Senior Computational Research Scientist

St Jude Children's Research Hospital; Oregon (WI); Hybrid; USD 104,000 - 186,160; Full time

Job summary

St Jude Children's Research Hospital is seeking a Senior Computational Research Scientist to lead and develop computational research projects in a collaborative environment. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in computational chemistry and experience in techniques such as molecular dynamics simulations and molecular docking.

This role requires proficiency in scientific computing and the use of high-performance computing resources. A Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and significant experience in computational research are essential. The salary range for this position is $104,000 – $186,160 per year.

Qualifications

• Strong background in computational chemistry.
• Comfortable using high-performance computing resources.
• Experience in computational research techniques and processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead computationally focused scientific research projects.
• Identify, process, organize, and report relevant data.
• Present research to colleagues and draft manuscripts.
• Train and oversee the work of others in computational research.
• Maintain regular and predictable attendance.

Skills

Molecular dynamics simulations

Molecular docking

Chemical informatics

R programming

Python programming

High-performance computing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Bioinformatics, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Computer Science, or related field

Master's degree or PhD preferred

Tools

Knime

RDKit

ChemProp

Job description

The Senior Computational Research Scientist leads, performs, and develops computational research projects under minimal supervision.

The Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics (CBT) is seeking a highly motivated computational chemist interested in using state‑of‑the‑art techniques in computer‑aided drug design, virtual screens, and structure‑guided drug design to discover novel small molecule modulators of targets relevant to pediatric disease. The applicant is expected to work alongside domain experts in the biology of pediatric disease, chemists, and pharmacologists, and various institutional shared resources devoted to translational science in a collaborative project team environment.

The applicant must have a strong background in computational chemistry, including molecular dynamics simulations, molecular docking, pharmacophore modeling, quantitative structure–activity relationship modeling, and chemical informatics. The applicant must also be comfortable using high‑performance computing resources and developing, maintaining, and mining chemical and biological databases. Proficiency in scientific computing languages such as R and Python, and open‑source programming tools such as Knime, RDKit, and ChemProp is a plus.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead computationally focused scientific research projects with minimal supervision from their PI and develop new computational methods.
• Identify, process, organize, interpret, review, and report relevant data.
• Direct data collection.
• Present research to colleagues within and outside the institution; draft a complex manuscript with minimal supervision, as required.
• Regularly train and oversee the work of others in computational research and procedures.
• Perform other duties as assigned to meet the goals and objectives of the department and institution.
• Maintains regular and predictable attendance.

Minimum Education and/or Training

• Bachelor's degree in Bioinformatics, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Computer Science, or related field.
• Master's degree or PhD preferred.

Minimum Experience

• Minimum Requirement: Bachelor's degree and 7+ years of relevant experience.
• Experience Exception: Master's degree and 5+ years of relevant experience (or) PhD with 2+ years of relevant experience.
• Rough criteria for this position based on publication output: 1–2 first author papers if > 10 (or equivalent contribution to other research outputs).
• Prior experience in computational research techniques and processes.
• Proven performance in earlier role or comparable role.

Compensation

The salary range for this role is $104,000 – $186,160 per year.

St. Jude is an Equal Opportunity Employer.