Principal Scientist

Job Description: Principal Scientist Natural Product Chemistry

Company: Proteogenixx Lifescience Private Limited

Location: BSC BioNEST Bio-Incubator, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, Haryana

Employment Type: Full-Time

Experience: Minimum 2 years of post-PhD experience (Industrial experience strongly preferred)

Education: Ph.D. in Natural Product Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Pharmacognosy, or a closely related discipline

About Proteogenixx Lifescience

Proteogenixx Lifescience Private Limited is a research-driven biotechnology organization specializing in the development of high-purity biochemical reagents, recombinant proteins, and advanced diagnostic kits. Anchored at the prestigious BSC BioNEST Bio-Incubator (BBB), we are committed to the "Made in India" initiative, delivering world-class scientific innovations.

We are seeking an outstanding and self-motivated Principal Scientist Natural Product Chemistry to lead our downstream extraction, isolation, and chemical modification pipelines, with a primary focus on driving our high-stakes toxin-mitigation and diagnostic standard projects.

Key Responsibilities

1. R&D Leadership & Extraction Pipelines

• Design, optimize, and execute robust extraction protocols to isolate high-purity natural products, secondary metabolites, and target compounds from complex plant tissues and microbial (fungal/bacterial) cultures.
• Lead the downstream purification processes from bench-scale to pilot-scale utilizing advanced chromatography systems (e.g., Prep-HPLC, Flash Chromatography, Column Chromatography, and Solid Phase Extraction).
• Act as the technical lead for specialized natural product projects (including mycotoxins and associated reference materials), ensuring precise control of active ingredients.

2. Structural Characterization & Spectroscopy

• Perform high-resolution structural elucidation of isolated compounds using 1D/2D NMR and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS).
• Interpret complex analytical data (LC-MS/MS, GC-MS, FTIR, and UV-Vis) to confirm compound identity, absolute configuration, and purity levels.
• Troubleshoot complex spectroscopic anomalies and maintain detailed analytical validation dossiers for internal quality control and regulatory clearance.

3. Semi-Synthesis & Chemical Transformation

• Design and execute chemical transformation, derivatization, and semi-synthetic modification pathways of natural templates to improve structural stability, solubility, or biological activity.
• Standardize chemical conjugation protocols (e.g., protein-hapten conjugation, fluorophore labeling) for diagnostic assay development.

4. Laboratory Management & Compliance

• Supervise, mentor, and train junior research associates, ensuring highly efficient laboratory workflows and strict adherence to biosafety protocols.
• Maintain rigorous electronic laboratory notebooks (ELNs) and draft standard operating procedures (SOPs) in compliance with IBSC and regulatory audits.
• Collaborate closely with the molecular biology and protein purification teams to integrate chemical characterization data into broader diagnostic kit development.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Educational Background: Ph.D. in Natural Product Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, or a highly related field is mandatory.

• Core Technical Competencies:

• Proven expertise in isolating low-abundance metabolites from complex biological matrices (plants, fungi, or bacterial broths).

• Hands-on mastery of spectroscopic interpretation (NMR, HRMS, and LC-MS/MS) is required.

• Solid understanding of synthetic organic chemistry reaction mechanisms and chemical modifications.

• Analytical Mindset: Excellent problem-solving abilities, high attention to detail during quantitative analysis, and a strong track record of peer-reviewed publications or patents in natural product research.

• Communication & Collaboration: Strong leadership skills, excellent scientific writing capabilities, and the ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-paced research incubator environment.

What We Offer

• A highly collaborative and intellectually stimulating research environment in Indias premier biotech science cluster (RCB/BBB).
• Opportunity to lead high-impact, socially relevant diagnostic projects from inception to commercial launch.
• Competitive salary package commensurate with experience and qualifications.
• Access to state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation platforms.Role & responsibilities