Job Summary:

SUNY Upstate Research Foundation is seeking a highly motivated Research Scientist to join the Upstate Pharmacology Team and will be responsible for Design Reactions, Synthesis, Purification, and Characterization. 

Key Responsibilities:

Design reactions:

• Conceive, plan, and optimize synthetic routes for novel organic molecules.
• Apply mechanistic knowledge and structure activity relationships (SAR) to guide reaction design.
• Evaluate alternative strategies to improve yield, selectivity, scalability, and sustainability.
• Stay updated on current literature and integrate innovative synthetic methodologies into research. 

Synthesis, Purification, and Classification:

• Carry out multistep organic synthesis with high reproducibility.
• Perform compound purification using chromatography, crystallization, distillation, or other appropriate methods.
• Characterize products using NMR, MS, IR, HPLC, GPC, TLC, UVVis, and other analytical techniques.
• Troubleshoot reactions, analyze side products, and refine conditions for optimal outcomes.
• Ensure synthesized compounds meet purity, stability, and structural requirements for downstream applications.

Lab Management:

• Maintain and organize laboratory equipment, chemical inventory, and safety protocols.
• Train and mentor junior researchers, graduate students, and rotation students in experimental techniques.
• Ensure compliance with institutional and federal safety regulations (chemical hygiene, waste management, IACUC-related procedures if applicable).
• Coordinate with collaborators and core facilities for shared instrumentation and services.
• Support smooth day-to-day laboratory operations, including ordering supplies and scheduling instrument use.
• Prepare reports and manuscripts:
• Compile and analyze experimental data into clear figures, tables, and graphs.
• Write progress reports for principal investigators, funding agencies, or industrial partners.
• Contribute to drafting and revising manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication.
• Assist with writing patents, grant applications, or technical documents when needed.
• Present findings at internal meetings, conferences, and seminars.

Maintain records:

• Keep accurate, detailed, and timely electronic lab notebooks (ELNs) or paper records of experimental procedures and results.
• Document experimental parameters, conditions, and troubleshooting notes to ensure reproducibility.
• Archive and organize analytical data in shared databases for team accessibility.
• Follow best practices for data integrity, confidentiality, and compliance with institutional policies.
• Contribute to maintaining transparent workflows that facilitate knowledge transfer across the team.

Minimum Qualifications:

• PhD in Organic Chemistry or a closely related discipline.
  Expertise in chemical synthesis, purification, and characterization.
• Hands-on experience in chromatography, NMR, MS.
• Design and execute multistep organic synthesis.
• Familiar with scale-up synthesis and optimization of synthetic routes.
• Effective oral and written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong record of publications. 
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Experience in structure-activity relationship studies and molecule design. 
• Proficiency in handling air- and moisture-sensitive reactions. 
• Experience leading research projects.

Work Days:

Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00pm

Message to Applicants:

Salary Range: $50,000 - $60,000, DOE

Recruitment Office: Human Resources