Chemistry Intern

We are a vibrant and intensely mission-driven team in San Francisco, comprising members from MIT, Harvard Medical School, Roche, ETH, and Dana-Farber.

We value speed and rigor, coupled with excitement, drive, and a strong work ethic. In an early-stage environment, we value people who can bring clarity to open-ended problems, take ownership of the next steps, and follow through with energy.

Capable Labs is a place for ambitious, high-integrity people who want to become dramatically better. You will be surrounded by people who care intensely about the work, get close feedback from the people making scientific and company-defining decisions, and have room to own increasingly important problems.

We believe excellent work should be met with meaningful reward, ownership, and trust. Responsibility is earned through contribution, not title alone: anyone who demonstrates the judgment, rigor, and follow-through to move important work forward can earn meaningful scope.

• ABOUT THE ROLE
• Spend your winter at the bench making real drug candidates. You will work alongside Capable's chemists on peptide synthesis, purification and characterization, and the compounds you help make go straight into biological testing. The internship runs for three months full time and on site at our San Francisco lab; dates can shift to fit academic calendars and co-op terms.

• RESPONSIBILITIES
• Run solid phase peptide synthesis workflows, including resin loading, coupling and deprotection cycles, and cleavage.
• Purify and characterize compounds by analytical HPLC, prep HPLC and LC-MS.
• Record identity, purity, yield and analytical data so every batch is traceable.
• Prepare samples for in vitro and in vivo testing and hand them off to the biology team.
• Help troubleshoot failed syntheses and instrument issues, and suggest fixes to the workflow.
• Keep the lab running: reagent inventory, solvent and waste handling, and instrument upkeep.

• IDEAL QUALIFICATIONS
• Currently enrolled in or recently finished a degree in chemistry, chemical engineering or a related field.
• Organic chemistry lab experience from coursework or research.
• Peptide synthesis, HPLC or LC-MS experience is a plus, but we will teach you.

Pay & Benefits

Compensation and equity will depend on the skills, experience, and scope of impact you bring. We are open to a conversation based on the scope and impact you could bring.

$500+ monthly wellness budget for training, supplements, coaching, recovery, or other tools that help you perform at your best.

Healthcare: We offer a broad range of medical, dental, and vision coverage options, with Capable covering 100% of the base policy.

You will also have access to HSA, FSA, and 401K plans.

Healthy vegetarian dinners with the team are provided daily.

We support visa sponsorship where appropriate, including O-1, H-1B, J-1, TN, and other employment-based pathways. Our team is already international, with members from Canada, Pakistan, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, China, India, and the United States.

Application Process

Our process is fast, transparent, and personal. We care about getting to know the person behind the application.

Initial application

First phone screen

Second phone screen

In-person on site work trial in San Francisco: designed to give both sides a realistic sense of working together. Get to know the founding team!

Apply Today

Curious but not sure? Apply anyway. It takes 5 minutes, and you do not need to be actively job searching to start a conversation.

Some of the best people do not map perfectly to a job description. If this sounds like a place where you could do important work, we would like to hear from you.

And if someone exceptional comes to mind, send them our way here. We read every referral carefully, and if your referral joins Capable, we’ll send you a thank-you bonus.

Equal Opportunity

Capable is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Capable is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.