Applied AI Leader for Small-Molecule Drug Discovery

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (US); Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 168,000 - 252,000; Full time

Job summary

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc seeks a scientific leader to accelerate AI-enabled drug discovery across DMTA, focusing on small-molecule design and extending capabilities to biologics. You will translate scientific needs into scalable AI workflows, drive adoption, and define rigorous evaluation benchmarks to ensure reliable insights.

You will lead cross‑functional teams, partner with project leaders, and shape strategies for AI co‑scientists empowering SAR analysis, lead optimization, and

Qualifications

• Ph.D. with 8+ years applying computational chemistry, cheminformatics, or related AI-enabled approaches to drug discovery.
• Experience translating scientific opportunities into scalable computational or AI capabilities.
• Leadership in cross-functional discovery research, data science, and engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic AI and agentic system initiatives across DMTA for small molecules and other modalities.
• Partner with project teams to deploy AI co-scientists for knowledge synthesis, SAR analysis, and lead optimization.
• Define evaluation frameworks, benchmarks, and validation strategies for AI-enabled research tools.
• Drive adoption, governance, and responsible AI practices across discovery platforms.
• Serve as scientific product owner bridging Drug Discovery, Data & Methods, and Digital Technology & Engineering.

Skills

Computational chemistry

Cheminformatics

AI in drug discovery

Scientific leadership

Product ownership

Stakeholder management

Experiment planning

Data-driven decision making

Education

Ph.D. in Computational Chemistry, Chemistry, Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering or related

Job description

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc seeks a scientific leader to accelerate AI-enabled drug discovery across DMTA, focusing on small-molecule design and extending capabilities to biologics. You will translate scientific needs into scalable AI workflows, drive adoption, and define rigorous evaluation benchmarks to ensure reliable insights.

You will lead cross‑functional teams, partner with project leaders, and shape strategies for AI co‑scientists empowering SAR analysis, lead optimization, and