Experienced analytical chemist/technician

We are looking for an experienced Analytical Chemistry Technician with hands-on experience to support our progress to clinical trials in some of the deadliest solid tumor diseases. And to be clear: this is an operational job mainly conducted in, with and for the lab, and you must have that operational experience in your track record.

At OncoLize we develop injectable drug depots to 'Treat Tumors from the Inside'. We target direct drug delivery to some of the most difficult to treat solid tumor diseases... with success. (www.oncolize.com)

Our Product Platform ChemoGell(TM) is based on well-known polymers that can release a broad range of established Chemo drugs or novel actives at high concentrations inside tumors, while sparring the body from the typical side-effects of Chemo... And we aim at Triple A products: Affordable and Accessible for All.

Our start-up team is expanding as we approach our first clinical trials in Pancreatic Cancer. This is based on our initial successes in preclinical studies with LUMC (100% survival and no side-effects!) and other collaborations.

We currently focus on fine-tuning and finalizing our product-formulation and CMC-processing before we hand it over to Contract Development Manufacturing Organisations to make our clinical batches.

Once that is done, we expand the portfolio to other Difficult-to-Treat solid tumor diseases by formulating other drugs and further tailoring the load and release characteristics of ChemoGell(TM).

The core technology team is established and running. Now we want to invite an experienced and self-starting analytical chemistry technician to the team to broaden our base and help us accelerate.

This is a great moment for you (and us!) to step in and help shape the future of our awesome product and company... and for the patients we ultimately do it for.

We work with injectable drug formulations of small molecule drugs, peptides and polymers.

Our start-up team features a mix of pharmaceutical-, polymer- and analytical science experts, with expert industrial experiences in financing andbuilding companies and products.

Ambitious, Experienced, Passionate, Open minded, Dedicated.

Dutch, Belgian, Irish and French so far. Today more women than men, but that's just who walks in the door, is curious, competent, ambitious and applies herself/himself/itself.

We collaborate closely with pre-clinical and clinical teams at LUMC and AUMC to target some of the deadliest tumor diseases, and that will expand collaboration to innovative pharma companies in the coming few years.

What unites us is the promise and the opportunity of having IMPACT: that we can make these therapies much more efficient, with far less side-effects and affordable for patients and societies.

Ok, so your interested? This is a hands-on job to start with; what you will be doing initially:

·      Primarliy your job is to set-up/ execute/ report analytical methods, or making them up as we develop, and validating these. As our senior scientist develops formulations, you analyze the performance of these formulations using various analytical techniques routinely used in drug release studies and metabolite characterization.

·      From time-to-time you assist in formulating prototypes, with characterization and drug release studies in the lab.

·      Supporting our pre-clinical and clinical partners with samples and troubleshooting in their applications as they use our products. 

·      Optimizing CMC-processing steps before we hand them over to CDMOs, so documenting and putting these into SOPs.

·      Setting-up experiemnts to gather data for our patent applications

·      Later on: training and leading junior staff as we grow

·      Organizing the lab in its formulation and analytical lay-out, equipment, maintenance, services... keeping the lab running with smooth operations...

.... so that your colleagues can take-over when you go on vacation.

What does it take for you to be successful and happy in this new job?

·      At least 3-5 years proven track record in analytical chemistry at drug development level, formulation development level, preferably in a pharma-company or scale-up biotech but coming from an excellent performing academic group can do the job as well.

·      You know what cGLP, CMC, QA/QC and QBD means; you don't have to lead it. Methodical, attention for detail, clear and effective reporting, ‘Gung Ho’ if need be, not just communicating about success, but als about challenges you or we face.

·     Your education level is at applied science/-technical level (BSc. equivalent to Dutch HBO) or scientific level (MSc. Dutch WO)

·      Most important is your attitude to get the job done in the lab, whatever it takes, because we will face challenges as team, and we need all hands on deck from time to time.

·      But you also need to be able to step back and think practical issues through before you engage, ask and give input when needed.

·      It is essential that you have extensive, hands-on analytical experience with some of the following analytical techniques and processes: UPLC/HPLC's, GPC, DSC, rheometer/viscosity/lyophilization/sterilization/ electronic data management, cGLP environment...

Well, we offer Euro 3.750-4.500 gross monthly to start with, depending on your experience and track record.

Sorry, no pension fund yet (should come later at Series A), but we do offer up to 3 months performance bonus at company level. As we are a small team that depend on each other to excel, we all make the same score for bonus until we make it into the clinic by mid/end of 2027.

Compensation for commuting 1st class, and once we can, we will pay for your sports or leisure subscription...

Training in advanced skills and knowledge will expand once we move into the clinical stages of the company (2027-2028).

Once you have demonstrated that you are part of our core team from year 3 onwards, you will be offered long-term success incentives such as options to shares...

You will be exposed to clinical trials, to collaborators in some of the most advanced drug development companies and academia that partner with us.

You can develop to lead small teams in product- or process development or manage the lab-operations altogether.

But like us, the biggest benefit may come from developing solutions to some of the most challenging cancer diseases that affect us all sooner or later... and keeping it affordable.

just see above and below.

We hope from the above that it is clear this is not a starter's job at all and very hands-on to start with.

You really must demonstrate with your track record that you are up for this career challenge... and that you are really intriguid and motivated to step into such an impact opportunity.

This not 9-5, this is what you make of it.

Once we move into our Series A funding round of €10-17 million (2027), we may move back from our top-quality Utrecht lab location to Leiden Bio Science Park as this is where it all started...

And you must have an EU-working permit or residence-permit.