Staff Scientist

University of Chicago•Hyde Park, IL

18d

About The Position

The Staff Scientist will support and advance research initiatives at the University of Chicago’s Center for Chemical Biology and Therapeutics (CCBT), working in an interdisciplinary environment focused on early-stage drug discovery. The role leads chemical biology efforts in the Therapeutic Core Facility and contributes to experimental design, project execution, data analysis, and scientific communication. Research areas include medicinal chemistry, organic synthesis, chemical biology, fragment-based drug discovery, library screening, lead optimization, and assay development. The position collaborates with faculty, postdoctoral researchers, students, and external partners; provides technical expertise, mentorship, and training; and helps develop the Therapeutic Core’s workflows and methodologies. It also supports research operations, laboratory safety, grant and manuscript preparation, patent applications, scientific presentations, and other work as needed.

Requirements

PhD in a related field.
5–7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
Strong experimental and analytical skills in protein biochemistry.
Proven track record of scientific publications and research contributions.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment.
Strong manuscript and proposal writing skills.
Ability to work with people from different backgrounds.
Strong problem-solving skills.

Nice To Haves

PhD in Chemical Biology, Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, or a related field.
Experience with organic synthesis.
Experience with drug design.
Experience with library synthesis and screening.
Experience with assay development.
Experience with molecular docking.
Experience with liver microsome stability assays.
Experience with PK/PD.
Experience with protein expression and purification.

Responsibilities

Lead chemical biology efforts in the Therapeutic Core Facility.
Design and perform experiments in fragment-based drug discovery, high-throughput screening, chemical synthesis, drug solubility, membrane permeability, liver microsome stability, and PK/PD.
Collaborate with faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and students to facilitate research programs.
Provide technical expertise, mentorship, and training to junior researchers.
Participate in grant writing, manuscript preparation, patent applications, and scientific presentations.
Oversee research operations, equipment maintenance, and laboratory protocols of the Therapeutic Core.
Support development of the Therapeutic Core Facility by optimizing workflows and methodologies.
Coordinate with external partners, core facilities, and funding agencies as needed.
Train and supervise non-PhD-level lab technicians and assistants.
Follow research safety regulations and ensure the Therapeutic Core Facility operates safely.
Assist the Center Directors as needed.
Collect data and perform analysis; provide scientific or intellectual information to facilitate research projects.
Develop laboratory protocols and training for new techniques.
Manage and analyze complex data sets and make recommendations for research.
Perform other related work as needed.