Senior Structural Biologist — Lead Structure-Based Drug Design

Placements24; Soweto; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Performance-based bonuses

Medical and retirement benefits

Paid time off

Professional development

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a Senior Structural Biologist to lead structure-based drug design within a dynamic biopharma drug discovery team in Soweto, Gauteng. You will elucidate target and ligand structures using X-ray, cryo-EM, or NMR, guiding medicinal chemistry with high-impact insights.

You will mentor scientists, develop new methodologies, and present results at meetings and conferences in a multidisciplinary setting. Must be eligible to work in South Africa.

Qualifications

• PhD in Structural Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics, or related field.
• 5–7 years post-doctoral experience in drug discovery.
• Expertise in structure determination techniques (X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, or NMR).
• Proficiency in protein expression, purification, and biophysical characterization.
• Experience with structure-based drug design and protein–ligand interactions.
• Strong communication and collaborative skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead structure-based drug design projects from target selection to lead optimization.
• Determine high-resolution structures of target proteins and complexes.
• Express, purify, and characterize proteins for structural analysis.
• Interpret data to guide design of potent, selective inhibitors.
• Collaborate with chemists and biologists to integrate insights.
• Mentor junior scientists and contribute to scientific direction.

Skills

X-ray crystallography

cryo-EM

NMR spectroscopy

Protein expression

Protein purification

Biophysical characterization

Structure-based drug design

Data interpretation

Scientific communication

Education

PhD in Structural Biology or related field

Job description

Placements24 seeks a Senior Structural Biologist to lead structure-based drug design within a dynamic biopharma drug discovery team in Soweto, Gauteng. You will elucidate target and ligand structures using X-ray, cryo-EM, or NMR, guiding medicinal chemistry with high-impact insights.

You will mentor scientists, develop new methodologies, and present results at meetings and conferences in a multidisciplinary setting. Must be eligible to work in South Africa.