Remote Lead Cheminformatics Scientist

Placements24; Stellenbosch; Hybrid; ZAR 2,538,000 - 3,384,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

High salary with bonus potential

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Stock options

Home office setup allowance

Unlimited PTO

Professional development fund

Retirement plan with company match

Global remote team collaboration

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Cheminformatics Scientist to join a fully remote, globally distributed research team focused on novel drug discovery. The role centers on developing cutting-edge cheminformatics strategies, including molecular modeling, docking, virtual screening, and QSAR analysis, with collaboration across medicinal chemistry, biology, and AI/ML experts.

The position offers remote-first flexibility, mentoring opportunities, and a chance to shape the computational chemistry

Qualifications

• PhD in Cheminformatics, Computational Chemistry, CS or related field.
• 7+ years of cheminformatics experience in pharma/biotech.
• Expertise in molecular modeling, docking, virtual screening, and QSAR.
• Strong programming in Python with Pandas/NumPy.
• Experience with chemical databases (PubChem, ChEMBL).
• Experience integrating AI/ML with drug discovery.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and implementation of cheminformatics tools and workflows for drug discovery.
• Apply computational methods such as molecular modeling, docking, virtual screening, and QSAR to guide medicinal chemistry efforts.
• Analyze and interpret large chemical and biological datasets to identify trends and generate hypotheses.
• Collaborate with medicinal chemists to design novel molecules with desired properties.
• Develop and maintain databases for chemical compounds, biological assays, and experimental results.
• Integrate cheminformatics with AI/ML approaches to enhance predictive modeling and target identification.
• Mentor and guide junior cheminformatics scientists and external collaborators.
• Present research findings to internal teams and at international scientific conferences.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of computational drug discovery initiatives.
• Ensure the quality and integrity of computational data and models.

Skills

Cheminformatics leadership

Python programming

Molecular modeling

QSAR analysis

Data mining

Education

Ph.D. in Cheminformatics/Computational Chemistry/CS

Tools

RDKit

Schrödinger Suite

MOE

Job description

Our client, a visionary biopharmaceutical company focused on novel drug discovery, is seeking a Lead Cheminformatics Scientist to join their fully remote, globally distributed research team. This senior role is instrumental in harnessing the power of computational approaches to accelerate our drug discovery programs. You will be responsible for developing and implementing cutting-edge cheminformatics strategies, including molecular modeling, virtual screening, QSAR analysis, and data mining of large chemical and biological datasets. As a remote-first organization, we empower our scientists with the tools and flexibility to excel from anywhere. This position offers the unique opportunity to shape the computational chemistry and cheminformatics capabilities of our organization without the constraints of a physical office. You will collaborate closely with medicinal chemists, biologists, and AI/ML specialists to identify and optimize novel drug candidates. We are building a world-class remote R&D organization and seek individuals who are passionate about computational drug discovery and thrive in an independent, highly collaborative virtual setting.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and implementation of cheminformatics tools and workflows for drug discovery.
• Apply computational methods such as molecular modeling, docking, virtual screening, and QSAR to guide medicinal chemistry efforts.
• Analyze and interpret large chemical and biological datasets to identify trends and generate hypotheses.
• Collaborate closely with medicinal chemists to design novel molecules with desired properties.
• Develop and maintain databases for chemical compounds, biological assays, and experimental results.
• Integrate cheminformatics with AI/ML approaches to enhance predictive modeling and target identification.
• Mentor and guide junior cheminformatics scientists and external collaborators.
• Present research findings to internal teams and at international scientific conferences.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of computational drug discovery initiatives.
• Ensure the quality and integrity of computational data and models.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Cheminformatics, Computational Chemistry, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in cheminformatics within the pharmaceutical or biotech industry.
• Expertise in molecular modeling, virtual screening, QSAR, and 3D QSAR techniques.
• Proficiency in cheminformatics software and toolkits (e.g., RDKit, Schrödinger Suite, MOE).
• Strong programming skills in Python and experience with data manipulation libraries (e.g., Pandas, NumPy).
• Experience with chemical databases (e.g., PubChem, ChEMBL) and data management.
• Familiarity with machine learning concepts and their application in drug discovery.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and critical thinking skills.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, essential for a remote role.
• Demonstrated ability to lead projects and mentor junior scientists.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and significant bonus potential.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance coverage.
• Stock options in a rapidly growing biotech company.
• Home office setup allowance and robust IT support.
• Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO) policy.
• Professional development fund for conferences and training.
• Retirement savings plan with company match.
• Opportunity to lead cutting-edge computational drug discovery efforts remotely.
• Work with a talented, diverse, and globally distributed team.
• Direct impact on advancing novel therapeutics for unmet medical needs.