Director, Head of Chemistry

Genmab; Utrecht; On-site; EUR 98,000 - 147,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension

Health insurance

Paid time off

Employee support programs

Job summary

Genmab in Utrecht seeks a Director, Head of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry for Antibody Drug Conjugates. You will lead a new team, set strategy, and oversee synthetic organic and medicinal chemistry activities across discovery to clinical development.

You will collaborate across biology, pharmacology, and manufacturing, mentoring staff and driving tech transfer to GMP. Strong SAR, analytics, and regulatory awareness are essential.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in organic or medicinal chemistry or a related discipline.
• ,
• Minimum 10 years in early-stage biopharmaceuticals or biotech; leadership experience of cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic direction for ADC discovery and development.
• 0 Lead a team of synthetic organic chemists; design, synthesize, conjugate, and analyze payloads, linkers, and ADCs.
• 0 Develop and implement innovative synthetic methodologies to enhance efficiency and scalability.
• 0 Oversee bioconjugation strategy including site-specific and stochastic conjugation; DAR control and bioconjugate characterization.
• 0 Direct exploration of novel payload classes balancing potency, stability, and manufacturability.
• 0 Collaborate with biology, pharmacology, protein engineering, and manufacturing to meet milestones.
• 0 Lead tech transfer and scale-up of synthetic routes to GMP; partner with CMC/process chemistry.
• 0 Shape strategy for external collaborations on ADC chemistry; engage business development.
• 0 Support due diligence, CRO oversight, and licensing evaluations.
• 0 Contribute to patent applications, publications, and regulatory submissions.
• 0 Represent Genmab externally through conferences and publications.
• 0 Foster a culture of excellence, knowledge exchange and continuous improvement.
• 0 Establish EHS protocols for handling potent cytotoxic compounds and ensure compliance.
• 0 Own budget and capital planning for wet lab build-out and equipment.

Skills

Leadership

ADC chemistry

Bioconjugation analytics

CMC/tech transfer

EHS/industrial hygiene

SAR studies

Computational chemistry

English communication

Education

Ph.D. in organic/medicinal chemistry

Tools

Mass spectrometry

HIC RP-HPLC

Job description

At Genmab, we are dedicated to building extra[not]ordinary® futures, together, by developing antibody products and groundbreaking, knock-your-socks-off KYSO antibody medicines® that change lives and the future of cancer treatment and serious diseases. We strive to create, champion and maintain a global workplace where individuals’ unique contributions are valued and drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our patients, care partners, families and employees.

Our people are compassionate, candid, and purposeful, and our business is innovative and rooted in science. We believe that being proudly authentic and determined to be our best is essential to fulfilling our purpose. Yes, our work is incredibly serious and impactful, but we have big ambitions, bring a ton of care to pursuing them, and have a lot of fun while doing so.

Does this inspire you and feel like a fit? Then we would love to have you join us!

Director, Head of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry - Antibody Drug Conjugates

Your Role

As Director, head of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry for Antibody Drug Conjugates at Genmab in Utrecht, you will play a pivotal role in the Discovery Department. You will use your knowledge and expertise to support and bolster Genmab’s discovery pipeline. You will guide a new team dedicated to synthetic organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry and analytics, shaping strategic direction.

Within this role, you will provide oversight of all synthetic organic and medicinal chemistry activities related to ADCs. This role will involve building up the wet lab capabilities, fostering innovation and managing a high-performance team. Your role will be instrumental in ensuring the successful progression of ADC projects from discovery through clinical development.

Collaboration will be central to your role, as you engage with the various discovery departments and contribute actively to the discovery management team.

