Manager, Chemical Development

About the Role

Maze's Chemical Development team manages the manufacture of drug substance (DS) for Maze's clinical programs. The team develops, optimizes, and scales chemical manufacturing processes so that reactions run safely, effectively, and economically from bench to clinic. As Manager, Chemical Development, you will manage external contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) that manufacture and test drug substance and starting materials (SM). You will work closely with Maze's discovery teams, for example medicinal chemistry, drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK), and pharmacology, to carry candidates smoothly from preclinical work into manufacturing. You will also partner with Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs to keep Maze's manufacturing compliant with current good manufacturing practices (cGMPs) and federal regulations. This is a role for someone who wants direct ownership of how a molecule becomes a manufacturable drug substance, with visibility across discovery, quality, and regulatory functions at a clinical-stage company.

Responsibilities

• Direct international CMOs developing new chemical processes, designing experiments to improve process efficiency, and troubleshooting manufacturing issues.
• Analyze existing production methods and recommend improvements that support Maze's clinical timelines.
• Partner with Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs to ensure manufacturing stays compliant and audit-ready.
• Prepare technical reports and present results to internal teams and external partners.
• Track industry trends and advancements in chemical technology that could improve Maze's processes.

Requirements

• M.S. or Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry, with postgraduate experience in process chemistry and/or cGMP chemical manufacturing, gained internally or at an external CMO: 2 to 3 or more years for a Ph.D., or 5 or more years for an M.S.
• Working knowledge of chemical reaction mechanisms and kinetics.
• Experience with process optimization and scale-up.
• Familiarity with cGMP regulatory compliance in chemical manufacturing.
• Experience preparing technical reports and presenting findings to technical and cross-functional audiences.
• Proficiency with standard chemistry software such as ChemDraw and SciFinder.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines concurrently.
• Availability to travel domestically and internationally.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working directly with external CMOs on technology transfer or scale-up.
• Background in environmental health and safety practices in a laboratory or manufacturing setting.

Schedule

This role follows a hybrid schedule, with an expectation to be onsite at our South San Francisco headquarters at least three days per week. Because this role works closely with international CMOs, meetings outside standard business hours may be required to accommodate global time zones.

Pay & Benefits

The expected annual salary range for employees located in the San Francisco Bay Area is $158,000 - $193,000. Additionally, this position is eligible for an annual performance bonus. Maze offers a robust benefits package to our eligible employees including competitive medical, dental, and vision insurance, mental health offerings, equity incentive plan, 401(k) program with employer match and a generous holiday and PTO policy.