Principal Medicinal Chemist

Job Summary

A company is looking for a Principal Medicinal Chemist to lead and advance small-molecule drug discovery programs.

Key Responsibilities

• Propose and independently drive medicinal chemistry strategies from hit identification through lead optimization to development candidate selection
• Lead chemistry efforts within cross-functional project teams, including computational scientists, biologists, and ML engineers
• Design novel compounds using structure-based and ligand-based approaches to optimize potency, selectivity, and drug-like properties

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Organic Chemistry or a related field with 3-8 years of industry experience (or MS with 5-10 years, BS with 8-15 years) in medicinal chemistry
• Proven track record of advancing drug discovery programs through key milestones (Hit-to-Lead and Lead Optimization)
• Deep expertise in synthetic organic chemistry, including modern methods and reaction mechanisms
• Strong experience in structure-based and ligand-based drug design
• Demonstrated ability to optimize compounds for potency, selectivity, and DMPK/safety properties