Executive Director, Chemical Biology/Drug Design

Recursion•Salt Lake, UT

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

Recursion is seeking an Executive Director of Chemical Biology/ Drug Design to develop and lead chemical biology efforts that bridge multiomic discovery with target ID, including chemical probe design, as we expand our platform into new modalities beyond traditional small molecules (e.g. targeted protein degradation, molecular glues, and other emerging modalities). This is a senior scientific leadership role responsible for setting chemical biology strategy, managing a team of designers, and driving programs that bridge multiomic discovery to target ID and designing our chemical probe library to facilitate target discovery. You will lead multidisciplinary project teams: partnering closely internally with biology, multiomics platform (high content imaging, RNA etc), computational biologists and data scientists to translate novel target and ligand insights into potent, selective, and developable chemical matter. You'll bring hands-on chemical biology expertise together with the strategic judgment to prioritize programs, manage internal and external (CRO) teams, and build the new capabilities needed to establish new modalities within the portfolio. Recursion's AI/ML-driven Design Platform is a core tool your team will draw on, and you'll play an active role in shaping how computational and generative design approaches are integrated into chemical biology decision-making. This role blends deep technical credibility with people and program leadership.

Requirements

PhD in chemical biology, chemistry, or related field, with 10+ years of relevant industry experience and demonstrated people leadership
Deep, hands-on track record in chemical probe design — selective inhibitors, proximity approaches such as molecular glue degraders/PROTACs, covalent or activity-based/photoaffinity chemistry
Proven ability to deconvolute phenotypic hits to mechanism via chemoproteomics or equivalent target ID methods
Track record building and scaling a chemical biology function — hiring, mentoring, and developing multiple scientists/managers
Experience setting multi-year technical strategy (e.g. chemical library architecture, probe portfolio direction) rather than executing a single program's plan
Comfortable operating with high ambiguity — translating open biological questions into executable chemistry strategy without a pre-defined target
Executive-level communication: able to represent chemical biology strategy directly to C-suite/board and influence cross-functional senior leaders
Prior experience managing, mentoring, or leading chemists and cross-functional project teams, including internal/external (CRO) team management

Nice To Haves

Direct experience with phenomics, high-content imaging (e.g., Cell Painting), or other image-based screening platforms
Familiarity with how AI/ML-derived phenotypic signatures inform compound prioritization or target nomination
External scientific visibility — publications, conference leadership, or partner/BD-facing technical credibility
Experience contributing to IP strategy or licensing diligence involving novel chemical matter

Responsibilities

Set chemical biology strategy for Recursion based on our multiomics platform, with a focus on linking our proprietary maps of biology to targets using modern chemical biology methods and work with teams to establish the right drug modalities (e.g. degraders, molecular glues) alongside traditional small molecule work
Build, manage, and mentor a team of multiomics chemists, fostering a coaching-driven environment for growth
Establish and manage internal and external (CRO) chemistry teams and networks to execute screening, synthesis, and validation campaigns
Partner closely with biology, target ID teams, structural biology, and computational drug design to align chemical biology strategy with target validation and platform capabilities
Define and align program strategy and go/no-go criteria with senior leadership, factoring in competitive landscape and portfolio priorities
Represent the team in portfolio reviews and governance meetings, and lead technical discussions on molecular design with external collaborators and partners
Contribute to IP strategy and business development activities related to novel chemical matter and new modalities