Scientist I

Cytokinetics, Inc.; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 158,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health, dental, vision insurance

401k with employer match

Learning stipends

Paid time off

Job summary

Cytokinetics, Inc. is seeking a Scientist I in South San Francisco to design and synthesize novel drug candidates, applying PK/PD and multi-parameter optimization to guide lead optimization toward clinical development.

The role requires collaboration across chemistry, biology, DMPK, and computational chemistry, with strong documentation and communication skills.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Organic or Medicinal Chemistry or related field (or MS with relevant industry experience).
• Expertise in organic synthesis, chromatography purification, and compound characterization using modern analytical techniques.
• Growing proficiency in multi-parameter optimization and hypothesis-driven problem solving.
• Ability to apply computational chemistry tools to support design.

Responsibilities

• Design & Synthesize novel drug candidates; advance optimization programs toward clinical development.
• Apply multi-parameter optimization and PK/PD considerations to design decisions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and document experimental work in ELN.

Skills

Organic synthesis

Multi-parameter optimization

Computational chemistry

Analytical techniques (NMR, MS, HPLC)

Communication skills

Independent & team work

Education

Ph.D. in Organic or Medicinal Chemistry

Tools

MOE

Job description

Cytokinetics is a specialty cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company, building on its over 25 years of pioneering scientific innovations in muscle biology, and advancing a pipeline of potential new medicines for patients suffering from diseases of cardiac muscle dysfunction.

Cytokinetics is seeking a talented synthetic and medicinal chemist to join our Medicinal Chemistry department as a Scientist I. As a leader in muscle biology and the discovery and development of novel therapeutics for cardiovascular and neuromuscular diseases, Cytokinetics relies on skilled bench chemists to design and synthesize novel small molecules that advance our discovery pipeline. Reporting into the Medicinal Chemistry group, this individual will contribute hands-on synthetic chemistry and compound design within multidisciplinary project teams, bringing strong synthetic capability, scientific curiosity, and a collaborative approach to advancing optimization programs.

In this role you will

• Design & Synthesize Novel Compounds: Rapidly synthesize drug candidates to enable the advancement of optimization programs toward clinical development. Contribute to the design of next-generation compounds, applying medicinal chemistry, DMPK, and physicochemical principles to the analysis of potency, DMPK, and off-target selectivity data. Design and synthesize compounds and focused libraries to address project objectives while managing synthesis timelines. Develop purification methods for synthesized targets on silica and reverse-phase columns.
• Apply Multi-Parameter Optimization & Design Principles: Integrate biology and DMPK feedback into design decisions, developing an understanding of PK/PD relationships and structure-based design. Build proficiency in multi-parameter optimization and hypothesis-driven problem solving. Apply computational and modeling tools (e.g., MOE) to support hypothesis generation and structure-based design.
• Collaborate & Communicate: Communicate research progress and data interpretation during project meetings. Work effectively within cross-functional project teams spanning chemistry, biology, DMPK, and computational chemistry. Provide timely and thorough documentation of experimental records into the electronic lab notebook.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Organic or Medicinal Chemistry, or related field (or M.S. with relevant industry experience).
• Demonstrated expertise in organic synthesis, chromatographic purification methods, and compound characterization using modern analytical techniques (NMR, MS, HPLC, etc.).
• Growing proficiency in multi-parameter optimization and hypothesis-driven problem solving.
• Ability to incorporate computational chemistry tools to support compound design.
• Track record of scientific achievement and peer-reviewed publications (first-author publications preferred).
• Organized, detail-oriented, with excellent record-keeping skills and excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and in a team environment.

Preferred Experience

• Experience applying structure-based design and computational chemistry tools (e.g., MOE) to guide compound design.
• Familiarity with modern synthetic methodologies relevant to lead optimization.

Pay Range

• The expected salary range for this position based on the primary location of South San Francisco, CA is $135,000-$157,500. The base pay offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the candidate's geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. Base salary is just one component of our competitive total compensation package, which includes equity in the form of stock options and/or restricted stock units, comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverage, 401k retirement benefits with employer match, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off. Note that benefits are subject to change and may vary based on jurisdiction of employment.

Our employees come from different backgrounds, and we celebrate those differences. We are looking for the best candidates for our open roles, but do not expect applicants to meet every qualification in order to be considered.

We champion integrity, ethics, doing the right thing, and being our best selves.

Our passion is anchored in robust scientific thinking, grounded in integrity and critical thinking. We keep the patient front and center in all we do - all actions and decisions are in service of the patient and their caregivers. We champion integrity, ethics, doing the right thing, and being our best selves.

Cytokinetics is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Cytokinetics is a specialty cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company, building on its over 25 years of pioneering scientific innovations in muscle biology, and advancing a pipeline of potential new medicines for patients suffering from diseases of cardiac muscle dysfunction.