Research Scientist, Molecular Dynamics

Recursion; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 68,000 - 87,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading TechBio company is seeking a scientist specializing in computational physics to drive drug discovery projects using advanced computational methods. This hybrid position, based in London or New York, requires a PhD and programming skills. The estimated salary ranges from GBP £68,600 to £86,300 and includes bonuses and equity.

Benefits

Annual bonus

Equity compensation

Comprehensive benefits package

Qualifications

• PhD in Chemistry, Physics, or related subject area.
• Basic knowledge of drug discovery processes.
• Good programming skills, preferably in Python.

Responsibilities

• Lead application of advanced computational physics methods.
• Collaborate with drug designers and software engineers.
• Communicate findings to guide decisions.

Skills

Programming skills in Python

Good communication

Experience with molecular simulations

Knowledge of drug discovery processes

Education

PhD in Chemistry, Physics, or related

Job description

Your work will change lives. Including your own.

The Impact You’ll Make

Recursion is a leading TechBio company that is transforming drug discovery by using AI and automation to find new medicines. Its powerful platform combines different technologies to create one of the world's largest proprietary collections of biological and chemical data. By running millions of lab experiments each week and using one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world, Recursion brings together technology, biology, and chemistry to revolutionize medicine.

We are looking for an experienced and motivated scientist to join our computational physics team, which is essential for designing molecules in our pipeline by supporting active drug discovery projects. This team also develops and implements cutting-edge methods to keep our platform at the forefront of computational sciences.

In this role, you will:

• Lead the application of advanced computational physics methods, to address challenging drug discovery problems and drive project success
• Keep up with the latest scientific developments, assess new technologies for their use in internal workflows, and devise plans for their implementation
• Collaborate with drug designers and software engineers in multidisciplinary teams to deliver scientific solutions to complex technical problems
• Communicate your findings to both internal and external audiences to guide decisions and contribute to the scientific community

The Team You’ll Join

You will become an essential member of the Computational Physics team, which supports several phases of drug discovery, from initial hypothesis to lead optimization. The team's goal is to build highly accurate and automated atomistic models and pipelines to obtain crucial molecular-level insights for advancing drug candidates. We employ physics-based and physics-informed models, such as molecular dynamics simulations, absolute and relative binding free energy methods, metadynamics, MM/PBSA, and quantum-mechanical calculations, to enable cost-effective and scalable structure-based drug discovery. We work closely with design teams and collaborate with partners like the AI experts at the Frontier Hub, making our highly accurate methods more accessible and scalable for all.

The Experience You’ll Need

• PhD in Chemistry, Physics, Computational Chemistry, Computational Physics, or a related subject area
• Basic knowledge of drug discovery processes and the application of molecular simulations in this field
• Good programming skills, preferably Python for scripting, data analysis, and tool development
• Proven track record in the application and development of molecular simulation or computational chemistry tools
• Excellent communicator and passionate about creating a collaborative work environment
• Experience in running large-scale jobs using compute clusters or cloud-based infrastructures

Working Location & Compensation:

This is an office-based, hybrid role that can be based in our London or New York office. Employees are expected to work in the office at least 50% of the time. At Recursion, we believe that every employee should be compensated fairly. Based on the skill and level of experience required for this role, the estimated current annual base range for this role is: GBP £68,600 - £86,300 / USD $129,000 - $163,300. You will also be eligible for an annual bonus and equity compensation, as well as a comprehensive benefits package.

The Values We Hope You Share:

• We act boldly with integrity. We are unconstrained in our thinking, take calculated risks, and push boundaries, but never at the expense of ethics, science, or trust.
• We care deeply and engage directly. Caring means holding a deep sense of responsibility and respect - showing up, speaking honestly, and taking action.
• We learn actively and adapt rapidly. Progress comes from doing. We experiment, test, and refine, embracing iteration over perfection.
• We move with urgency because patients are waiting. Speed isn’t about rushing but about moving the needle every day.
• We take ownership and accountability. Through ownership and accountability, we enable trust and autonomy—leaders take accountability for decisive action, and teams own outcomes together.
• We are One Recursion. True cross-functional collaboration is about trust, clarity, humility, and impact. Through sharing, we can be greater than the sum of our individual capabilities.

Recursion is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, local, or provincial human rights legislation.