Tuesday, April 12, 2011

This is a joke, right? Organix and its (ancient) postdocs


Organix is a medium-sized CRO in the Boston area; I've known about them for quite some time. They traditionally hire industrial postdocs. If you look at their publication list, it appears to be fairly extensive and is indicative of something of a learning experience. (Something to look for in an industrial postdoc.)

But the above posting is more than a little ridiculous -- they want an industrial postdoc that has 5+ years experience being a postdoc? What's that about? You don't want a "postdoc", you want a temporary senior scientist on a one-year renewable contract. Can't you ask the folks down the road at Vertex how to hire a temp position?

Also, maybe I'm painting with a very broad brush here, but 5+ years being a postdoc? Really? That's two-plus postdocs -- too many! Chemists aren't biologists!

Readers, what gives? Have you heard anything about Organix?

14 comments:

  1. it was an ok album, i prefer phrenology and do you want more though.

    ReplyDelete
  2. So, is pharma going the way of permanent temp hires?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'd like to assume they meant "five years post post-doc experience."

    ReplyDelete
  4. If you want to be technical about it, any experience after your PhD can be considered post-doctoral, no?

    Maybe they're simply trying to cash in on some experienced pharma scientists who have gotten the axe in the recent past who mught be willing to work for a year with the hopes of further employment.

    Rent to own, the latest trend in organic chemistry!

    ReplyDelete
  5. You're Pfizered,

    The sad thing is I think there will be plenty of people willing to do just that.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  7. My try at a better ad for the alternate theory for this position:

    Temporary senior chemist positions: available to conduct syntheses of desired proprietary compounds. 5+ years industrial experience desired; Ph.D. in chemistry required. One year contracts, renewable upon mutual agreement.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I wont apply to any more temp position - I got burned once already. And short-term employment looks bad on the resume even when explain that it was a fixed time contract. The only valid reason why someone would want to take a temp second postdoc job that pays crap (in unremarkable industry group doing medchem) and would work his ass off while contract extension is dangled in front of him would be a visa problem.

    ReplyDelete
  9. i prefer phrenology

    The Seed 2.0 for the win

    ReplyDelete
  10. I don't think this is so unprecedented, universities have been doing this for years with adjunct faculty.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Gonna need lots of cigarettes on that job....boom.

    ReplyDelete
  12. The secret to this add is the list of compounds they found necessary to name drop.

    Some people might claw each other's eyes out just to say they've done work with "tropanes".

    ReplyDelete
  13. A2:10p: Could you elaborate a little? I think this is an interesting line of thought...

    (or at least e-mail me at chemjobber -at- gmail/dot/com.)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Just a tongue in cheek reference to the fact that 3 of those classes are noteworthy for containing recreational drugs.

    People do organic chemistry because they like molecules, and who wouldn't want to work with famous ones or their blood relatives?

    Anon 2:10

    ReplyDelete

looks like Blogger doesn't work with anonymous comments from Chrome browsers at the moment - works in Microsoft Edge, or from Chrome with a Blogger account - sorry! CJ 3/21/20