Senior Medicinal Chemistry Scientist - Lead Discovery

NURIX; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 148,000 - 158,000; Full time

Job summary

Nurix Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, seeks a senior medicinal chemistry leader to drive discovery strategies from hit optimization to development candidate nomination. Design novel compounds, interpret SAR across datasets, and mentor colleagues while shaping new scientific directions.

You will collaborate across biology, pharmacology, and DMPK, advancing project objectives and contributing to IP generation and publications.

Qualifications

• BS or MS with 14+ years of relevant experience, or PhD with 8+ years of relevant experience.
• Strong expertise in medicinal chemistry and synthetic organic chemistry, with demonstrated ability to apply synthetic strategies to complex discovery challenges, including compound design, SAR development, multiparameter optimization, and structure-based drug design in close collaboration with computational chemistry and structural biology.
• Ability to integrate potency, selectivity, structural, physicochemical, ADME/PK, and pharmacology data, with a solid understanding of biology and pharmacology, to guide compound design and project strategy.
• Scientific creativity and a track record of innovation, including advancement of chemical series, advanced leads, or development candidates.
• Strong problem-solving and project management skills: identifying critical questions, forming hypotheses, designing experiments, and translating results into actionable strategies across projects of significant scope and complexity.
• Ability to establish new chemical, scientific, or strategic directions from experimental data, structural insights, literature, patents, and emerging science, and to influence decisions within multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience providing scientific guidance, coaching, or mentorship, with strong skills in applying literature, patent, and competitive intelligence to program strategy.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for multidisciplinary teams, senior leadership, and external audiences.

Responsibilities

• Design novel chemical entities and medicinal chemistry strategies, applying structure-based drug design to optimize potency, selectivity, physicochemical properties, ADME/PK, safety, and in vivo efficacy
• Design synthetic strategies for complex molecules using modern and creative synthetic methods
• Develop and interpret SAR by integrating chemical, structural, computational, biochemical, cellular, pharmacological, and ADME/PK data; independently identify key questions, design experiments, and recommend compound or series advancement, redesign, or termination
• Partner closely with computational chemists, structural biologists, and colleagues across biology, pharmacology, and DMPK to advance project objectives
• Develop innovative concepts that establish new directions and address complex challenges, drawing on emerging literature, patents, and competitive intelligence to inform compound design and strategy
• Lead chemistry workstreams within multidisciplinary teams, independently manage priorities and external collaborations, and contribute to project strategy and key scientific decisions
• Provide scientific guidance, coaching, and mentorship to other scientists
• Communicate scientific rationale, data, and recommendations clearly to project teams, leadership, and broader scientific audiences
• Contribute to intellectual property generation, patent preparation, and scientific publications; represent assigned projects at external forums; and lead improvements in laboratory practices and workflows

Skills

Medicinal chemistry

Synthetic organic chemistry

Structure-based drug design

Multiparameter optimization

Project management

Mentorship

Communication skills

Collaborative teamwork

Education

BS/MS with 14+ years

PhD with 8+ years

Job description

Nurix Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, seeks a senior medicinal chemistry leader to drive discovery strategies from hit optimization to development candidate nomination. Design novel compounds, interpret SAR across datasets, and mentor colleagues while shaping new scientific directions.

You will collaborate across biology, pharmacology, and DMPK, advancing project objectives and contributing to IP generation and publications.