About Zero Gravity Works
Zero Gravity Works (ZGW) is a Milan-based deep-tech startup building Europe's first platform to manufacture small-molecule pharmaceutical crystals in orbit. In the microgravity of low Earth orbit, gravity-driven convection disappears and crystallization becomes purely diffusion-limited — producing crystalline material that is more uniform, more ordered and more stable than anything that can be reliably obtained on the ground. We crystallize a pharmaceutical partner's molecule in orbit, recover the material, and deliver it back to Earth.
We are the only Italian operator in this emerging field and among the first in Europe, supported by ESA BIC and an advisory network spanning eight universities — with the University of Pavia as our lead scientific partner for solid-state characterization and the Politecnico di Milano leading module engineering. Our path follows the one opened by Varda Space Industries in the United States, which crystallized ritonavir in orbit in 2023 and has since signed contracts with major pharmaceutical companies. Our ambition is to do for Europe what Varda has done in the US — and to be among the founding names of an entirely new industry.
The role
We are looking for our Chief Scientific Officer: the scientific leader who will own the solid-state science at the heart of ZGW. This is a hands-on, founding-team role for a crystallization scientist who wants to build rather than administer — someone ready to put their name on the science of a company that is defining a new field.
You will turn "crystallize it in orbit" into a rigorous, defensible scientific programme: assessing candidate molecules, defining the target solid-state outcome for each mission, designing the crystallization processes our modules will run, and leading the characterization of the recovered material together with our academic partners. You will be ZGW's scientific voice with pharmaceutical partners, investors and advisors.
What you will do
- Own ZGW's solid-state and crystallization science end to end: polymorphism, crystalline forms, salts, co-crystals, hydrates and solvates.
- Assess candidate molecules for their solid-state landscape and their fit for microgravity crystallization, and define the target outcome and success criteria for each mission before it flies.
- Design and specify the crystallization processes (solution, antisolvent, cooling, vapour-diffusion) implemented in our ground reference module and orbital modules, working closely with the engineering team at Politecnico di Milano.
- Lead the solid-state characterization strategy — XRPD, DSC, TGA and single-crystal work — in partnership with the University of Pavia, and interpret the results, including the seeding and stability behaviour of recovered material.
- Act as ZGW's senior scientific interlocutor with pharmaceutical partners (under NDA), academic advisors and investors, translating the platform into each partner's specific solid-state problem.
- Build and lead the scientific function as the company grows: standing up the laboratory and hiring the first scientists after our seed round.
- Contribute to the company's intellectual-property strategy around novel and improved crystalline forms.
What we're looking for
Essential
- Real, hands-on industrial experience in pharmaceutical solid-state science and crystallization of small-molecule APIs — demonstrated through work on polymorphism, crystalline-form / salt / co-crystal / hydrate selection, and crystallization process development.
- Practical command of solid-state characterization: XRPD, DSC and TGA (and familiarity with related techniques such as DVS, particle sizing, microscopy or ss-NMR).
- A degree in Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology (CTF), Chemical Engineering or a related field.
- The mindset of a builder: comfortable being both the scientific lead and, at this stage, the person at the bench — rigorous, pragmatic, and able to make defensible calls with incomplete information.
- Fluent English.
Nice to have
- A PhD in a relevant area, or an equivalent depth of industrial track record.
- Crystallization process development with PAT (e.g. FBRM, in-situ Raman/IR) and QbD/DoE.
- Exposure to particle engineering, amorphous solid dispersions, spray drying, micronization, or CMC / regulatory aspects of drug substance.
- Familiarity with — or genuine curiosity about — microgravity science and the constraints of space hardware.
- Based in or around Milan, or willing to relocate.
You do not need a background in space. You need to be excellent at solid-state science and eager to apply it somewhere no one else can.
What we offer
- Compensation. A gross annual salary (RAL) of €80,000 on an initial one-year contract, renewable once the fit is confirmed on both sides.
- Equity. A vesting plan for a meaningful equity stake in the company. This is a founding-team role, and we want your upside tied to what we build together.
- The chance to start an industry. The opportunity to do in Europe what Varda Space has done in the United States, and to be among the handful of scientists who put pharmaceutical manufacturing in orbit on the map. Very few people ever get to help create a new field — this is one of those roles.
- A front-row scientific network. Daily collaboration with an advisory network across eight universities, with ESA BIC, and with our access-to-space and hardware partners.
- Milan-based, on-site, with the resources of the seed round going into the laboratory you will help design.
How to apply
Send your CV and a few lines about why this role speaks to you to info [at] zerogravityworks [dot] com. If you have publications, patents or crystallization work you're proud of, point us to them. Confidential conversations are welcome.
Zero Gravity Works is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate candidates on the merit of their science and their fit for the mission, and welcome applicants of every background.
