Director / Senior Director, CMC Drug Substance

About Superluminal Medicines: Superluminal Medicines is a generative biology and chemistry company revolutionizing the speed and accuracy of how small molecule medicines are created. The Company’s platform aims to create candidate-ready compounds with unprecedented speed using a combination of deep biology, computational and medicinal chemistry, machine learning, and proprietary big data infrastructure. We are expanding the team of talented scientists who seek to build the future of small molecule drug discovery with creativity and innovation. About the Role: We are seeking a versatile Director / Senior Director to lead early-stage CMC Drug Substance development in a virtual environment. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in route scouting, process development, polymorphism, salt selection, crystallization, and production and solid-state development to improve solubility, stability, and PK. Experience managing toxic and mutagenic impurities and preparing regulatory documentation is highly preferred. Key Responsibilities Route Scouting Propose alternative synthetic routes that optimize yield, purity, and scalability. Manage CDMOs to execute route scouting and scale-up to small demonstration batches. Process Development Develop scalable, robust processes and purification strategies, including purging critical reagents and byproducts. Design processes capable of delivering large initial toxicology batches, especially when high NOAEL demands atypically large quantities. Support aggressive timelines where 13-week toxicology studies may run in parallel with Phase 1, requiring early establishment of a solid, scalable process. Solid-State Development Lead solid-state development to enhance solubility, stability, and PK through salt or co-crystal formation. Hands-on experience in salt/co-crystal and polymorph screening, stability and solubility evaluation, and PK comparison. Develop crystallization processes, determine metastable zones, and establish control strategies for the desired form. Production & Scale-Up Ensure timely delivery of materials with required quantity and purity under aggressive timelines. Lead development and execution of impurity-enriched 28-day toxicology batches, including scale-up and spiking of impurities. Support subsequent campaigns at increasing scale to meet Phase 1, Phase 2, and extended toxicology requirements. Toxic Reagents & Mutagenic Impurities Develop and implement phase-appropriate strategies to identify, control, and purge toxic reagents, byproducts, and mutagenic impurities. CMC Quality & Compliance Ensure adherence to cGMP standards and internal quality expectations. Review and approve manufacturing documentation, including batch records and deviation reports. Support audits, investigations, and continuous improvement initiatives. Regulatory & Documentation Support Author and review CMC sections of regulatory filings (INDs, IMPDs, briefing packages, annual reports, amendments). Contribute to regulatory strategy and responses to health authority inquiries. Maintain comprehensive documentation to support product lifecycle management. Cross-Functional & Strategic Contributions Collaborate with Drug Product, Analytical, Quality, Regulatory, Toxicology, and Clinical Supply teams. Provide scientific and operational input to project teams. Contribute to intellectual property strategy and cross-functional CMC initiatives. Timeline & CDMO Leadership Develop and manage realistic timelines for R&D, manufacturing campaigns, and IND preparation aligned with clinical and toxicology milestones. Lead CDMOs proactively, providing clear guidance, actionable solutions, and rapid problem-solving. Business Awareness & Late-Stage Development Understand the business value of CMC development and its impact on program strategy. Apply DoE and QbD principles for late-stage development (post-2029). Qualifications M.S. (15+ years) or Ph.D. (10+ years) in Organic Chemistry or related field. Expertise in small…