Associate Director Medicinal Chemistry

About the Role >>> Associate Director Medicinal Chemistry

As Associate Director of Medicinal Chemistry reporting to the Vice President of Medicinal Chemistry, you will provide laboratory leadership to the internal medicinal chemistry team and scientific oversight of external resources involved in the design and synthesis of novel small molecule drug candidates. You will lead the medicinal chemistry function within multidisciplinary project teams to help advance drug discovery projects from inception to the clinic in support of our mission to deliver novel medicines to the cancer patients who need them.

This role is based out of our San Francisco laboratory and may require international travel 1-2 times per year.

Your work will primarily encompass:

• Advancing novel small molecule hits and lead compounds into clinical candidates by leveraging experience in fragment-based ligand design, structure-based drug design, and/or multi-parameter lead optimization
• Performing hit-to-lead and lead optimization by designing and synthesizing novel small molecules
• Providing bench leadership to a team of internal chemists and effectively communicating scientific strategy, project goals, and individual expectations
• Managing external chemistry resources by designing synthetic strategies, prioritizing targets, and proposing creative solutions to chemistry problems

And will also include:

• Leading the medicinal chemistry function within multidisciplinary project teams
• Communicating project results and progress to key internal and external stakeholders
• Developing internal talent by providing positive mentorship while fostering a culture of collegiality, accountability, and scientific rigor
• Partnering with internal colleagues and external collaborators in cross-functional teams to ensure efficient progression of new compounds through assay workflows
• Active participation in laboratory safety and environmental initiatives
• Flexibility to work remotely one day/week as business needs allow

Ideal Candidate Profile >>> Medicinal Chemist with Project and Team Leadership Experience

A love of challenging, important work. We are a pragmatic team, driven to imagine and develop meaningful therapies for improving lives. All employees within our company play a unique and crucial role in our success, both in accomplishing our mission and building a positive company culture. As such, we are looking for someone with the right combination of knowledge, experience, and attributes for this role.

Knowledge:

• PhD in Organic or Medicinal Chemistry or an equivalent academic discipline
• Expert synthetic and medicinal chemistry skills with a working knowledge of structure-based drug design as demonstrated by publications and/or patents
• Deep knowledge of modern medicinal chemistry strategies for the optimization of physicochemical, biochemical, and ADME properties

Experience:

• 8 years as a medicinal chemist in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry
• At least 1 year independently managing external medicinal chemistry FTEs
• At least 1 year as a functional lead within a multidisciplinary project team
• Prior experience managing internal direct reports with a track record of mentoring junior staff and facilitating professional development is desired

Attributes:

• Impeccable professional ethics, integrity, and judgment
• Self-motivated and enthusiastic; fast learner who can identify the core project challenges and expeditiously change course as required in a fast-paced organization while maintaining strong attention to detail
• Teamwork and collaboration; balances team and individual responsibilities; gives and welcomes feedback; puts success of team above own interests; supports everyone's efforts to succeed; shares expertise with others
• A “difference maker” in terms of one’s professionalism and contributions
• Strong verbal, presentation and written communication skills to effectively share information with wide ranging internal and external audiences