Senior Medicinal Chemist

Placements24; Stellenbosch; Hybrid; ZAR 2,285,000 - 3,102,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Bonus potential

Remote work infra

Lead projects

Literature access

Collaboration tools

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a highly experienced Senior Medicinal Chemist to drive early-stage drug discovery. This fully remote role focuses on design, synthesis, and optimization of novel small molecules with emphasis on SAR and PK properties.

The ideal candidate will lead projects, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and contribute to strategic decisions in a virtual setting, using cutting-edge literature and tools to advance candidates toward preclinical development.

Qualifications

• PhD in Medicinal Chemistry or Organic Chemistry required.
• Minimum 6 years in pharmaceutical industry with drug discovery focus.
• Proven track record of molecules advancing to preclinical development.
• Expertise in synthetic organic chemistry and modern reaction techniques.
• Strong SAR knowledge and computational chemistry tools.
• Excellent communication and collaboration in a virtual environment.

Responsibilities

• Design novel small molecule drug candidates based on targets and SAR data.
• Synthesize complex organic molecules using modern methodologies.
• Optimize lead compounds for potency, selectivity, and PK properties.
• Collaborate with biologists, pharmacologists, and computational chemists remotely.
• Characterize compounds using analytical techniques (NMR, MS, HPLC).
• Mentor junior team members and contribute to project strategy.

Skills

SAR expertise

Synthetic organic chemistry

Computational chemistry

Virtual collaboration

Drug discovery

Education

PhD in Medicinal Chemistry or Organic Chemistry

Tools

NMR

MS

HPLC

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking a highly experienced Senior Medicinal Chemist to drive early-stage drug discovery programs. This is a fully remote position, empowering you to contribute significantly to our client's innovative research from the comfort of your home office. You will be responsible for the design, synthesis, and optimization of novel small molecules targeting various disease areas. This role requires a deep understanding of structure-activity relationships (SAR), synthetic organic chemistry, and drug discovery principles. The ideal candidate is a proactive, independent researcher who excels at problem-solving and is passionate about developing life-changing medicines.

Key Responsibilities

• Design novel small molecule drug candidates based on biological targets and SAR data.
• Synthesize complex organic molecules using modern synthetic methodologies.
• Optimize lead compounds for improved potency, selectivity, and pharmacokinetic properties.
• Collaborate closely with biologists, pharmacologists, and computational chemists in a remote setting.
• Characterize synthesized compounds using analytical techniques (NMR, MS, HPLC).
• Contribute to the strategic direction of discovery projects and mentor junior team members.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 6 years of relevant experience in the pharmaceutical industry with a focus on drug discovery .
• Proven track record of successfully designing and synthesizing molecules that have advanced into preclinical development.
• Expertise in synthetic organic chemistry and modern reaction techniques.
• Strong knowledge of structure-activity relationships (SAR) and computational chemistry tools.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, particularly in a virtual environment .

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and significant bonus potential.
• Comprehensive remote work infrastructure support.
• Opportunities to lead innovative research projects and publish findings.
• Access to cutting-edge scientific literature and virtual collaboration tools.
• A stimulating and intellectually challenging work environment focused on scientific advancement.