Associate Director, Medicinal Chemistry

IDEAYA Biosciences•South San Francisco, CA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

IDEAYA is a precision medicine oncology company committed to the discovery, development, and commercialization of transformative therapies for cancer. Our approach integrates expertise in small-molecule drug discovery, structural biology and bioinformatics with robust internal capabilities in identifying and validating translational biomarkers to develop tailored, potentially first-in-class targeted therapies aligned to the genetic drivers of disease. We have built a deep pipeline of product candidates focused on synthetic lethality and antibody-drug conjugates, or ADCs, for molecularly defined solid tumor indications. Our mission is to bring forth the next wave of precision oncology therapies that are more selective, more effective, and deeply personalized with the goal of altering the course of disease and improving clinical outcomes for patients with cancer. When you're at IDEAYA, you will be in the midst of brilliant minds working on precision medicine therapies to help cancer patients. We are passionate and committed about being on the forefront of oncology medicine, which means we all have a high internal drive that is at the very core of every person at IDEAYA. We are inquisitive, ask deep questions, and are data-driven innovators who like to collaborate and use team work to move science forward.

Requirements

Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry with 9+ years pharmaceutical medicinal chemistry industrial experience
Demonstrated strong record of delivering portfolio success and driving projects from early hits to deliver high quality small-molecule drug candidates
Proven leadership capability in cross-functional team setting, either as project team leader or co-lead
Demonstration of expert rational target design skills using creative application of structure-based design and expertise in molecular interaction understanding with a strong track-record of utilizing computational tools to aid structure-based design is essential
Exceptional knowledge of medicinal chemistry concepts, and ADME, physicochemical, biochemical and pharmacological principles as applied to drug discovery, and a track record of rationally solving challenging issues with creative approaches
Strong synthetic chemistry skills, with the ability to manage internal and external resources to solve challenging synthetic problems and deliver valuable molecules
Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to clearly and concisely communicate complex information to diverse audiences in different forums
Experienced in partnering closely with other functional areas, including computational chemistry, structural biology, DMPK, in vivo pharmacology, CMC, biology, etc.
Excellent awareness of current developments in synthetic, computational, and medicinal chemistry, and ability to identify opportunities to advance the science in these fields
Strong skills in gathering, documenting, and analyzing competitive information from sources such as patents and meetings and using this information to guide program strategy
A track record of mentoring junior scientists to increase their medicinal chemistry skillset and project impact
All employees are expected to act with integrity and in full compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and IDEAYA policies, including IDEAYA’s Code of Conduct.
Employees must demonstrate good judgement and ethical behavior in all business activities, maintain patient and product safety as a top priority, and report any suspected violations of law or Company policy through appropriate channels

Responsibilities

Impact multiple projects across the portfolio at all stages from target validation to hit-to-lead to lead optimization, in varying roles from project team leader to individual contributor
Collaborate closely with other research functions and with leadership to craft project strategies and deliver on project goals
Clearly communicate strategy and results across the organization
Manage and mentor direct report(s) and manage external FTEs to high productivity
As part of the department leadership team, help craft and execute department strategy
Monitor new developments in the field and identify new technologies to bring to the organization