Your Responsibilities

• Provide strategic direction for the synthetic organic and medicinal chemistry team, focusing on ADC discovery and development.
• Lead the functional team of synthetic organic chemists responsible for designing, synthesizing, conjugating, and analyzing payloads, linkers, and the conjugated ADCs.
• Development and implementation of innovative synthetic methodologies and strategies to enhance efficiency, scalability, and overall project success.
• Oversee bioconjugation strategy across site‑specific and stochastic conjugation approaches including DAR control and bioconjugate characterization (HIC, RP‑HPLC, mass spectrometry).
• Direct exploration of novel payload classes balancing potency, stability, and manufacturability.
• Collaborate closely with cross‑functional teams, including biology, pharmacology, protein engineering and manufacturing, to integrate chemistry efforts and achieve project milestones.
• Lead tech transfer and scale‑up of synthetic routes from discovery to GMP manufacturing, partnering with CMC and process chemistry teams to ensure a smooth transition of ADC programs toward IND‑enabling and clinical supply.
• Shape Genmab’s strategy for scouting and external collaborations on ADC and linker‑payload synthetic chemistry, together with business development teams.
• Support due diligence, CRO oversight, and evaluation of in‑licensing/out‑licensing opportunities related to ADC and linker‑payload technologies.
• Contribute to the preparation of patent applications, scientific publications, and regulatory submissions.
• Represent the company externally through conference presentations, scientific publications, and engagement with key opinion leaders in the ADC field.
• Cultivate a collaborative environment, promoting a culture of excellence and continuous improvement. Encourage scientific knowledge exchange and best practice within the team and across functions.
• Establish and oversee EHS/industrial hygiene protocols for handling highly potent cytotoxic compounds within the wet lab, ensuring compliance with safety and regulatory standards.
• Own the budget and capital planning for wet lab build‑out, including equipment procurement and space planning.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop team members; own performance management and career development for direct reports, and champion diversity and inclusion within the team.

Qualifications and Skills

• Ph.D. in organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in early‑stage biopharmaceutical or biotechnology industry or partly in academia. Prior experience (5+ years) in a leadership role overseeing cross‑functional teams is crucial to manage the complexities and the scale of operations in this role.
• Proven record of accomplishment of leading successful ADC chemistry projects from discovery to clinical development.
• Comprehensive knowledge of industry standards and scientific advancements in early‑stage discovery chemistry and analytics, involving ADC‑, conjugation‑ and linker‑payload chemistry.
• Expertise in synthetic organic and medicinal chemistry techniques.
• Hands‑on expertise with bioconjugation chemistries DAR analytics, and bioconjugate characterization methods.
• Experience with CMC/tech transfer of synthetic routes to GMP scale, and familiarity with IND‑enabling study requirements and regulatory expectations specific to ADCs.
• Experience overseeing safety programs for handling highly potent compounds (EHS/industrial hygiene) in a wet lab environment.
• Strategic planning skills.
• Experience with structure‑activity relationship (SAR) studies.
• Familiarity with computational chemistry and molecular modeling tools is desirable.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English, with the ability to clearly articulate complex research findings to diverse audiences.
• Flexibility to adapt to new organizational directions and work on multiple projects simultaneously, in accordance with evolving departmental needs.

The proposed gross annual/monthly base salary range for this position, in the primary location, based on a full time schedule is:

EUR97.920,00---146.880,00

The final salary offer will depend on several factors, including your skills, qualifications, and experience.

In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for additional forms of compensation, such as discretionary bonuses and long‑term incentives.

When you join Genmab, you become a part of a culture that supports your physical, financial, social, and emotional well‑being. Our benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Pension
• Health insurance and wellness benefits
• Paid time off
• Employee support programs

Further details on eligibility for compensation and benefits based on the role will be provided during the recruitment process.

About Genmab

Genmab is an international biotechnology company with a core purpose to improve the lives of patients through innovative and differentiated antibody therapeutics. For 25 years, its hard‑working, innovative and collaborative team has invented next‑generation antibody technology platforms and harnessed translational, quantitative and data sciences, resulting in a proprietary pipeline including bispecific T‑cell engagers, antibody‑drug conjugates, next‑generation immune checkpoint modulators and effector function‑enhanced antibodies. By 2030, Genmab’s vision is to transform the lives of people with cancer and other serious diseases with Knock‑Your‑Socks‑Off (KYSO®) antibody medicines.

Established in 1999, Genmab is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark with international presence across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit Genmab.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X.

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Please note that if you are applying for a position in the Netherlands, Genmab’s policy for all permanently budgeted hires in NL is initially to offer a fixed‑term employment contract for a year, if the employee performs well and if the business conditions do not change, renewal for an indefinite term may be considered after the contract.