Senior Director, Medicinal Chemistry – On-site Newark

Protagonist Therapeutics Inc.; Newark (CA); On-site; USD 195,000 - 235,000; Full time

Job summary

Protagonist Therapeutics Inc. in Newark, CA is seeking a Director of Medicinal Chemistry to lead a team in small molecule and peptide drug discovery.

The role focuses on hit-to-IND strategies, SAR optimization, and cross-functional collaboration within a fast-paced environment on-site four days a week. The ideal candidate has a PhD with 10+ years in drug discovery, proven leadership, and strong experience with ADME/PK and analytical techniques such as HPLC/LC-MS.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Synthetic Organic Chemistry or Medicinal Chemistry.
• 10+ years of drug discovery experience in pharma/biotech.
• Experience leading medicinal chemistry teams.
• Proven record in synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and analytical techniques.
• Experience with computational and structural biology in drug discovery.
• Track record of leading early discovery projects and identifying development candidates.
• Experience coordinating with cross-functional teams and CROs.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a medicinal chemistry group and external CROs to support multiple programs.
• Design and execute medicinal chemistry strategies from hit/lead to development candidates.
• Co-lead discovery programs and develop work plans to IND-ready candidates.
• Develop SAR and multi-parameter optimization for high-quality candidates.
• Plan internal/external resources including computational/structural inputs.
• Communicate with cross-functional teams and senior management.
• Evaluate CROs and oversee preclinical chemistry activities.

Skills

Medicinal chemistry

Drug discovery

Leadership

CRO management

ADME/PK

Synthesis chemistry

SAR analysis

HPLC/LC-MS

Cross-functional work

Computational chemistry

Structural biology

Education

Ph.D. in Synthetic Organic Chemistry or Medicinal Chemistry

Tools

Computational chemistry

Structural biology

Job description

Protagonist Therapeutics Inc. in Newark, CA is seeking a Director of Medicinal Chemistry to lead a team in small molecule and peptide drug discovery.

The role focuses on hit-to-IND strategies, SAR optimization, and cross-functional collaboration within a fast-paced environment on-site four days a week. The ideal candidate has a PhD with 10+ years in drug discovery, proven leadership, and strong experience with ADME/PK and analytical techniques such as HPLC/LC-MS.