Senior Director / Vice President, Chemistry Experiment
Cambridge, MA$204k - $346kfull-timePosted 3mo ago
About the role
Head of Chemistry to lead and expand Lila's chemistry organization, defining strategy and building an experimental chemistry function spanning organic/inorganic chemistry, molecules and nanoparticles, discovery and process chemistry, synthetic/analytical methods, and AI-integrated experimentation.
Responsibilities
- Build and lead the growing chemistry organization to establish chemistry experimentation spanning organic and inorganic chemistries across molecular and nanoparticle modalities.
- Recruit, mentor, and develop high-performing chemists and leaders across all chemistry domains; establish and model a culture of scientific rigor, innovation, and collaboration.
- Define chemistry strategy, priorities, and organizational roadmap in partnership with Product, Autonomous Science, and AI leadership.
- Establish operational practices and standards that maintain scientific data quality and cross-functional collaboration.
- Own organizational development for Chemistry, including growth planning, capability roadmapping, and developing internal talent.
- Represent chemistry strategy, capabilities, and perspectives in executive stakeholder forums.
- Lead the design of capabilities and execution of synthetic routes for automated high-throughput synthesis and characterization with deep AI integration.
- Work with Product and AI to align the Chemistry autonomous science platform with the Commercial and Scientific Superintelligence roadmaps, respectively.
- Develop and implement efficient workflows for iterative design-make-test cycles in collaboration with AI and commercial teams.
- Partner closely with automation and platform teams to establish robotic and high-throughput chemistry capabilities that expand accessible chemical space and accelerate synthetic chemistry.
Qualifications
- PhD in Chemistry or a closely related discipline with 12+ years of experience in chemistry research
- Demonstrated excellence building and leading high-performing chemistry teams, including hiring, mentoring, and developing scientists across multiple levels.
- Deep expertise in molecular chemistry: synthetic organic/inorganic and nanochemistry, retrosynthesis, route design, and practical execution of complex multistep syntheses.
- Experience in process chemistry, formulation development, and analytical chemistry.
- Ability to evaluate synthetic feasibility alongside innovation potential to prioritize molecules and chemical series effectively.
- Experience defining chemistry strategy and priorities with a passion for cross-functional collaboration
- Experience working effectively in highly interdisciplinary environments spanning chemistry, materials science, biology, automation, and computational sciences.
- Track record of scientific leadership, program delivery, and translating discoveries to commercializable solutions.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate chemistry depth into strategic clarity for diverse audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to build inclusive, high-trust team cultures that attract and retain top talent in competitive chemistry markets.
Skills
Required:PhD in ChemistryLeadership of chemistry teamsMolecular chemistry expertiseProcess chemistry & analytical chemistryCross-functional collaboration
Benefits
- Full benefits program including medical, dental, and vision; employer-paid life and disability insurance; flexible time off with generous holidays; paid parental leave; educational assistance; commuter benefits; bike share memberships; subsidized lunch program
Last updated Aug 26, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
About Lila Sciences
Pioneering Scientific Superintelligence
Pioneering Scientific Superintelligence to solve humankind’s greatest challenges.
Scientific SuperintelligenceAIAutonomous LabsLife SciencesChemical SciencesMaterials Sciences
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