Senior Biochemist: Drug Discovery & Target Validation

Placements24; Polokwane; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Performance-based bonus

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Paid time off

Retirement savings plan

Professional growth opportunities

Job summary

Placements24 in Polokwane is seeking a Senior Biochemist to join its Drug Discovery team. You will identify and validate novel drug targets and develop innovative biochemical assays to support early-stage programs, working within a multidisciplinary R&D environment.

The role offers opportunities to design high‑throughput biochemical and biophysical assays, characterize protein–ligand interactions, and collaborate with chemists, cell biologists and pharmacologists to advance drug discovery.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Biophysics, or a related life science discipline.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant research experience in drug discovery, preferably within the pharmaceutical or biotech industry.
• Extensive experience with various biochemical and biophysical techniques (e.g., enzyme kinetics, SPR, ITC, fluorescence assays).
• Proficiency in protein expression and purification, and enzyme characterization.
• Demonstrated ability to design and troubleshoot complex biochemical assays.
• Strong analytical skills and experience with data analysis software.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize biochemical and biophysical assays for target validation and compound screening.
• Characterize protein-ligand interactions and determine kinetic parameters.
• Perform high-throughput screening (HTS) assays and analyze large datasets.
• Investigate mechanisms of action for potential therapeutic compounds.
• Collaborate with medicinal chemists, cell biologists, and pharmacologists to advance drug discovery projects.
• Maintain accurate experimental records and contribute to scientific reports and publications.

Education

Ph.D. in Biochemistry or Biophysics

Tools

SPR

ITC

Fluorescence assays

Job description

Placements24 in Polokwane is seeking a Senior Biochemist to join its Drug Discovery team. You will identify and validate novel drug targets and develop innovative biochemical assays to support early-stage programs, working within a multidisciplinary R&D environment.

The role offers opportunities to design high‑throughput biochemical and biophysical assays, characterize protein–ligand interactions, and collaborate with chemists, cell biologists and pharmacologists to advance drug discovery.