Chemist – Natural Products R&D

Programmed on behalf of our client have a short term role which will be casual fulltime hours available.

Extractas Bioscience (EB)- A global leader in the pharmaceutical industry, recently celebrated their 50th anniversary; showcasing why they are WORLD LEADERS in their space! An exciting time is now underway with EB offering significant growth and employment opportunities at their Westbury Tasmania Site.

If you are seeking a role where you can grow your skills in a rewarding, hands-on environment, this is your chance to join a dynamic team and contribute to EB's vision of transforming health around the world by utilising the best of Tasmania's people and natural products.

The Role
First and foremost, you need to align to the EB values - People Matter, Transformation Matters and Outcomes Matter. Beyond this, we are seeking a motivated and skilled Chemist to join our Process Chemistry and R&D Laboratory. This role involves working hands-on with natural extracts, active ingredients, and analytical chemistry in a process-focused environment. The ideal candidate will have experience in wet bench chemistry with a background in organic, natural products, or analytical chemistry and an interest in applying their skills to real-world manufacturing challenges. The company’s main production is in the extraction and purification of poppies, and this is the focus of the R&D.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and optimise extraction, isolation, and purification processes for natural products
• Conduct chemical and physical characterisation of plant-derived compounds using techniques such as HPLC, GC, particle size analysis etc.
• Collaborate with production and quality teams to scale processes from lab to pilot or commercial scale
• Maintain accurate records and prepare technical documentation, reports, and SOPs
• Contribute to continuous improvement in yield, purity, and process efficiency
• Support troubleshooting and investigations of process deviations
• Stay current with developments in natural product chemistry and industrial processing
• Work collaboratively with other teams, including with Agricultural R&D, Field Operations, Manufacturing, Quality and Engineering.

About You

• A degree in Chemistry or related field (Honours or Master’s/PhD preferred), however other disciplines (eg chemical or process engineering) will be considered with appropriate experience.
• Demonstrated laboratory experience in organic, natural product, process or analytical chemistry
• Familiarity with chromatographic and spectroscopic methods
• Strong problem-solving skills and scientific curiosity
• Scale up experience an advantage.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Experience in a GMP or industrial manufacturing environment (highly regarded but not essential)
• Ability to pass a full pre-employment medical, including drug and alcohol screening.
• Ability to obtain a police clearance.
• Full Australian working rights.
• Recent graduates will be considered.

  What We Offer

  • The opportunity to work in a purpose-driven, innovative organisation
  • Hands-on experience with a diverse range of natural materials and advanced analytical equipment
• A collaborative, supportive team culture. Be part of a small, close-knit team that values teamwork and safety!
• Commitment to employee well-being

Who we are

As one of Australia's largest employers, we work with great companies all around Australia and New Zealand to give you the best opportunities to work when and where you want to.

At Programmed, we are committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment which values and respects diverse styles, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

We welcome and encourage women, people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent and people from diverse backgrounds to apply.

So it's over to you. If you would like to join our team, APPLY now.

To learn more about working with Programmed, we encourage you to visit our website.