Principal/ AD Medicinal Chemist

Deep Origin•South San Francisco, CA

20h•Remote

About The Position

Deep Origin is seeking a Principal/AD Medicinal Chemist to lead and advance small molecule drug discovery programs from early hit identification through IND-enabling studies. This is a senior, hands-on scientific leadership role requiring deep expertise in medicinal chemistry, strategic thinking, and cross-functional collaboration. The candidate will direct work to be completed at a CRO. This position calls for a highly creative and experienced chemist who can independently design and execute medicinal chemistry strategies while contributing to the integration of computational and AI-driven approaches into drug discovery workflows. The ideal candidate will combine strong technical depth with the ability to guide internal teams and external partners toward impactful outcomes. Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

Requirements

PhD in Organic Chemistry or a related field with 3-8 years of industry experience in medicinal chemistry
Proven track record of advancing drug discovery programs through key milestones (Hit-to-Lead and Lead Optimization)
Deep expertise in synthetic organic chemistry, including modern methods and reaction mechanisms
Strong experience in structure-based and ligand-based drug design
Demonstrated ability to optimize compounds for potency, selectivity, and DMPK/safety properties
High level of creativity, productivity, and independent problem-solving ability
Experience managing external CROs and collaborating across disciplines
Excellent communication skills with the ability to clearly present complex scientific concepts

Nice To Haves

Experience working on small molecule degraders, proximity-inducing chemistry
Experience integrating computational chemistry, machine learning, or AI-driven design into medicinal chemistry workflows
Background in predictive toxicology or ADMET modeling
Prior experience contributing to IND-enabling studies or clinical candidate selection
Familiarity with modern data science tools and cheminformatics platforms

Responsibilities

Propose and independently drive medicinal chemistry strategies to progress programs from hit identification through lead optimization to development candidate selection
Lead chemistry efforts within cross-functional project teams, which include bench biologists, DMPK lead, non-clinical tox lead, computational scientists, ML engineers
Design, prioritize, and guide synthesis of novel compounds using structure-based and ligand-based approaches to optimize potency, selectivity, pharmacokinetics and developability
Interpret and integrate SAR, structural biology, DMPK, pharmacology, and safety data to drive compound design and progression
Contribute to and integrate AI-driven and computational modeling insights into compound design strategies
Serve as a technical leader and mentor for internal chemists and external collaborators
Manage external CRO partnerships to ensure high-quality and timely delivery of chemistry objectives
Communicate program strategy, data, risks, and recommendations to senior leadership
Author and contribute to patent strategies and applications, scientific publications, and internal reports