---
title: 'Associate Director, Process Chemistry at Septerna'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/associate-director-process-chemistry-septerna-south-san-francisco-m3pn2aehm4hc'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-16'
---

# Associate Director, Process Chemistry at Septerna

- **Company:** Septerna
- **Location:** South San Francisco, CA
- **Posted:** 2026-08-12
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-16
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/septerna/jobs/5387012008

## Job description

Septerna is a biotechnology company based in South San Francisco, CA on a mission to develop life-changing medicines for patients with the vision to become the industry-leading G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-focused drug discovery company. The company’s Native Complex Platform™ recapitulates GPCRs with their native structure, function, and dynamics outside of the cellular context. This approach enables novel access to modern structural and screening technologies used in industrial-scale drug discovery for the entire class of GPCRs. Septerna has an emerging pipeline of GPCR-targeted small molecule programs, many in the Endocrinology space, with potential for growth to target many GPCRs that have been undruggable and unexploited to date.

We are excited to expand our multidisciplinary team of individuals focused on creating revolutionary medicines to address the unmet needs of patients. At Septerna we strive to embrace diversity of thought, expertise, and background through collaboration. To join our ambitious team, be prepared to bring your real self to work every day; grow and learn from a talented team of drug hunters, scientists, and business professionals; and contribute your passion, creativity, and energy to accomplish our mission. We share a fearless pursuit of ground-breaking innovations and cultivate an environment where our employees succeed by learning from each other and working as a team.

We are committed to the development of meaningful therapeutics for patients with indications of high unmet need. This is a tremendous opportunity to work with talented individuals on the frontlines of therapeutic discovery and development. You will directly help move therapies through preclinical research, positioning them for success in the clinic. The successful candidate will add their passion, unique talents, and expertise to a dynamic team motivated to discover new disease-modifying therapeutics for patients in a fast-paced environment.

For more information see: [www.septerna.com](http://www.septerna.com).

## THE ROLE

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Associate Director of Process Chemistry to manage and drive drug substance process development and delivery activities across our small molecule drug discovery and development programs. This individual will fill a critical role as a subject matter expert (SME) and will contribute to the strategic direction, technical management, and operational execution for CMC development and manufacturing activities. This position is instrumental in collaborating with and managing a network of consultants and Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) partners to enable our efforts to discover and develop small molecule therapeutics from preclinical through commercial.

## Responsibilities

- Act as an SME for Process Chemistry in the support of drug substance development, including process chemistry, solid form selection, crystallization development, and GMP manufacture.
- Lead process development efforts, including route scouting, process optimization, and scale-up activities, proactively implementing mitigation strategies to ensure robust, cost-effective, safe, scalable, and phase-appropriate manufacturing processes.
- Contribute to CMC control strategies defining starting materials, impurity control strategies, and the specifications for starting materials, intermediates, and drug substance in alignment with industry standards and regulatory expectations.
- Support the evaluation, selection, technology transfer, and management of CDMOs to perform route and process development, and GMP manufacture.
- Contribute to the development of CMC strategies to meet program and project development targets, ensure timely and efficient delivery of high-quality products, and facilitate regulatory approvals.
- Collaborate closely within the CMC function with Analytical Chemistry and Formulation Development, and across cross-functional teams including Quality, Medicinal Chemistry, DMPK, Toxicology, Project Management, Development Sciences, and Clinical Pharmacology to achieve project goals.
- Manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and enact quick problem solving to ensure on-time supply of drug to support non-GLP toxicology studies, IND-enabling activities, and clinical trials across multiple programs.
- Support development of the Quality system to ensure product quality and data integrity, including authoring and reviewing standard operating procedures, guidelines, and work instructions.
- Author and review process development reports, batch records, campaign reports, change controls, corrective and preventative actions, deviations, and investigations.
- Write and review CMC sections of regulatory documents and submissions (IMPD, IB, IND, NDA, etc.) and the supporting technical documents, and remain current on Health Authority guidance and expectations.

## Qualifications

- A PhD, MS, or BS degree in organic chemistry or related field with a minimum of 7 years, 10 years, or 12 years, respectively, of relevant industry experience in small molecule drug substance development with demonstrated increasing responsibilities within process chemistry.
- Exhibited track record of success in delivering timely execution of drug substance activities ranging from non-GLP and IND-enabling material supplies, through GMP clinical trial supplies and commercialization.
- Demonstrated expertise in small molecule synthetic route evaluation, process development, scale-up and manufacturing, and phase-appropriate control strategy and specification development.
- Experience with analytical techniques to support small molecule process development, with proficiency in UPLC/HPLC, GC, MS, NMR, and solid-state characterization techniques such as particle size distribution and XRPD.
- Strong understanding of Quality systems including SOPs, manufacturing record review, batch release and disposition, Good Documentation Practices, cGMP data traceability, Deviations, and Change Management.
- Demonstrated knowledge and application of current industry and compendial standards and regulatory authority guidance and expectations, including ICH, FDA, MHRA, and EMA guidelines and USP-NF, Ph. Eur, BP, and JP compendia.
- Proven ability to manage and collaborate with external partners, including consultants and CDMOs.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written and oral) with the ability to effectively prepare high-quality technical documentation and concisely present data to peers, management, and external groups.
- Exhibited strong organizational and critical thinking skills with an attention to detail and data integrity enabling sound, technically driven decision making.
- Able to travel domestically and internationally as needed, up to 20% of the time.

The anticipated salary range for candidates who will work in South San Francisco, CA is $200,000 - $220,000. Individual pay may vary based on additional factors, including, and without limitation, job-related skills, experience, work location and relevant education or training. Septerna's compensation package also includes benefits, stock options, and annual target bonus for full-time positions.

We are an Equal Opportunity employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.

Note to Employment Agencies: Please do not forward any agency resumes. The company will not be responsible for any fees related to resumes that are unsolicited.

Note to Employment Agencies: Please do not forward any agency resumes. The company will not be responsible for any fees related to resumes that are unsolicited.  We are an Equal Opportunity employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.  Septerna participates in the E-Verify program.  California Consumer Privacy Act Privacy Notice For Job Applicants.  If you are a California resident, click [here](https://septerna.com/california-consumer-privacy-act-privacy-notice-for-job-applicants/) for our CCPA Notice.

## About Septerna

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Septerna is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering oral small molecule therapies targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) using its proprietary Native Complex Platform®.
- **Entity Type**: Public (NYSE: SEPN)
- **Headquarters**: South San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2020
- **Founders**: Jeffrey Finer, MD, PhD (CEO and Co-Founder); scientific founders include Robert Lefkowitz, MD (Nobel laureate), Arthur Christopoulos, PhD, and Patrick Sexton, PhD, DSc.

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Biotechnology – GPCR-targeted drug discovery and development.
- **Target customers**: Patients with unmet medical needs in endocrinology, immunology & inflammation, and metabolic diseases; potential pharmaceutical partners for co-development or licensing.
- **Mission**: To unlock the full potential of GPCR drug targets and develop the next generation of impactful new medicines for patients across therapeutic areas.

## Products & Services
- **Native Complex Platform®**: A proprietary technology that enables the isolation, purification, and reconstitution of functional GPCRs in their native lipid bilayer outside of cells. This platform allows structure-based drug design at industrial scale, targeting previously undruggable GPCRs and opening novel binding pockets.
- **SEP-479**: An oral small molecule PTH1R agonist in Phase 1 clinical development for hypoparathyroidism. Initiated Phase 1 trial in Australia in first half of 2026; topline data expected around end of 2026 or early 2027.
- **SEP-786**: A first-generation oral PTH1R agonist that was discontinued in February 2025 due to UGT1A1 inhibition leading to unconjugated bilirubin elevations.
- **Additional Pipeline**: Programs in immunology & inflammation, metabolic diseases (e.g., GPCR targets for metabolic disorders), and discovery-stage programs across neurology, women’s health, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: $826.4 million (as of mid-2026, per LinkedIn).
- **Key Metric**: Annual revenue not publicly available (pre-revenue, clinical-stage). Total funding: IPO in October 2024 raised approximately $215 million (including overallotment). Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as of December 31, 2025 were not disclosed in the available 10-K summary.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Board includes seasoned biotech leaders such as Shalini Sharp, Keith M. Gottesdiener, MD, and Jeffrey Tong, PhD. Lead investors from the IPO and prior private rounds include Third Rock Ventures (co-led Series A) and other top-tier healthcare investors.
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 40.9% year-over-year to 105 employees as of mid-2026; IPO in 2024; advancement of SEP-479 into Phase 1; active hiring across drug discovery, clinical development, regulatory, and technical accounting.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Native Complex Platform®** is the first industrial-scale method to isolate functional GPCRs outside living cells, enabling structure-based drug design for the ~75% of GPCRs that remain undrugged.
- World-class GPCR expertise: scientific founders include Nobel laureate Robert Lefkowitz and leaders in GPCR biology and pharmacology.
- Focus on oral small molecules for peptide GPCR targets offers patient convenience and dosing flexibility over injectable biologics.
- Deep pipeline targeting validated pathways with clear clinical precedent (e.g., PTH1R for hypoparathyroidism).

## Strategic Focus
- Advance SEP-479 through Phase 1 and into Phase 2 proof-of-concept trials.
- Expand pipeline within core therapeutic areas (endocrinology, immunology/inflammation, metabolic diseases).
- Continue platform innovation to unlock additional GPCR targets.
- Explore value-creating strategic partnerships to leverage the platform for new indications or geographies.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Values-driven organization emphasizing “Kick-ass science rooted in daily innovation,” collaboration, patient urgency, and results-oriented tenacity. A strong commitment to diversity, open-mindedness, and transparent communication.
- **Work Environment**: Likely on-site / hybrid in South San Francisco (biotech standard). The company is in growth mode, offering opportunities to shape early-stage programs and work alongside renowned GPCR experts.
- **Benefits**: Comprehensive benefits package including health coverage, retirement plans, and perks designed to support employee well-being. Specific details not publicly detailed but noted as “meaningful benefits and perks” (careers page).
- **Engineering/Science Culture**: Drug hunters, GPCR experts, drug developers, and company builders collaborate in a data-driven, rigorous scientific environment. Active hiring in analytical development, regulatory affairs, clinical development, and pharmaceutical development.

## Sources
1. [septerna.com](https://www.septerna.com/)
2. [septerna.com/about](https://www.septerna.com/about/)
3. [septerna.com/careers](https://www.septerna.com/careers/)
4. [SEC 10-K (2025 Annual Report)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1984086/000119312526197525/d17403dars.pdf)
5. [LinkedIn Company Page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/septernainc)

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- [Director, Program and Portfolio Management](https://feeny.ai/job/director-program-and-portfolio-management-septerna-south-san-francisco-3msgcfzjp0dt) — South San Francisco, CA
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