Senior Medicinal Chemistry Program Lead

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 154,000 - 243,000; Full time

Job summary

Takeda is seeking a hands-on Medicinal Chemistry Program Leader at the Associate Director level to lead day-to-day design, synthesis, and progression of compounds for discovery programs in the Boston area.

You will serve as the chemistry lead on cross-functional teams, mentor junior chemists, manage external CRO collaborations, and drive milestones from hit-to-lead to candidate nomination, ensuring timely delivery within budget and resources.

Qualifications

• PhD/MS/BS with significant medicinal chemistry industry experience in pharma/biotech.
• Proven track record contributing to or leading discovery programs advancing compounds to candidate nomination or clinic.
• Strong understanding of SAR, drug design, potency, ADME, PK, and physicochemical properties.

Responsibilities

• Lead medicinal chemistry programs from hit identification through lead optimization and candidate nomination.
• Design and prioritize compounds using SAR, structure-based and computational design, and multi-parameter optimization.
• Lead cross-functional project teams with biology, pharmacology, DMPK, and toxicology, communicating progress and risks.

Education

PhD in Organic Chemistry or Medicinal Chemistry

MS in related discipline

BS with 14+ years experience in pharma/biotech medicinal chemistry

Job description

Takeda is seeking a hands-on Medicinal Chemistry Program Leader at the Associate Director level to lead day-to-day design, synthesis, and progression of compounds for discovery programs in the Boston area.

You will serve as the chemistry lead on cross-functional teams, mentor junior chemists, manage external CRO collaborations, and drive milestones from hit-to-lead to candidate nomination, ensuring timely delivery within budget and resources.