Senior Bio-Chemist: Drug Discovery & HTS Assays

Placements24; Midrand; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Professional development

Fitness center

Relocation assistance

Bonuses

Leadership opportunities

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Bio-Chemist for its client, a leading biotechnology firm, to lead early-stage drug discovery at our Midrand, Gauteng site. You will design biochemical assays, guide SAR studies, and collaborate with cross-functional teams.

The role emphasizes independent initiative, rigorous data analysis, and mentoring junior scientists, with a blend of on-site work and remote flexibility to support productivity and work-life balance.

Qualifications

• PhD in Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Chemistry, or related field.
• 5–7 years of post-doctoral research in pharma/biotech.
• Expertise in enzyme kinetics, protein purification, and assay development.
• Strong grasp of drug discovery and medicinal chemistry principles.
• Proficient in data analysis (GraphPad Prism, R) and statistics.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to present complex findings.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute biochemical experiments to identify/validate drug targets.
• Develop and optimize biochemical and enzymatic assays for HTS.
• Characterize binding kinetics and functional activity of candidates.
• Analyze data and present findings to research teams and stakeholders.
• Contribute to IP through patents/publications.
• Collaborate with medicinal chemists on SAR studies of leads.
• Mentor junior scientists and guide R&D direction.
• Ensure safety compliance and maintain detailed records.

Skills

Biochemistry

Molecular Biology

Enzyme Kinetics

Protein Purification

Biochemical Assays

Drug Discovery

Data Analysis

Scientific Communication

Team Leadership

Education

PhD in Biochemistry or related field

Tools

GraphPad Prism

R

Mass Spectrometry

Chromatography

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Bio-Chemist for its client, a leading biotechnology firm, to lead early-stage drug discovery at our Midrand, Gauteng site. You will design biochemical assays, guide SAR studies, and collaborate with cross-functional teams.

The role emphasizes independent initiative, rigorous data analysis, and mentoring junior scientists, with a blend of on-site work and remote flexibility to support productivity and work-life balance.