Principal Medicinal Chemist

Deep Origin

10h

About The Position

We are seeking a Principal Medicinal Chemist to lead and advance small-molecule drug discovery programs from early hit identification through development candidate selection. This is a senior, hands-on scientific leadership role requiring deep expertise in medicinal chemistry, strategic thinking, and cross-functional collaboration.
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.

Requirements

• PhD in Organic Chemistry or a related field with 3-8 years of industry experience (or MS with 5-10 years, BS with 8-15 years) 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 English communication skills with the ability to clearly present complex scientific concepts
• Experience working remotely with international teams.

Nice To Haves

• 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 – computational scientists, biologists, and ML engineers
• Design novel compounds using structure-based and ligand-based approaches to optimize potency, selectivity, and drug-like properties
• Analyze SAR data and guide iterative design cycles to find a balance between potency, selectivity, and physico-chemical properties
• 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
• Author and contribute to patent applications, scientific publications, and internal reports.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees