Senior Computational Biologist - Drug Design

Placements24; Noord-Kaap; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health benefits

Professional growth

HPC access

Collaborative research environment

Job summary

Senior Computational Biologist role in Kimberley aims to apply computational approaches to identify and optimize novel drug candidates by analyzing large biological datasets and predicting molecular interactions.

Collaborate with medicinal chemists, structural biologists, and pharmacologists to accelerate drug discovery, leveraging machine learning, molecular modeling, docking, QSAR, and high-performance computing within a research-driven Kimberley hub.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Cheminformatics, or related field.
• At least 6 years in computational biology with drug discovery focus.
• Proficiency in Python or Perl; experience with cheminformatics/bioinformatics software.
• Strong knowledge of molecular modeling, docking, QSAR, and statistical modeling.
• Experience handling large biological datasets and databases.

Responsibilities

• Develop and apply computational methods for large-scale biological data analysis.
• Use molecular modeling and simulation to predict drug-target interactions.
• Collaborate with medicinal chemists to guide design of candidates.
• Implement machine learning for predictive modeling in drug discovery.
• Design virtual screening campaigns and analyze results.
• Communicate findings to multidisciplinary teams.

Skills

Python

Perl

Molecular modeling

Docking

QSAR analysis

Machine learning

Large datasets

Education

Ph.D. in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Cheminformatics, or related quantitative field

Job description

About the Role

Our client is actively seeking a highly skilled Senior Computational Biologist to join their innovative Drug Design team in Kimberley . This role is pivotal in applying computational approaches to identify and optimize novel drug candidates by analyzing large biological datasets and predicting molecular interactions. You will collaborate closely with medicinal chemists, structural biologists, and pharmacologists to accelerate the drug discovery process. This is an exceptional opportunity for a computational biologist to make a significant impact on pharmaceutical innovation, working within a research-intensive environment that fosters collaboration, scientific rigor, and the application of cutting-edge computational tools from our Kimberley hub.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and apply computational methods for analyzing large-scale biological data, including genomics, proteomics, and transcriptomics.
• Utilize molecular modeling and simulation techniques to predict drug-target interactions and binding affinities.
• Collaborate with medicinal chemists to guide the design of novel small molecules and biologics.
• Implement machine learning algorithms for predictive modeling in drug discovery.
• Design virtual screening campaigns and analyze results to identify promising lead compounds.
• Communicate findings and strategies effectively to multidisciplinary project teams.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Computational Biology , Bioinformatics, Cheminformatics, or a related quantitative field.
• Minimum of 6 years of experience in computational biology, with a strong focus on drug discovery applications.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python or Perl, and experience with relevant cheminformatics and bioinformatics software.
• Strong understanding of molecular modeling, docking, quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis, and statistical modeling.
• Experience with large biological datasets and databases is essential.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and attractive bonus structure.
• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits.
• Opportunities for professional growth, including conference attendance and training.
• Access to high-performance computing resources and advanced software tools.
• A dynamic and collaborative research environment in Kimberley focused on innovation.