Medicinal Chemistry Project Leader

Arvinas•New Haven, CT

6h•Hybrid

About The Position

Arvinas is a biotechnology company dedicated to improving the lives of patients suffering from debilitating and life-threatening diseases through the discovery, development, and commercialization of therapies that degrade disease-causing proteins. Arvinas uses its proprietary PROTAC Discovery Engine platform to engineer PROteolysis TArgeting Chimeras, or PROTACs, that are designed to harness the body’s own natural protein disposal system to selectively and efficiently degrade and remove disease-causing proteins. This differentiated approach has enabled Arvinas to build a broad pipeline of investigational therapies across oncology and neurodegenerative diseases, including ARV-102, targeting LRRK2 for neurodegenerative diseases; ARV-806, targeting KRAS G12D for mutated cancers, including pancreatic, colorectal, and non-small cell lung cancers; ARV-393, targeting BCL6 for relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin Lymphoma; ARV-027, targeting the polyglutamine-expanded androgen receptor, or polyQ-AR, in skeletal muscle for spinal bulbar muscular atrophy; and vepdegestrant, targeting the estrogen receptor for patients with locally advanced or metastatic ER+/HER2- breast cancer. Building on its leadership in targeted protein degradation, Arvinas achieved a major milestone in May 2026 with the first-ever U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a PROTAC protein degrader therapy. The approval marked a significant advancement for the field and demonstrated the therapeutic potential of targeted protein degradation as a novel treatment modality. This PROTAC has been out-licensed for commercialization and further development. #TeamArvinas is made up of passionate and curious employees, whose diverse thoughts and perspectives are highly valued. Arvinas employees embrace the freedom to pursue innovation, think creatively, and give back. They are driven by the company’s values and mission – to improve the lives of patients with serious diseases by pioneering therapies created with our revolutionary PROTAC protein degradation platform. We’re really excited about the work we’re doing inside and outside of Arvinas, and think you will be, too. But don’t just take our word for it – learn more about life at Arvinas and what employees have to say. Arvinas is headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut. For more information about Arvinas, visit www.arvinas.com and connect on LinkedIn and X.

Requirements

Proven track record of leading research projects through milestone decisions toward clinical candidate nomination
Extensive experience in the synthetic and medicinal chemistry of antibody-drug conjugates. Specific experience with degrader-antibody conjugates preferred.
Extensive knowledge around structure-based design, SAR generation, and multi-parametric optimization
Deep understanding of pharmacokinetic principles and in vivo pharmacology
Proven ability to collaborate and communicate project needs and strategy to multidisciplinary team members and senior leaders
Must be legally authorized to work in the US without the need for employer sponsorship now or at any time in the future.

Nice To Haves

Specific experience with degrader-antibody conjugates preferred.

Responsibilities

Drive milestone decision-making on assigned PROTAC projects, which may focus on degrader-antibody conjugates, from inception to clinical candidate nomination in line with target product profiles and timelines within a team environment
Expeditious molecular and synthetic design of PROTACs, degrader-antibody conjugates, and libraries in conjunction with state-of-the-art computational chemistry resources to enable program advancement
SAR analysis of complex, multivariate datasets to generate new testable hypotheses
Dynamic interaction with external CRO resources to ensure synthetic and data needs are fulfilled according to agreed timelines and standards
Solicitation and analysis of necessary experimentation/data to allow identification and prioritization of issues, and crisp-decision making within the project environment to meet company, project and personal goals and timelines
Strong communication skills to drive smooth collaboration and decision-making with other functions in drug discovery
Exemplify leadership, demanding excellence in performance at all levels
Provide transparent, coherent, and focused scientific updates to manager and company executives on request.
Represent company interests at conferences and in scientific matters to external organizations as needed
Craft and communicate data-based strategic recommendations and decisions to leadership within research and development