Senior Medicinal Chemist: Drug Discovery with Relocation

Placements24; Stellenbosch; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Annual bonuses

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Retirement savings plan

Professional development

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Placements24 in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, is seeking a Senior Synthetic Organic Chemist to lead design and synthesis of novel small molecules for drug discovery. You will oversee multi-step synthesis projects, mentor junior chemists, and collaborate with medicinal chemists, biologists and pharmacologists to advance candidates from discovery through preclinical development.

The role requires a PhD in organic chemistry and at least six years of relevant experience, with a proven track record in

Qualifications

• PhD in Organic Chemistry or related field.
• Minimum 6 years post-doctoral or industry experience in synthetic organic chemistry, focused on medicinal chemistry or drug discovery.
• Proven track record of synthesizing complex organic molecules.
• Strong SAR understanding and ability to apply synthetic strategies.
• Experience with parallel synthesis and purification is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute complex multi-step synthetic routes for novel organic compounds.
• Synthesize small molecules for drug discovery programs using medicinal chemistry principles.
• Optimize synthetic procedures to improve yield, purity, and scalability.
• Purify and characterize synthesized compounds using NMR, LC-MS, HPLC, and related techniques.
• Collaborate with medicinal chemists, biologists, and pharmacologists to support drug discovery projects.
• Mentor and guide junior synthetic chemists, fostering development.
• Stay current with advancements in synthetic organic chemistry, catalysis, and related fields.
• Contribute to preparation of publications, patents, and research reports.
• Ensure adherence to safety protocols and maintain detailed laboratory records.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Education

Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry

Tools

NMR

Mass Spectrometry

HPLC

Job description

Placements24 in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, is seeking a Senior Synthetic Organic Chemist to lead design and synthesis of novel small molecules for drug discovery. You will oversee multi-step synthesis projects, mentor junior chemists, and collaborate with medicinal chemists, biologists and pharmacologists to advance candidates from discovery through preclinical development.

The role requires a PhD in organic chemistry and at least six years of relevant experience, with a proven track record in