Computational Chemistry Co-Op AI-assisted Synthetic Route Design

Join Our Co-Op Program and Make a Real Impact

Are you ready to do meaningful work in a cutting-edge, research-driven organization? At Alexion (an AstraZeneca company for Rare Diseases), our early talent program offers you the opportunity to develop the skills, knowledge, and connections that will set you up for future success. 

As a co-op, you’ll be part of a dynamic, global team of curious, passionate, and open-minded individuals who are eager to learn, innovate, and grow. You’ll collaborate with industry-leading professionals, contribute to impactful projects, and gain hands-on experience in a supportive and forward-thinking environment.

If you’re enthusiastic about science, innovation, and making a difference, our program is your chance to follow your passion and kickstart your career!

Computational Chemistry Co-op AI-assisted Synthetic Route Design

This is what you will do:

Alexion's Synthetic Product Development (SPD) team is seeking a promising graduate student (preferably Ph.D. level)  in chemistry, chemical engineering or a related field, with a focus on computational chemistry for a 6-month co-op program. This co-op project focuses on evaluating and enhancing AI-assisted route design tools for synthetic drug substance development.

SPD is a multidisciplinary team of scientists delivering  process and product development and analytical solutions for synthetic drug substances and oral drug products within Alexion’s portfolio, spanning preclinical development through commercial launch.

This position offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in applying computational chemistry and AI technologies to real-world challenges in synthetic route design, process optimization, and digital workflow integration. 

You will be responsible for:

• Evaluating a range of state-of-the-art AI-assisted synthetic route design computational tools to identify strength, limitations, and applicability to process chemistry.

• Exploring enhancements to the selected platforms to  improve their ability to identify synthetically viable and scalable routes for synthetic drug substances including small molecules, peptides and oligonucleotides. 

• Integrating AI tools into the team’s existing workflows to support chemists in route design and decision-making.

• Creating job aids to support adoption of these tools by laboratory scientists.

• Communicating scientific challenges and the technical approaches used to address them in regular updates and a final presentation.

You will need to have:

• Currently enrolled in a graduate program (preferably Ph.D.) in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or a related field with a focus on computational Chemistry. 

• Basic understanding of synthetic organic chemistry. 

• Familiarity with programming languages (e.g. Python, C+, C++, R) and the willingness to further develop coding skills. 

• Understanding of data structure and algorithms.

• Exposure to commercially available AI-assisted organic synthesis tools.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Willingness to work collaborative in a team environment and contribute to team goals

• Ability to adapt to new challenges and a fast-paced working environment.

• Self-motivated with a strong desire to learn and contribute. 

• Must be available during the full 6-month term and maintain general availability during standard business hours. 

We would prefer for you to have:

• Prior experience in cheminformatics or data driven research projects.

Physical and Mental Requirements:

• The duties of this role are generally conducted in an office environment. As is typical of an office-based role, you must be able, with or without an accommodation to: use a computer; engage in communications via phone, video, and electronic messaging; engage in problem solving and non-linear thought, analysis, and dialogue; collaborate with others; maintain general availability during standard business hours. 

* We reserve the right to close this posting early based on application volume or capacity. Our priority is to ensure that every applicant receives the privilege of thorough review and consideration. To achieve this, we may need to limit the number of applications we process, as there are a finite number of open positions available. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible.

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.