Molecular Simulations Team Manager

Aqemia; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A biopharmaceutical company in the City of London is looking for a Manager to lead their Molecular Simulations team. This role involves driving innovation in drug discovery through strong leadership and collaboration with interdisciplinary teams. The ideal candidate has a PhD in a related field and over 5 years of experience in computational drug discovery, including leadership. You will have the opportunity to impact the future of drug development while working in a dynamic environment.

Benefits

Possibility of 2 remote days per week

Relocation support

French lessons available

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in computational drug discovery.
• At least 2 years in a leadership role.
• Proven ability to manage and develop a team.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of scientists in implementing computational methods.
• Define and execute initiatives for drug discovery integration.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to meet objectives.
• Drive innovation in hit discovery and lead optimisation.

Skills

Leadership skills

Expertise in statistical mechanics

Communication skills

Project management skills

Collaboration

Education

PhD in Statistical Mechanics, Computational Chemistry, or related field

Tools

Molecular modeling software

Computational chemistry tools

Job description

Role Overview

We are looking for a Manager to lead our Molecular Simulations team, which plays a key role in advancing our drug discovery programs. The team focuses on applying and optimising physics-based computational methods to support hit discovery and lead optimisation, helping to accelerate the development of novel drug candidates. The ideal candidate combines strong leadership skills to guide a team of scientists with deep expertise in statistical mechanics and computational chemistry.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of scientists specialising in physics-based computational methods.
• Define and execute strategic initiatives to integrate physics-based models including our in-house state-of-the-art solvation free energy algorithm into the drug discovery workflow.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including AI researchers, medicinal chemists, and computational chemists, to align computational strategies with drug discovery objectives.
• Drive innovation by identifying and implementing emerging computational approaches to improve hit discovery and lead optimisation.
• Ensure the team delivers high-quality scientific results on time, balancing research innovation with practical impact.
• Foster a collaborative and high-performing team culture, ensuring continuous growth and development of team members.
• Communicate scientific insights and strategic recommendations to senior leadership and key stakeholders.

Qualifications & Experience

• PhD in Statistical Mechanics, Computational Chemistry, Biophysics, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in computational drug discovery, with at least 2 years in a leadership role.
• Proven ability to manage and develop a team of scientists in a high-performance environment.
• Project management skills with the ability to prioritize tasks and drive results.
• Excellent communication skills to engage with interdisciplinary teams and senior stakeholders.
• Expertise in physics-based computational methods (e.g., molecular dynamics, free energy calculations, solvation models) and familiarity with leading drug discovery and molecular modeling software (commercial, open-source, and chemoinformatics tools).

Nice to have

• Experience with machine learning applications for physics-based modeling.
• Track record of scientific publications and contributions to the computational drug discovery community.

Preferred Mindset

• Ability to set a technical vision for the team and align it with company objectives.
• Collaborative Leader: Thrives in an interdisciplinary environment and values teamwork.
• Pragmatic and Impact-Driven: Balances scientific rigor with real-world application.
• Growth-Oriented: Invests in the development of team members and fosters a culture of continuous learning.
• Passionate about pushing the boundaries of physics-based drug discovery.

Why Join Us?

At AQEMIA, we work for a mission: joining us means having your own impact on changing the way drugs are discovered, and helping to shape the direction of our fast-growing company and team.

Expanding Drug Discovery Pipeline: Focused on critical therapeutic areas like Oncology, CNS, Immuno-inflammation... with in vivo proof of concept/patent stage programs. Collaborations with top Pharma, including a $140M Sanofi deal.

Interdisciplinary Team: brilliant talent from tech and life sciences.

DeepTech Recognition: Part of French Tech 120 and France 2030.

Prime Location: Based in central Paris and London (King's Cross) with the possibility of 2 remote days per week.

International Environment: The work language is English - relocation support and French lessons granted if needed.

Strong Financial Backing: $100M raised from leading European and International investors