Durban-Based Principal Chemist: Lead Drug Discovery

Placements24; Durban; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Performance bonuses

Health coverage

Relocation package

Training & conferences

Career advancement

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a Principal Chemist to lead medicinal chemistry efforts in our Durban drug discovery division. You will design, synthesize, and optimize small molecule candidates, guiding programs toward milestones with a multidisciplinary team.

The ideal candidate has a PhD in Organic or Medicinal Chemistry and 8+ years of industry experience, with a track record in advancing compounds to preclinical stages.

Qualifications

• PhD in Organic or Medicinal Chemistry is required.
• At least 8 years of progressive medicinal chemistry experience in pharma/biotech.
• Experience designing and synthesizing complex organic molecules and optimizing drug leads.
• Strong SAR and SPR understanding; familiarity with computational chemistry is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead medicinal chemistry strategy and execution for drug discovery projects.
• Design and synthesize novel small molecules with favorable pharmacological properties.
• Optimize lead compounds through iterative design, synthesis, and testing cycles.
• Collaborate with biologists, pharmacologists, and DMPK scientists to advance programs.
• Mentor junior chemists and foster scientific excellence.
• Stay current with advances in synthetic and medicinal chemistry.

Skills

Leadership

Medicinal chemistry

Drug design

SAR/SPR analysis

Education

PhD in Organic or Medicinal Chemistry

Tools

NMR

MS

HPLC

Job description

Placements24 seeks a Principal Chemist to lead medicinal chemistry efforts in our Durban drug discovery division. You will design, synthesize, and optimize small molecule candidates, guiding programs toward milestones with a multidisciplinary team.

The ideal candidate has a PhD in Organic or Medicinal Chemistry and 8+ years of industry experience, with a track record in advancing compounds to preclinical stages.