Medicinal Chemistry Scientist - Drug Discovery & SAR

Placements24; Willows (CA); On-site; USD 54,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health & wellness programs

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Professional growth opportunities

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a Pharmaceutical Research Scientist specializing in Medicinal Chemistry to join a leading pharmaceutical research facility in Welkom, Free State. The role focuses on discovery and optimization of small molecule drug candidates, with responsibilities spanning design, synthesis, and characterization of new entities.

The ideal candidate will hold a PhD in Organic or Medicinal Chemistry with at least 4 years postdoctoral or industry experience, strong SAR understanding, and

Qualifications

• PhD in Organic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, or closely related field.
• Postdoctoral or industry experience in medicinal chemistry (minimum 4 years).
• Strong synthesis and lead optimization track record.
• Experience with modern synthetic methods and purification techniques.
• SAR understanding and application in drug design.

Responsibilities

• Design and synthesize novel organic molecules for drug discovery.
• Perform literature searches and retrosynthetic planning for complex routes.
• Purify and characterize compounds (NMR, LC-MS, HPLC).
• Optimize lead compounds through iterative design and testing.
• Collaborate with biologists, pharmacologists, and DMPK scientists on activity and ADME.

Skills

SAR knowledge

Analytical problem solving

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Independent work

Education

PhD in Organic or Medicinal Chemistry

Tools

Spectroscopy

Chromatography

Job description

Placements24 seeks a Pharmaceutical Research Scientist specializing in Medicinal Chemistry to join a leading pharmaceutical research facility in Welkom, Free State. The role focuses on discovery and optimization of small molecule drug candidates, with responsibilities spanning design, synthesis, and characterization of new entities.

The ideal candidate will hold a PhD in Organic or Medicinal Chemistry with at least 4 years postdoctoral or industry experience, strong SAR understanding, and