Director, Medicinal Chemistry page is loaded

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Director, Medicinal Chemistry based in the United States.

We are seeking an accomplished medicinal chemistry leader to drive innovative drug discovery within a multidisciplinary central nervous system (CNS) research program.
In this strategic, hands-on role, you will lead a geographically distributed team of internal scientists, external chemistry partners, and contract research organizations (CROs).
You will oversee the design, synthesis, and optimization of small-molecule candidates, advancing promising compounds from hit-to-lead discovery through lead optimization and IND readiness.
Working at the intersection of medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, computational design, and drug development, you will translate scientific insights into high-quality therapeutic candidates.
You will also shape chemistry strategies that strengthen intellectual property protection, improve compound properties, and accelerate research milestones.
This remote leadership opportunity combines scientific excellence, collaborative problem-solving, and strategic decision-making in a fast-paced biotechnology environment.
Your expertise will help advance innovative treatments for narcolepsy and potentially other neurological, neurodegenerative, and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Accountabilities

Medicinal Chemistry Leadership: Lead the medicinal chemistry strategy within a multidisciplinary CNS G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) drug discovery program, guiding compounds from initial hit identification through lead optimization and IND-ready candidate selection.
Team and CRO Management: Direct internal chemistry resources, geographically dispersed employees, outsourced synthetic chemistry teams, consultants, and external partners. Establish priorities, allocate resources, resolve technical challenges, and maintain progress toward ambitious project milestones.
Molecular Design and Optimization: Design innovative molecules that align with target product profiles, therapeutic objectives, and desired drug-like properties. Use scientific judgment, experimental evidence, and available technologies to improve compound potency, selectivity, and overall quality.
Structure–Activity Relationship Analysis: Interpret structure–activity relationship (SAR) data alongside pharmacology and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) results to identify optimization opportunities and develop practical next-generation molecular designs.
Synthetic Chemistry Oversight: Maintain close communication with synthetic chemistry teams, monitor ongoing experiments, address synthesis challenges, and identify opportunities to increase compound delivery and research productivity.
Drug Discovery Strategy: Contribute to the scientific direction of discovery programs, ensuring chemistry activities support candidate selection criteria, development objectives, and agreed timelines.
Intellectual Property Development: Develop chemistry strategies that establish and strengthen defensible intellectual property positions, using innovative molecular design and appropriate scientific and patent literature research.
Computational Chemistry and Digital Innovation: Apply structure-based drug design knowledge and computational compound-property prediction tools to refine molecular designs and guide decision-making. Explore opportunities to use artificial intelligence and digital technologies to enhance drug discovery workflows.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Serve as the medicinal chemistry representative within multidisciplinary project teams, working closely with colleagues across pharmacology, ADME, and other relevant scientific disciplines to identify effective development pathways.
Scientific Communication and Decision-Making: Present data, explain experimental findings, and recommend next steps during chemistry-focused and cross-functional team meetings, as well as discussions with senior leadership.
Scientific Problem-Solving: Use experimental evidence, SAR findings, and published research to support design decisions while remaining receptive to alternative perspectives and emerging scientific insights.
Competitive Intelligence: Monitor competitor programs, scientific publications, and advances in medicinal chemistry to identify opportunities and inform research strategies.
Project Execution and Accountability: Balance scientific rigor with delivery expectations, proactively address barriers, and ensure chemistry activities remain aligned with program priorities and development timelines.
Requirements
Education: Bachelor's or master's degree in Chemistry or a related discipline required; a PhD in Chemistry or Medicinal Chemistry is strongly preferred.
Professional Experience: At least 10 years of experience designing small molecules and leading medicinal chemistry teams within the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry.
Medicinal Chemistry Expertise: Expert knowledge of synthetic and medicinal chemistry principles, supported by a strong understanding of pharmacology, ADME, pharmaceutical sciences, intellectual property protection, and drug candidate selection.
CNS Drug Discovery Experience: Demonstrated experience working on central nervous system targets and advancing discovery programs across hit-to-lead identification, lead optimization, and progression toward IND-ready candidates.
Scientific and Analytical Skills: Proven ability to interpret SAR data, evaluate pharmacology and ADME findings, apply structure-based drug design, and use computational tools to optimize molecular properties.
Leadership and Team Development: Experience leading, motivating, and coordinating scientific teams, including remote and virtual teams, while balancing independent scientific judgment with effective collaboration and accountability.
External Partner Management: Hands-on experience managing outsourced chemistry teams and CRO relationships, setting priorities, resolving synthesis challenges, and maintaining productivity across distributed research operations.
Intellectual Property Awareness: Understanding of how medicinal chemistry strategy and molecular design contribute to the development and protection of intellectual property.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary scientific teams, consultants, external partners, and senior stakeholders to align research priorities and make evidence-based decisions.
Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex scientific data clearly, defend proposed molecular designs, and communicate recommendations to technical and executive audiences.
Strategic Problem-Solving: Strong scientific judgment, adaptability, and the ability to turn ambiguous or technically challenging situations into actionable research strategies.
Innovation and Digital Fluency: Curiosity about emerging technologies and a growth mindset, with an interest in exploring artificial intelligence and digital tools to improve scientific productivity.
Execution and Prioritization: Ability to manage competing priorities, maintain high scientific standards, and deliver results within demanding research timelines.
Work Location and Travel: Must be based in the United States and comfortable working remotely, with occasional business travel.
Benefits
Competitive Base Salary: Annual salary range of $153,000–$290,400, depending on qualifications, relevant experience, skills, and geographic location.
Performance-Based Compensation: Eligibility for a company bonus, with awards based partly on company and individual performance.
Retirement Benefits: Access to a company-sponsored 401(k) retirement savings plan and pension benefits, subject to eligibility.
Healthcare Coverage: Medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug benefits for eligible employees.
Flexible Spending Benefits: Access to eligible healthcare and dependent-care spending accounts.
Paid Time Off: Vacation benefits and other eligible leave programs.
Family and Personal Support: Certain family and medical leave benefits, life insurance, and death benefits.
Employee Well-Being: Employee assistance programs, fitness-related benefits, and employee clubs and activities.
Remote Work Flexibility: A U.S.-based remote working arrangement with occasional travel.
Scientific Leadership Opportunities: The opportunity to shape medicinal chemistry strategy, guide distributed scientific teams, and influence the progression of innovative drug discovery programs.
Meaningful Research Impact: The chance to contribute to the development of potential treatments for sleep-wake disorders and other conditions affecting neurological health.