Lead Medicinal Chemist

Placements24; Kimberley; Hybrid; CAD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus program

Health, dental, vision insurance

Stock options and long-term incentives

Professional development support

State-of-the-art facilities

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a highly experienced Lead Medicinal Chemist to drive their drug discovery efforts in Kimberley, Canada. You will design, synthesize, and optimize novel small molecule drug candidates while leading a team of medicinal chemists and guiding discovery programs.

The ideal candidate will have a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry with 8+ years in the pharma/biotech industry, strong SAR skills, and a track record of compounds advancing toward clinical development.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, or related field.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in pharma/biotech with medicinal chemistry focus.
• Proven track record of designing and synthesizing novel small molecules, including clinical candidates.
• Extensive experience with modern synthetic organic chemistry techniques and analytical methods (NMR, MS, HPLC).
• Strong understanding of ADMET properties and optimization strategies.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and synthesis of novel chemical entities with therapeutic potential.
• Perform SAR studies to optimize potency, selectivity, and PK properties.
• Collaborate with biologists, pharmacologists, and computational chemists to define target profiles.
• Oversee execution of synthetic routes and purification of target compounds.
• Mentor and guide junior medicinal chemists and manage discovery projects.
• Manage project timelines, resources, and budgets for Kimberley-based programs.

Skills

Leadership

Medicinal chemistry

SAR analysis

ADMET optimization

Team mentoring

Project management

Communication

Education

PhD in Medicinal Chemistry

Tools

NMR

MS

HPLC

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking a highly experienced Lead Medicinal Chemist to drive their drug discovery efforts in Kimberley . This leadership role involves designing, synthesizing, and optimizing novel small molecule drug candidates targeting critical diseases. You will lead a team of talented medicinal chemists, manage complex research projects, and contribute significantly to the strategic direction of the drug discovery pipeline. The ideal candidate will possess extensive expertise in synthetic organic chemistry, structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis, and a deep understanding of modern drug discovery principles.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and synthesis of novel chemical entities with therapeutic potential.
• Conduct iterative cycles of structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies to optimize potency, selectivity, and pharmacokinetic properties of drug leads.
• Collaborate closely with biologists, pharmacologists, and computational chemists to define target profiles and guide compound design.
• Oversee the execution of synthetic routes and purification of target compounds, ensuring high quality and purity.
• Mentor and guide junior medicinal chemists, fostering their technical development and project contributions.
• Manage project timelines, resources, and budgets, ensuring efficient progression of discovery programs in Kimberley .

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, or a related field.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, with a focus on medicinal chemistry .
• Proven track record of successful design and synthesis of novel small molecules, including contributions to compounds entering clinical development.
• Extensive experience with modern synthetic organic chemistry techniques and analytical methods (NMR, MS, HPLC).
• Strong understanding of ADMET properties and strategies for their optimization.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills are essential.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and bonus structure commensurate with leadership experience.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance benefits.
• Generous stock options and long-term incentive plans.
• Support for professional development, including attending leading scientific conferences.
• State-of-the-art research facilities and a collaborative team environment in Kimberley .