Lead Synthetic Chemist for Drug Discovery & Mentorship

Placements24; LegKraal Gate; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary & bonus

Health, dental, vision insurance

Retirement plan

Professional growth opportunities

Paid time off

Relocation assistance

Support for move to Mahikeng

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a Lead Synthetic Organic Chemist for our client in Mahikeng, North West. You will lead the design and execution of complex multi-step syntheses for drug discovery, mentor junior chemists, and drive innovation in medicinal chemistry.

You will manage senior-level projects, collaborate across departments, and contribute to patents and publications while maintaining a compliant, safe laboratory environment.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry or related field with strong medicinal chemistry background.
• Proven track record in multi-step organic synthesis and lead optimization.
• Experience mentoring junior chemists and managing research projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and synthesis of novel small molecule drug candidates.
• Develop and optimize synthetic routes; troubleshoot challenging reactions.
• Manage multiple synthesis projects with priorities and timelines.
• Supervise and mentor a team of synthetic organic chemists.
• Utilize NMR, MS, HPLC, GC for structure and purity assessment.
• Stay updated on latest advances in synthetic chemistry and medicinal chemistry.
• Collaborate with medicinal chemistry, biology and process development teams.
• Contribute to patents and scientific publications.
• Ensure safe, compliant laboratory operations per EHS guidelines.

Skills

Multi-step synthesis

Asymmetric synthesis

Organometallic chemistry

Reaction mechanisms

Purification techniques

Mentoring

Leadership

Education

Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry

Tools

NMR

MS

HPLC

GC

Job description

Placements24 seeks a Lead Synthetic Organic Chemist for our client in Mahikeng, North West. You will lead the design and execution of complex multi-step syntheses for drug discovery, mentor junior chemists, and drive innovation in medicinal chemistry.

You will manage senior-level projects, collaborate across departments, and contribute to patents and publications while maintaining a compliant, safe laboratory environment.