Scientist I, Medicinal Chemistry

Nurix Therapeutics; The Woodlands (TX); On-site; USD 130,000 - 141,000; Full time

Job summary

Nurix Therapeutics is seeking a highly experienced medicinal chemist to join our medicinal chemistry group in The Woodlands, TX. The role focuses on designing and synthesizing novel small molecules aimed at unmet medical needs, leveraging structure-based drug design with support from computational and structural biology teams.

You will advance SAR studies, troubleshoot challenges, and communicate results to cross-functional project teams.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in designing and synthesizing novel small molecules.
• Experience with structure-based drug discovery is preferred.
• Strong analytical and data interpretation abilities.

Responsibilities

• Design and synthesize novel chemical entities optimized for potency and PK in vivo.
• Engage in rational structure-based drug discovery with computational and structural teams.
• Troubleshoot synthetic challenges and develop practical solutions.
• Design and execute high-quality experiments and analyze results.
• Advance SAR studies and contribute to compound design.
• Collaborate with cross-functional scientists to integrate data and drive objectives.
• Stay current with advances in synthetic/medicinal chemistry and apply methods.
• Communicate rationale, results, and recommendations clearly to teams.

Skills

Synthetic organic chemistry

Structure-based drug design

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Problem solving and troubleshooting

Data-driven decision making

Communication skills

Education

PhD

MS

BS

Job description

Join Nurix's medicinal chemistry group to design and synthesize novel small molecules for patients with unmet medical needs. You'll apply structure-based drug design, supported by our computational and structural biology teams, as part of a dynamic, multidisciplinary project team.

Position Description

The Opportunity

• Design and synthesize novel chemical entities optimized for potency, selectivity, pharmacokinetics, and in vivo efficacy, using modern synthetic methods and creative strategies to access challenging molecules
• Engage in rational structure-based drug discovery enabled by our computational and structural biology group
• Apply strong problem-solving skills to troubleshoot challenges and identify practical solutions
• Design and execute high-quality experiments, critically analyze results, and use data to form hypotheses and guide next steps
• Advance structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies by contributing to compound design
• Collaborate with scientists in computational chemistry, structural biology, biochemistry and biophysics, cellular biology, pharmacology, DMPK, and toxicology, as well as external collaborators, to integrate multidisciplinary data and advance project objectives
• Stay current with advances in synthetic and medicinal chemistry and apply relevant methods to project work
• Communicate scientific rationale, results, challenges, and recommendations clearly to chemistry colleagues and cross-functional project teams

What You’ll Bring

• PhD with up to 4 years of relevant experience, MS with 6 or more years of relevant experience, or BS or equivalent with 10 or more years of relevant experience
• Strong expertise in synthetic organic chemistry, with demonstrated ability to design and execute complex, multistep organic synthesis
• Strong scientific and synthetic problem-solving skills and the ability to independently troubleshoot challenging chemistry
• Scientific curiosity, creativity, and the ability to rapidly learn and apply new concepts, technologies, and approaches
• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills, with demonstrated ability to contribute in a collaborative, multidisciplinary research environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly communicate scientific concepts, results, and conclusions
• Knowledge of medicinal chemistry principles, structure-based drug design, pharmacology, and/or ADME/PK, consistent with prior experience

Salary Range: $130,200 - $141,400

Location: Onsite – The Woodlands, TX

Fit with Nurix Culture and Values

• Strong team orientation; highly collaborative
• Solutions and results-oriented focus
• Hands-on approach; resourceful and open to diverse points of view

About Nurix Therapeutics

Nurix Therapeutics is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of targeted protein degradation medicines, the next frontier in innovative drug design aimed at improving treatment options for patients with cancer and inflammatory diseases. Powered by a fully AI-integrated discovery engine capable of tackling any protein class, and coupled with unparalleled ligase expertise, Nurix’s dedicated team has built a formidable advantage in translating the science of targeted protein degradation into clinical advancements. Nurix aims to establish degrader-based treatments at the forefront of patient care, writing medicine’s next chapter with a new script to outmatch disease.