to chat about staff scientist positions? Try the open thread.

Monday, February 18, 2019

Update from St. Andrews

Credit: University of St. Andrews
A remarkably thorough report from St. Andrews, especially consider the fire happened 6 days before the report. As respected folks have noted on Twitter, at some point, it would be good to get more detail on this paragraph:
It began on the third floor of BMS late on Sunday afternoon when a routine post-experiment wash-up went wrong. Colleagues followed safety procedures to the letter – a fire blanket was used immediately to try to extinguish the first flames in room 305, and when that failed they raised the alarm and evacuated.
I'll note that I don't have a ton of experience fighting serious fires, i.e. most of the laboratory fires that I have dealt with (three or four) have been instances where a fire extinguisher was sufficient to put out the flames. There is an aspect of "I will get this thing back under control" that I am sure every laboratory chemist feels, but fire is a beast unto itself, and I am guessing there are insufficient fire extinguishers in the typical laboratory to deal with, say, a working 8-foot hood doing organic chemistry that has gone up and is emitting 4-5 foot flames. (Note: I am not a chemical safety expert, nor a fire expert.)

Be careful out there, folks. Glad to hear that everyone at St. Andrews is safe. 

Friday, February 15, 2019

View From Your Hood: Seattle sunset edition

Credit: Indrek Kalvet
Via a reader Indrek Kalvet: "The otherwise gorgeous view from our lab looking over the Seattle skyline and the Olympic mountains got a serious upgrade by this beautiful sunset."

(got a View from Your Hood submission? Send it in (with a caption and preference for name/anonymity, please) at chemjobber@gmail.com; will run every other Friday.)

Thursday, February 14, 2019

The Medicinal Chemist Jobs List: 298 positions

The Medicinal Chemist Jobs list (curated by Joel Walker and myself) has 298 positions.

Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions, but if you want to do the traditional "leave a link in the comments", that works, too.

Want to chat about medchem positions? Try the open thread.

Positions I'm not including: positions outside the United States, computational positions (this will likely change), academic positions (likely never.)

The Analytical Chemistry Jobs List: 14 positions

The Analytical Chemistry Jobs List has 14 positions; this is curated by the ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry. Want to help out? Fill out this form. 

The Process Chemistry Jobs List: 274 positions

The Process Chemistry Jobs List has 274 positions.

Want to help? Here's a form to fill out.

Want to chat process jobs? Try the open thread. 

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Warning Letter of the Week: ship it! edition

In a letter from the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research to the general manager of Hangzhou Guoguang Touring Commodity Co., Ltd.:
2. Your firm failed to establish an adequate quality control unit with the responsibility and authority to approve or reject all components, drug product containers, closures, in-process materials, packaging materials, labeling, and drug products (21 CFR 211.22(a)). 
Your quality unit failed to exercise its authority to approve, release, and distribute OTC drug products before all analytical testing was completed and reviewed. In addition, your firm approved and released OTC drug products that did not meet their final specification. For example:
  • For [redacted] batches of [redacted], your sales manager was provided with test results from your contract laboratory that were out of specification [redacted] for [redacted] assay. The batches were distributed without the quality unit’s review of the failing test results.
  • A batch of [redacted] (Lot [redacted]) was released by your quality unit on August 3, 2017, and was shipped on August 7, 2017, before your firm received the results of assay testing. 
In your response, you provided an updated standard operating procedure and the associated training records concerning the release of OTC drug products with inadequate quality oversight. However, your response is inadequate because you have not determined the root cause of this violation.
 Eh, the assay probably would have shown the material to be in spec anyway... ship it! 

Postdoctoral position: self-assembling peptide design, Korendovych lab, Syracuse University

Via Twitter, a postdoctoral position at Syracuse: 
A postdoctoral position will be opening in the Korendovych lab at Syracuse University, subject to final approval by HR. The lab’s major foci include designing self-assembling peptides for catalysis (e.g. Nat. Chem. 2014, 303; ACIE 2016, 9017 and ACS Cat. 2018, 59) and minimalist design and directed evolution of protein catalysts (e.g. JACS 2015, 14905; ACIE 2013, 6246, Nat. Commun. 2017, 14876).  
Experience in peptide synthesis and characterization, familiarity with spectroscopy, biophysical characterization techniques, recombinant protein expression and ability to handle air sensitive samples are desirable. Most importantly, the Korendovych lab is looking for an energetic, motivated, critically thinking individual.  
Interested candidates should contact me directly at ikorendo@syr.edu.    
Best wishes to those interested.  

Job posting: two positions, Davidson College, Davidson, NC

From the inbox, two positions at Davidson College: 
VISITING ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN CHEMISTRY and INSTRUCTOR IN CHEMISTRY at DAVIDSON COLLEGE 
The Chemistry Department at Davidson College invites applications for a two-year visiting position in chemistry at the Assistant Professor level and a two-year visiting position in Chemistry at the Instructor level to both begin July 1, 2019.   
Details regarding the chemistry program can be found on the department website (http://www.davidson.edu/academics/chemistry). Please direct inquiries to Durwin Striplin, Professor and Chair of Chemistry, at dustriplin@davidson.edu.  Only online applications submitted to http://employment.davidson.edu will be considered.  More detailed information can be found on the employment site at Davidson College.   
At Davidson College, we believe the college grows stronger by recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty and staff committed to building an inclusive community.  In order to achieve and sustain educational excellence, we seek to hire talented faculty and staff across the intersections of diverse races, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, gender identities, ages, socio-economic backgrounds, political perspectives, abilities, cultures, and national origins.
 Best wishes to those interested. 

The Academic Staff Jobs List: 18 positions

The Academic Staff Jobs list has 18 positions.

