Senior Medicinal Chemist

Placements24; Mbombela (Nelspruit); Hybrid; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,600,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary bonus

Health insurance

Home office allowance

Flexible hours

Impactful research

Virtual team

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Medicinal Chemist to drive design, synthesis, and optimization of novel small molecules for drug discovery, in a remote-first setting. You will collaborate with biologists and pharmacologists to advance lead candidates and publish findings.

The role emphasizes SAR/SPR-driven design, ADMET considerations, and strong synthetic capabilities, with a track record of delivering diverse compound libraries.

Qualifications

• PhD in Organic or Medicinal Chemistry is required.
• Minimum 5 years of medicinal chemistry experience in pharma/biotech preferred.
• Proven track record in designing and synthesizing diverse compound libraries.

Responsibilities

• Design and synthesize novel small molecules using state-of-the-art organic chemistry techniques.
• Collaborate with biology teams to advance lead optimization programs.
• Utilize SAR/SPR data to guide compound design.
• Characterize synthesized compounds using NMR, MS, HPLC, and related methods.
• Plan multi-step syntheses, troubleshoot reactions, and optimize yields.
• Maintain detailed experimental records and contribute to publications/patents.

Skills

SAR/SPR principles

ADMET properties

Drug development processes

Remote collaboration

Education

PhD in Organic Chemistry or Medicinal Chemistry

Tools

NMR

Mass Spectrometry

HPLC

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking a highly skilled Senior Medicinal Chemist to contribute to their drug discovery programs, working remotely. This role focuses on the design, synthesis, and optimization of novel small molecules with therapeutic potential. You will work closely with biologists and pharmacologists to achieve ambitious project goals, contributing to the identification and development of new drug candidates. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced medicinal chemist to leverage their expertise in a flexible, remote-first environment, driving impactful research from the convenience of their home office.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and synthesize novel small molecules using state-of-the-art synthetic organic chemistry techniques.
• Collaborate with in-house and external biology teams to advance lead optimization programs.
• Utilize structure-activity relationship (SAR) and structure-property relationship (SPR) data to guide compound design.
• Characterize synthesized compounds using NMR, Mass Spectrometry, HPLC, and other analytical techniques.
• Plan and execute multi-step synthetic routes, troubleshoot challenging reactions, and optimize yields.
• Maintain detailed records of experiments and contribute to scientific publications and patent filings.

Requirements

• PhD in Organic Chemistry or Medicinal Chemistry.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in medicinal chemistry, preferably within the pharmaceutical or biotech industry.
• Proven track record in the design and synthesis of diverse compound libraries for drug discovery.
• Strong understanding of SAR/SPR principles, ADMET properties, and drug development processes.
• Proficiency with modern synthetic techniques and analytical characterization methods.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work effectively in a remote, collaborative setting.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and performance-based bonuses.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous allowance for home office equipment and professional development.
• Flexible working hours and the ability to work from anywhere.
• Opportunity to significantly contribute to novel drug discovery efforts.
• A dynamic and science-driven virtual work environment.