Principal Scientist, Medicinal Chemistry

Key Responsibilities

• -
• Advance peptide therapeutics, especially macrocyclic peptides and small molecule programs from screening to development candidate selection
• -
• Champion cross-functional collaboration, in collaboration with CADD, biophysics, structural biology, DMPK and biology design molecules to achieve program goals and meet timelines
• -
• Implement structure-based and computational-based drug design to optimize peptide and small molecule therapeutics; Prioritize and implement synthesis.
• -
• Manage teams of external synthetic chemists to ensure timely delivery of complex target molecules for biological testing.
• -
• Ensure data integrity and project success by interpreting analytical results to confirm compound quality.
• -
• Stay current with chemistry, medicinal chemistry and project-relevant literature as well as with new patent application filings.
• -
• Lead research team or serve as medicinal chemistry lead from concept through lead optimization toward clinical development.

Qualifications

• -
• Education: BS, MS or PhD in organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry or a closely related field
• -
• Experience: 5-10 years of experience in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry, with a proven track record of advancing molecules from hit to development candidate selection.
• -
• Demonstrated expertise in organic chemistry, including proficiencies in both automated solid-phase peptide synthesis, and solution-phase small molecule synthesis.
• -
• Demonstrated expertise in medicinal chemistry, analyzing data, designing molecules and implementing synthesis to optimize both peptides and small molecules for oral delivery.
• -
• Deep knowledge of macrocyclic peptides optimization, including properties required for oral administration.
• -
• Proficient in structure-based ligand design to guide peptide and small molecule optimization.
• -
• Experience with computational modeling and simulation for design and optimization of peptides and small molecules.
• -
• Experience utilizing peptide informatics tools for SAR
• -
• Familiarity with machine learning and AI-driven platforms in drug discovery.
• -
• Experience leading and managing teams of external chemists
• -
• Experience in a leadership role is preferred, as a project lead or co-lead, as well as functional area lead for medicinal chemistry.
• -
• Hands-on and collaborative attitude with proven ability to work across drug discovery disciplines, including biology, structural biology, computational chemistry and biophysics.
• -
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to inspire, collaborate and lead in a multidisciplinary environment.
• -
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, with a strong passion for learning new concepts and technologies.

Additional Qualifications

• -
• Familiarity with library-based screening technologies (DEL, mRNA display , phage display) and direct experience with screen follow-up and fragment-based drug discovery.
• -
• Experience with progressing programs through lead optimization for immunology targets
• -
• Familiarity with molecular modeling tools
• -
• Proficiency with data analysis tools such as Spotfire