Scientist/Sr Scientist, Computational Chemistry

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading biopharmaceutical company is seeking a Scientist/Sr Scientist in Computational Chemistry to develop RNA-based therapeutics. The ideal candidate will apply advanced CADD tools and collaborate with a dynamic R&D team to impact life-changing therapies.

Benefits

Competitive salaries

Excellent benefit package

Qualifications

• 0-5 years of post-graduate experience (industry or post-doctoral).
• Proficient in drug design techniques including molecular docking and virtual screening.
• Track record of scientific contributions through publications or patents.

Responsibilities

• Perform computational modeling including molecular dynamics and quantum mechanics.
• Develop workflows to support drug discovery efforts.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to translate findings into actionable insights.

Skills

Computational modeling

Chemoinformatics

Problem-solving

Communication

Collaboration

Education

PhD in computational chemistry or related areas

Tools

Schrodinger

MOE

Discovery Studio

Job description

Scientist/Sr Scientist, Computational Chemistry

Scientist/Sr Scientist, Computational Chemistry

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARWR) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company that develops medicines that treat intractable diseases by silencing the genes that cause them. Using a broad portfolio of RNA chemistries and efficient modes of delivery, Arrowhead therapies trigger the RNA interference mechanism to induce rapid, deep, and durable knockdown of target genes. RNA interference, or RNAi, is a mechanism present in living cells that inhibits the expression of a specific gene, thereby affecting the production of a specific protein. Arrowhead’s RNAi-based therapeutics leverage this natural pathway of gene silencing.

Arrowhead is focused on developing innovative drugs for diseases with a genetic basis, typically characterized by the overproduction of one or more proteins that are involved with disease. The depth and versatility of our RNAi technologies enables us to potentially address conditions in virtually any therapeutic area and pursue disease targets that are not otherwise addressable by small molecules and biologics. Arrowhead is leading the field in bringing the promise of RNAi to address diseases outside of the liver, and our clinical pipeline includes disease targets in the liver and lung with a promising pipeline of preclinical candidates.

Arrowhead’s corporate headquarters is in Pasadena, CA with research and development teams in Madison, WI and San Diego, CA. Our employees are nimble, science-driven innovators who are collaborating to bring new therapies to patients in need.

The Position

We are seeking a highly skilled computational chemist with Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD) expertise to join our dynamic team in San Diego, California. In this on-site role, you will apply advanced CADD tools to accelerate the development of targeting ligands and next-generation RNA-based therapeutics. You will work closely with a cross-functional R&D team at the cutting edge of RNA interference (RNAi), where your computational insights will directly impact the development of life-changing therapies.

Responsibilities

• Perform computational modeling, including molecular dynamics simulations, quantum mechanics calculations, and cheminformatics analyses.
• Develop and implement computational workflows to support drug discovery efforts.
• Collaborate closely with medicinal chemists, biologists, and multidisciplinary teams to interpret computational results and translate findings into actionable insights.
• Design, analyze, and optimize small molecule ligands using structure-based and ligand-based drug design approaches.
• Maintain thorough documentation of computational methods, protocols, and results.
• Stay updated on emerging computational techniques and apply innovative methods to improve efficiency and accuracy of computational predictions.

Requirements:

• PhD in computational chemistry, Computer-Aided Drug Design, or relevant areas that brings the following set of skills and expertise with 0-5 years of post-graduate experience (industry or post-doctoral experience).
• Proficient in structure-/ligand-based drug design, including molecular docking, virtual screening, QSAR, homology modeling, molecular dynamics, and quantum mechanics, etc., and master the relevant tools, including Schrodinger, MOE, Discovery Studio, etc.
• A track record of scientific contributions illustrated by publications and/or patents.
• Proficient command of at least one programming language (Python, R, C, C++, etc.).
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and collaborative skills.

Preferred:

• Experience with cloud-based computational platforms.
• Familiarity with machine learning and AI methods in drug discovery.
• Strong publication record in computational chemistry or related fields.

$125,000 — $150,000 USD

Arrowhead provides competitive salaries and an excellent benefit package.

All applicants must have authorization to work in the US for a company.