Senior Cheminformatician - Predictive Modeling for Drug Discovery

Placements24; East London; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plans

Paid time off

Professional development

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Cheminformatician to join a remote drug discovery team. You will develop cheminformatics tools and predictive models, manage chemical databases, and collaborate with chemists to optimize leads.

The role requires a PhD or Master's in a related field, 6+ years of experience, and strong Python with RDKit and ML libraries. Remote work is supported with global collaboration.

Qualifications

• PhD or Master's in Cheminformatics, Computational Chemistry, Computer Science, or related quantitative field.
• Minimum 6 years of professional cheminformatics experience with a focus on predictive modeling in drug discovery.
• Proficiency in Python and libraries (RDKit, Scikit-learn, Pandas).
• Hands-on experience with molecular descriptors, fingerprints, and QSAR/QSPR modeling.
• Experience querying chemical databases (SQL, NoSQL).
• Strong understanding of organic and medicinal chemistry principles.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills for a remote setting.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement cheminformatics tools for molecular representation, similarity searching, and virtual screening.
• Build and validate predictive models for ADMET, activity, and physicochemical properties using machine learning.
• Design and manage chemical databases, ensuring data integrity and efficient retrieval.
• Collaborate with medicinal chemists to analyze SAR and optimize leads.
• Integrate cheminformatics with biological data (genomics, proteomics) for holistic insights.
• Evaluate and adopt new cheminformatics technologies and methodologies.
• Communicate findings to project teams through reports and presentations.
• Contribute to strategic direction of cheminformatics in the drug discovery pipeline.

Skills

Python programming

Machine learning

Data analysis

Remote collaboration

Education

PhD in Cheminformatics

Tools

RDKit

Scikit-learn

Pandas

SQL/NoSQL

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a cutting-edge pharmaceutical research company, is seeking a highly skilled Senior Cheminformatician to join their innovative drug discovery team. This is a fully remote position, offering the flexibility to work from anywhere while contributing to critical research initiatives. You will be instrumental in developing and applying computational methods to analyze large chemical and biological datasets, predict molecular properties, and identify potential drug candidates. Your expertise will be crucial in guiding medicinal chemistry efforts and accelerating the drug discovery process. This role requires a deep understanding of cheminformatics principles, machine learning, and a passion for applying these skills to solve complex biological problems. You will collaborate closely with chemists, biologists, and other computational scientists in a dynamic, remote-first environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement cheminformatics tools and algorithms for molecular representation, similarity searching, and virtual screening.
• Build and validate predictive models for ADMET properties, biological activity, and physicochemical characteristics of small molecules using machine learning techniques.
• Design and manage chemical databases, ensuring data integrity and efficient retrieval.
• Collaborate with medicinal chemists to analyze structure-activity relationships (SAR) and optimize lead compounds.
• Integrate cheminformatics data with biological data (e.g., genomics, proteomics) to gain holistic insights.
• Evaluate and adopt new cheminformatics technologies and methodologies.
• Communicate findings and insights effectively to project teams and stakeholders through reports and presentations.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of cheminformatics within the drug discovery pipeline.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Cheminformatics, Computational Chemistry, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field.
• Minimum of 6 years of professional experience in cheminformatics, with a strong focus on predictive modeling in drug discovery.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, and experience with relevant libraries (e.g., RDKit, Scikit-learn, Pandas).
• Hands-on experience with various molecular descriptors, fingerprints, and machine learning algorithms for QSAR/QSPR modeling.
• Experience managing and querying chemical databases (e.g., SQL, NoSQL).
• Strong understanding of organic chemistry and medicinal chemistry principles.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills, suited for a remote work setting.

Benefits

This fully remote position offers a highly competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package, including excellent health insurance, retirement plans, and generous paid time off. We provide significant opportunities for continuous professional development, including access to online courses, virtual conferences, and cutting-edge software. Embrace the flexibility and autonomy of working from anywhere while contributing to impactful drug discovery research. Join a collaborative, globally distributed team focused on innovation and accelerating the development of new therapies. Your work will directly contribute to the advancement of human health through novel pharmaceutical solutions.