This list is curated by Sarah Cady. It targets:
  • Full-time STAFF positions in a Chem/Biochem/ChemE lab/facility at an academic institution/natl lab
  • Lab Coordinator positions for research groups or undergraduate labs 
  • and for an institution in Canada or the United States
Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

Want to chat about staff scientist positions? Try the open thread.

Friday, February 8, 2019

Moisture balance pans

A list of small, useful things (links):
An open invitation to all interested in writing a blog, a hobby that will bring 
you millions thousands hundreds tens of dollars joy and happiness. Send me a link to your post, and I'd be happy to put it up.

Have a good weekend!

LOL skills gap

From the inbox, a hilarious example of "skills gap" language (emphasis mine)
The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry is warning that the UK needs to fill an increasing number of science skills gaps in order to retain its prominent position for medicines and vaccines research and development.... 
...“We have long been concerned by the skills gap in clinical pharmacology, as identified in the ABPI’s report. These skills are crucial for leading research and clinical trials, and for ensuring the best healthcare for patients,” commented Dr Anna Zecharia, director of Policy at the British Pharmacological Society. 
To help address the situation, the trade association says it is working with allied organisations, including the British Science Association, to inspire more young people to pursue STEM careers, and is involved in the development of standards for a new high-level Clinical Pharmacology Scientist apprenticeship.
This situation is terrible, which is why we're (checks notes) talking to pre-college students about studying STEM, making sure that our solution is at least 4 years out?

(Also, there aren't enough clinical pharmacologists in the UK? Surely this is not a huge field there? (There were 120,000 medicinal scientists in 2016, clinical pharmacologists fall under this classification in the US. I can't imagine there are more than ???? 12,000 ??? clinical pharmacologists in the UK? with a need for ~400 new ones a year? Who knows?) 

Got a career dilemma?

I'm always game for writing answer requests for advice in my column at Chemical and Engineering News. Please feel free to write me (chemjobber@gmail.com) if you have a career-oriented dilemma that you'd like me to write about in the magazine. Also, you can submit your questions with this handy web form. Thanks!

Thursday, February 7, 2019

The Medicinal Chemist Jobs List: 288 positions

The Medicinal Chemist Jobs list (curated by Joel Walker and myself) has 288 positions.

Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions, but if you want to do the traditional "leave a link in the comments", that works, too.

Want to chat about medchem positions? Try the open thread.

Positions I'm not including: positions outside the United States, computational positions (this will likely change), academic positions (likely never.)

The Analytical Chemistry Jobs List: 13 positions

The Analytical Chemistry Jobs List has 13 positions; this is curated by the ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry. Want to help out? Fill out this form. 

The Process Chemistry Jobs List: 270 positions

The Process Chemistry Jobs List has 270 positions.

Want to help? Here's a form to fill out.

Want to chat process jobs? Try the open thread. 

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Warning Letter of the Week: different HPLC conditions and other test methods edition

An epistle from the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research to the Chief Executive Officer of Soleo in Gyeonggi-do, Korea:
2.      Your firm failed to establish and document the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility of its test methods (21 CFR 211.165(e)).
Your firm did not validate analytical test methods used to determine assay for the active ingredients in your drug product before release for distribution. Your notebook and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) report included different instrumentation parameters for the same active ingredient analysis. For example, in the HPLC report the flow rate and injection amount for biotin was [redacted] mL/[redacted] and [redacted] µL, while in the notebook these parameters were recorded as [redacted] mL/[redacted] and [redacted] µL.

In your response, you stated, “In the main component analysis, other components besides the main component will be subjected to quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis through an external analysis institution”.

Your response is inadequate because you did not provide sufficient information regarding the validation of your test methods, including a timeframe to complete method validation and which analyses your third-party will be conducting. You also did not provide an interim plan of action.
I guess "uh, we'll have someone else do the QC testing" won't fly as an excuse.  

This week's C&EN

A few of the articles in this week's issue of Chemical and Engineering News:

The Academic Staff Jobs List: 18 positions

The Academic Staff Jobs list has 18 positions.

This list is curated by Sarah Cady. It targets:
  • Full-time STAFF positions in a Chem/Biochem/ChemE lab/facility at an academic institution/natl lab
  • Lab Coordinator positions for research groups or undergraduate labs 
  • and for an institution in Canada or the United States
Want to help out? Here's a Google Form to enter positions.

Want to chat about staff scientist positions? Try the open thread.

Friday, February 1, 2019

View From Your Hood: beach clouds edition

From friend of the blog Lisa Balbes: "I really was reading journal articles."

(got a View from Your Hood submission? Send it in (with a caption and preference for name/anonymity, please) at chemjobber@gmail.com; will run every other Friday.)

Job posting: medicinal chemist, Caltech, Pasadena, CA

From the inbox, a position at Caltech:
We are seeking a highly motivated and talented individual with a strong background in synthetic organic chemistry to join our pharmaceutical chemistry team in the Caltech Chemistry Department.  
Chemists at Caltech have developed a proprietary platform technology for creating small molecules to treat patients with unmet medical needs. The technology allows unprecedented structural tailoring of small molecules and will enable the development of molecules with better target receptor docking and other desirable properties. This project is driven by a collaboration with a drug development start-up and a highly respected medical school’s translational oncology group.  
The oncology group will provide their proprietary knowledge of unknown oncologic dependencies and experimental expertise and the start-up will provide operational support and access to deep in-silico and drug development expertise. Our collaborators have also developed a broad database of intriguing biological targets. As the project progresses there may be an opportunity to become involved in the external start-up, where there are additional non-salary compensation incentives.
M.S/Ph.D. and 2 years of experience desired. Full job posting here. Best wishes to those interested. 

This week's C&EN

A few of the articles in this week's issue of Chemical and Engineering News: