Director, Peptide Chemistry

Full-Life Technologies; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Full-Life Technologies seeks a senior leader in peptide chemistry to drive discovery of peptide- and protein-based radiopharmaceutical candidates for solid tumors. The role requires guiding PoC programs, preclinical development, and cross-functional collaboration with internal teams and external partners.

You will mentor scientists, manage timelines and budgets, and contribute to regulatory filings while staying at the forefront of peptide chemistry advances, target discovery, and lead

Qualifications

• Ph.D. required with extensive industry peptide/PDC discovery experience.
• 6+ years in peptide or PDC discovery; 10+ years preferred.
• Experience in CRO/biotech settings with preclinical PoC.
• Proven record advancing assets to clinical translation and PoC.
• Strong leadership and external collaboration management.

Responsibilities

• Oversee peptide-related projects at Full-Life, identifying PoC for radiopharmaceuticals.
• Lead peptide chemistry in design and development of novel candidates.
• Collaborate across geographies and senior leadership on innovation.
• Plan, design, execute, and interpret studies for preclinical candidates.
• Evaluate target selection and lead research on peptide drug projects.
• Drive discovery from hit identification to preclinical candidate selection.
• Coordinate all project activities with vendors and collaborators.
• Review regulatory documents (INDs, IMPDs) as needed.
• Stay updated on advances in peptide chemistry and lead optimization.

Skills

Leadership

Peptide design

Preclinical development

Project management

Vendor coordination

Team collaboration

Budgeting

Timeline management

Education

Ph.D. in Chemistry or related discipline

Job description

We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled leader with a strong background in peptide discovery. The successful candidate will lead all peptide chemistry efforts aimed at discovering high-quality peptide- and protein-based radiopharmaceutical drug candidates targeting solid tumors.

The ideal candidate is an experienced senior peptide chemist with over 6 years of industrial experience. This individual will play a key role in building the company’s radionuclide-drug conjugate (RDC) chemistry platforms and contributing to the advancement of our growing development programs.

This role requires strong leadership in driving internal programs from hit generation and lead optimization through development candidate selection. The candidate will support translational science and early development activities, collaborate effectively with internal research teams and external partners, mentor junior scientists, and contribute to cross-functional initiatives to achieve company objectives.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Oversee all peptide-related projects at Full-Life, working closely with the CSO to identify, develop, and advance preclinical proof-of-concept (PoC) for peptide-based radiopharmaceuticals.
• Lead the peptide chemistry activities in the design and development of novel peptide drug candidates, with a strong understanding of relevant assays and go/no-go decision-making criteria.
• Act as a globally oriented innovator, able to collaborate across geographies at the highest levels of scientific and technical innovation.
• Apply scientific expertise to plan, design, execute, and interpret studies for the development of novel preclinical peptide candidates.
• Evaluate target selection and lead peptide drug research projects, overseeing screening, synthesis, and optimization efforts.
• Drive the full discovery process—from early-stage hit identification to the selection of preclinical peptide candidates.
• Manage and coordinate all project activities, ensuring timely delivery and adherence to budget by working closely with external vendors and research collaborators.
• Review and contribute to the technical content of regulatory documents such as INDs, IMPDs, and other submissions.
• Stay abreast of advances in peptide chemistry, target discovery, and lead optimization, continuously enhancing team capabilities.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Chemistry or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 6 years (preferably 10+ years) of industry experience in peptide or peptide-drug conjugate (PDC) discovery.
• Experience in peptide design, synthesis, validation, and preclinical development in a CRO or biotech setting (PDC experience strongly preferred).
• Demonstrated success in advancing assets from lead discovery to clinical translation, including preclinical and in vivo PoC.
• Proven ability to manage technical projects with external vendors and collaborators.
• Strong project management skills, including contracting, budgeting, and timeline oversight.
• Ability to multitask and manage parallel workstreams in a fast-paced drug development environment.
• Proactive, forward-thinking, and creative problem-solver with strong team collaboration skills.