Senior Medicinal Chemist: Drug Discovery & SAR Lead

Placements24; Bloemfontein; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health & wellness

Retirement plan

Generous PTO

Professional development

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Pharmaceutical Research Scientist in Welkom to lead medicinal chemistry efforts, designing and synthesizing novel drug candidates and optimizing lead compounds. This role demands SAR expertise and a proven synthesis track record in a collaborative lab setting.

You will work cross-functionally with biology, pharmacology, and DMPK teams, contribute to IP, and present findings at internal meetings and conferences in a fast-moving pharmaceutical environment in the Free

Qualifications

• PhD in Organic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, or closely related field.
• Minimum of 4 years postdoctoral or industry experience in medicinal chemistry.
• Extensive experience in synthetic organic chemistry with modern methods.
• Proficiency in spectroscopic and chromatographic characterization.
• Strong SAR understanding and drug design applications.
• Ability to work independently and in cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Design and synthesize novel organic molecules for drug discovery.
• Plan complex synthetic routes using retrosynthetic analysis.
• Purify and characterize compounds using NMR, LC-MS, and HPLC.
• Optimize lead compounds through iterative design and testing.
• Collaborate with biologists, pharmacologists, and DMPK teams.
• Maintain detailed notebooks and report progress.
• Contribute to IP generation through disclosures and patent applications.
• Ensure safe, compliant laboratory operations.
• Present findings at meetings and conferences.

Skills

Medicinal chemistry

Organic synthesis

SAR (structure-activity relationships)

Analytical techniques

Teamwork

Communication

Education

PhD in Organic or Medicinal Chemistry

Tools

NMR

LC-MS

HPLC

Purification techniques

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Pharmaceutical Research Scientist in Welkom to lead medicinal chemistry efforts, designing and synthesizing novel drug candidates and optimizing lead compounds. This role demands SAR expertise and a proven synthesis track record in a collaborative lab setting.

You will work cross-functionally with biology, pharmacology, and DMPK teams, contribute to IP, and present findings at internal meetings and conferences in a fast-moving pharmaceutical environment in the Free