Director, Medicinal Chemistry

Protagonist Therapeutics • Newark, NJ

4d • Onsite

About The Position

Protagonist Therapeutics is seeking an experienced Director of Medicinal Chemistry to lead its Discovery Chemistry team and manage a medicinal chemistry group supporting small-molecule and peptide drug discovery across diverse therapeutic targets. The role develops and executes medicinal chemistry strategies spanning hit and lead discovery, lead optimization, and development-candidate progression and nomination for first-in-human studies. It includes leading the design, synthesis, and structure–activity relationship analysis of new molecules, co-leading multiple discovery programs, and solving challenging problems as part of a multidisciplinary team.

The Director will coordinate internal expertise with external chemistry resources, manage CROs, and collaborate across functions to support chemistry productivity and advance programs. The role reports to the VP of Chemistry. The position may be offered at Associate Director, Director, or Senior Director level depending on experience. It is based on-site in Newark, California, four days per week.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Synthetic Organic Chemistry or Medicinal Chemistry.
• At least 10 years of drug discovery experience as a medicinal chemist in a pharmaceutical or biotechnology setting.
• Experience leading and managing medicinal chemistry teams.
• Demonstrated synthetic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and analytical capabilities, supported by a record of achievement such as publications or patents.
• Experience using computational and structural biology in drug discovery.
• Track record of leading or managing early discovery projects and identifying development candidates against challenging targets, with deep understanding of hit and lead generation and lead optimization.
• Experience working effectively in multidisciplinary teams and using cross-functional information, including ADME/PK, in vitro assays, and in vivo pharmacology, to guide drug design and optimization.
• Experience managing multiple and diverse CROs for medicinal chemistry and biological evaluations.
• Strong understanding of pharmacology, DMPK, and toxicology requirements for oral and injectable therapeutics.
• Experience supervising, mentoring, and developing other scientists.
• Proficiency in data analysis and applying analytical and problem-solving skills to technical challenges.
• Understanding of intellectual property in drug discovery and attention to detail when drafting patent applications.
• Working knowledge of analytical and separation technologies, including HPLC, RP-HPLC, LC/MS, ion-exchange chromatography, and size-exclusion chromatography, and ability to evaluate new technologies.
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills; self-starting and enthusiastic.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced, innovative environment emphasizing teamwork, collaboration, and communication.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a medicinal chemistry group and external chemistry resources supporting multiple small-molecule and peptide drug discovery programs.
• Design and execute medicinal chemistry strategies across hit and lead discovery, lead optimization, ADME/PK, pharmacology, and toxicology to advance development candidates into first-in-human studies.
• Co-lead multiple drug discovery programs and provide functional expertise in work plans from lead identification through clinical development candidate selection.
• Develop structure–activity relationships and conduct multiparameter optimization to identify high-quality drug candidates.
• Plan and prioritize internal and external medicinal chemistry resources, including computational and structural resources, to achieve project goals.
• Communicate and collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Communicate project work, issues, schedules, and accomplishments to senior management.
• Evaluate and select chemistry CROs and oversee key preclinical chemistry activities.
• Supervise, mentor, and develop other scientists.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage, with the company covering 100% of the premium cost for full-time employees and their dependents.
• Healthcare Flexible Spending Account.
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account.
• Commuter benefits.
• 401(k) plan.
• Flexible vacation policy.
• Basic and voluntary life insurance and AD&D.
• Short-term and long-term disability coverage.
• Company-paid lunch and snacks.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree