Senior Scientist - Analytical Chemistry

Your Impact at LILA

The Senior Scientist, Analytical Chemistry will develop and deploy advanced analytical and characterization strategies to support Discovery Chemistry efforts across Lila’s platform, with a focus on enabling the rapid design, synthesis, screening, and optimization of small molecules and related molecular matter. This scientist will play a key role in generating high-quality, information-rich experimental data that informs chemistry decisions and accelerates platform learning.

Working closely with Discovery Chemistry, automation, AI/computational, and screening teams, this role will establish and scale multimodal characterization workflows that go beyond traditional analytical chemistry approaches. The Senior Scientist will help build an integrated analytical capability spanning compound characterization, reaction monitoring, molecular profiling, and high-throughput data generation to support fast and iterative design–make–test–analyze cycles.

This role will be critical to shaping Lila’s next-generation discovery engine by combining deep expertise in analytical chemistry with high-throughput experimentation, multimodal data generation, AI-enabled workflows.

What You'll Be Building

• Develop, optimize, and implement analytical and multimodal characterization workflows to support Discovery Chemistry programs and molecular discovery campaigns.
• Support the design, synthesis, screening, and optimization of small molecules by delivering rapid, reliable, and information-rich analytical data.
• Lead analytical method development for compound identification, purity assessment, impurity profiling, reaction monitoring, and molecular characterization using techniques such as liquid chromatography, mass spectroscopy, NMR, and complementary orthogonal methods.
• Build characterization strategies that extend beyond traditional analytical methods, incorporating multimodal measurements that provide deeper insight into molecular identity, reaction outcomes, physicochemical properties, and structure–function relationships.
• Partner closely with Discovery Chemistry and screening teams to support high-throughput screening and high-throughput experimentation workflows, including rapid sample analysis, reaction triage, and compound profiling.
• Collaborate with automation and platform teams to integrate analytical instrumentation and data pipelines into robotics-enabled and scalable discovery workflows.
• Work closely with AI and computational teams to ensure analytical datasets are structured, interoperable, and useful for model development, closed-loop learning, and iterative molecule design.
• Establish robust workflows for reaction monitoring, in-process analytics, final compound quality assessment, and characterization of complex mixtures or intermediates.
• Troubleshoot analytical and characterization challenges related to sample preparation, instrumentation, method robustness, data interpretation, and workflow integration.
• Contribute to the development of platform-level capabilities for data-rich molecular discovery, including scalable characterization pipelines, method standardization, and best practices for analytical rigor.

What You’ll Need to Succeed

• PhD in Analytical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemical Biology, or a related scientific discipline with 5–8+ years of relevant industry or high-performance research experience.
• Deep expertise in analytical chemistry and molecular characterization in support of chemistry-driven discovery efforts.
• Strong hands-on experience with key analytical techniques for small molecule analysis.
• Demonstrated experience developing analytical methods for compound characterization, reaction monitoring, impurity analysis, and purity assessment.
• Experience supporting Discovery Chemistry, medicinal chemistry, synthetic chemistry, or other molecule-focused R&D environments.
• Strong understanding of how analytical data informs compound progression, screening decisions, reaction optimization, and molecular design.
• Experience working with or supporting high-throughput workflows, including rapid analytical turnaround in fast-paced research settings.
• Ability to solve complex analytical problems independently and work effectively across interdisciplinary teams spanning chemistry, screening, automation, and computational sciences.
• Strong documentation, communication, and data interpretation skills, with a commitment to rigor, reproducibility, and scientific quality.

Bonus Points For

• Experience with multimodal characterization approaches that combine orthogonal measurements to generate deeper insight into molecular systems and discovery workflows.
• Experience supporting high-throughput screening, reaction screening, or automated discovery platforms.
• Familiarity with analytical workflows integrated with robotics, liquid handlers, autosamplers, or other automation-enabled laboratory systems.
• Experience working in AI-enabled or highly data-driven R&D environments where experimental data is used to drive predictive modeling or closed-loop optimization.
• Knowledge of characterization approaches that extend beyond traditional compound QC, including molecular profiling, reaction analytics, and property-focused measurements.
• Familiarity with data systems such as ELNs, LIMS, and software tools used to manage and analyze large analytical datasets.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving, innovative environment with evolving platform needs and cross-functional priorities.
• Strong scientific curiosity and interest in building next-generation analytical capabilities for molecular discovery.

Expected Base Salary Range 148000 - 198000 USD