Senior Medicinal Chemist - Lead Drug Discovery

Placements24; Rustenburg; Hybrid; ZAR 1,500,000 - 2,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plans

Performance-based bonuses

Job summary

Placements24 in Rustenburg seeks a Principal Drug Discovery Chemist to lead advanced small molecule discovery programs from target validation to lead optimization. You will design, synthesize and characterize novel compounds, mentor junior scientists, and collaborate with biologists, pharmacologists and computational chemists to shape an ambitious pipeline in a dynamic research environment.

The ideal candidate has a PhD in organic/medicinal chemistry, 8+ years in drug discovery, and a proven

Qualifications

• PhD in Organic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, or a closely related field.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in drug discovery within the pharmaceutical/biotech industry.
• Proven track record of advancing drug candidates through the discovery pipeline.
• Expertise in modern synthetic organic chemistry techniques and asymmetric synthesis.
• Strong understanding of medicinal chemistry, PK/PD.
• Experience with computational chemistry tools (molecular modeling, docking) desirable.
• Excellent problem-solving, creativity, and results orientation.
• Outstanding communication and leadership abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead medicinal chemistry efforts for multiple drug discovery programs from target validation to lead optimization.
• Design and synthesize complex organic molecules with desired pharmacological properties.
• Develop and implement robust synthetic routes and troubleshoot challenges.
• Use SAR/SBDD to guide optimization efforts.
• Collaborate with in vitro/in vivo pharmacology to assess efficacy and ADMET.
• Support development of computational chemistry tools for drug design.
• Present findings and strategic recommendations to senior management.
• Mentor junior chemists and foster a high-performance research culture.
• Stay updated on medicinal chemistry and drug discovery advancements.

Skills

Medicinal chemistry

Drug discovery

Leadership

Mentoring

Communication

Education

PhD in Organic or Medicinal Chemistry

Tools

Molecular modeling

Docking

Job description

Placements24 in Rustenburg seeks a Principal Drug Discovery Chemist to lead advanced small molecule discovery programs from target validation to lead optimization. You will design, synthesize and characterize novel compounds, mentor junior scientists, and collaborate with biologists, pharmacologists and computational chemists to shape an ambitious pipeline in a dynamic research environment.

The ideal candidate has a PhD in organic/medicinal chemistry, 8+ years in drug discovery, and a proven