Scientist, Peptide Chemistry

Calico Life Sciences; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Calico Life Sciences is seeking a scientist to join our Peptide Chemistry team. You will drive peptide drug discovery projects at the nexus of medicinal chemistry and our ML platform, collaborating with ML scientists, biologists, and automation experts to explore SAR and accelerate optimization of therapeutic peptides.

This role emphasizes rapid design-make-test cycles, hands-on synthesis and characterization (LCMS, NMR, HPLC) and mentoring junior scientists.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Organic/Peptide Chemistry with 0–2 years in drug discovery.
• Experience in peptide hit discovery, SAR campaigns, ADMET optimization, and peptide formulation.
• Proficiency with automated synthesis and analytical techniques (LCMS, NMR, CD).
• Ability to collaborate across functional groups and mentor junior scientists.
• Willingness to work onsite 5 days per week.

Responsibilities

• Lead peptide discovery campaigns from hits to IND-enabling studies.
• Develop high-throughput automated peptide synthesis workflows.
• Collaborate with biology, software, automation, and pharmacology teams.
• Mentor junior scientists to foster technical excellence.
• Manage external collaborations and CROs with chemists and DMPK.

Skills

Collaboration

Mentorship

Problem-solving

Communication

Education

Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry/Peptide Chemistry

Tools

Automated synthesis

HPLC

LCMS

NMR

CD spectroscopy

Job description

Who We Are

Calico (Calico Life Sciences LLC) is an Alphabet-founded research and development company whose mission is to harness advanced technologies and model systems to increase our understanding of the biology that controls human aging. Calico will use that knowledge to devise interventions that enable people to lead longer and healthier lives. Calico's highly innovative technology labs, its commitment to curiosity-driven discovery science, and, with academic and industry partners, its vibrant drug-development pipeline, together create an inspiring and exciting place to catalyze and enable medical breakthroughs.

Position Description

We are seeking a scientist to join our Peptide Chemistry team. In this role, you will drive peptide drug discovery projects that sit at the nexus of empirical medicinal chemistry and Calico's proprietary Machine Learning (ML) peptide design platform. You will collaborate cross-functionally with ML scientists, medicinal chemists, automation specialists, and biologists to explore structure-activity relationships (SAR). By leveraging a rapid design-make-test cycle, you will accelerate the optimization of therapeutic peptides and contribute to the evolution of a world-class synthetic engine.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive Discovery: Lead peptide drug discovery campaigns from initial hit identification through to IND-enabling studies
• Innovate Synthetic Workflows: Onboard and optimize novel chemistries for high-throughput, automated peptide synthesis; troubleshoot complex synthetic challenges to generate high-quality leads, and curate a custom library of building blocks
• Cross-Functional Partnership: Collaborate with biology, software, automation, assay, and pharmacology teams to ensure seamless execution of ML platform objectives and drug discovery milestones
• Mentorship and Management: Actively mentor junior scientists, fostering a culture of technical excellence, continuous learning, and collaborative innovation
• Manage external collaborations and CROs efficiently, including teams of chemists, DMPK scientists and formulation experts

Position Requirements

• Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, Peptide Chemistry, or a related discipline with 0-2 years of industry experience in drug discovery
• Experience in peptide hit discovery, SAR campaigns, ADMET optimization, and peptide formulation
• Proven experience building and interpreting complex assay cascades, including biophysical characterization, functional protein/cell-based assays, and ADMET screening
• High proficiency in automated synthesis, purification (HPLC, Flash, SPE), and characterization (LCMS, NMR, CD, etc.)
• Demonstrated ability to implement diverse chemistries, including backbone-modifications, macrocyclization, stapling, and bioconjugation via solid- or solution-phase strategies
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills for effective collaboration across diverse functional groups
• Must be willing to work onsite 5 days per week

Nice To Have

• Experience with organic synthesis, including transition metal catalysis and synthesis of non-canonical amino acids, is highly desired
• Experience with automation, software, and data-science integration into chemistry workflows
• Ability to utilize AI-tools to improve efficiency of research and build programs for data analysis or synthesis