Principal Scientist, Structural Biology – Lead Drug Design

Placements24; Bloemfontein; Hybrid; ZAR 1,500,000 - 2,300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation package

Medical and retirement benefits

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Placements24 in Bloemfontein, South Africa, seeks a Principal Scientist to lead its Structural Biology group. The role focuses on solving protein structures, mentoring scientists, and collaborating with medicinal chemistry and biology teams to accelerate drug discovery.

The candidate will oversee project design, implement X-ray crystallography or cryo-EM workflows, and stay at the forefront of structural techniques, while contributing to strategic planning and ensuring high-impact publications.

Qualifications

• PhD in Structural Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics, or related field.
• Minimum 8 years of post-doctoral and/or industry experience in structural biology.
• Proven ability to express, purify, and characterize proteins for structural studies.
• Experience with structure-based drug design principles.
• Publications in high-impact journals and leadership experience are highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage structural biology research projects from target selection to structure determination.
• Apply X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM to solve complex biological problems.
• Develop and optimize protein expression, purification, crystallization, and data collection methods.
• Interpret structural data to inform drug design strategies and collaborate with chemists and biologists.
• Mentor junior scientists and technical staff; present findings at conferences and drive strategic planning.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Collaboration

Communication

Strategic thinking

Education

PhD in Structural Biology/Biochemistry/Biophysics

Tools

Crystallographic software

Cryo-EM data processing software

Job description

Placements24 in Bloemfontein, South Africa, seeks a Principal Scientist to lead its Structural Biology group. The role focuses on solving protein structures, mentoring scientists, and collaborating with medicinal chemistry and biology teams to accelerate drug discovery.

The candidate will oversee project design, implement X-ray crystallography or cryo-EM workflows, and stay at the forefront of structural techniques, while contributing to strategic planning and ensuring high-impact publications.