[Hiring] Principal/AD Medicinal Chemist @Deep Origin

Role Description

We are 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.

Qualifications

• 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

Requirements

• 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

Key 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

Benefits

• Competitive compensation aligned with market benchmarks
• Equity participation reflecting long-term impact
• Remote-friendly culture across Europe and the U.S
• Flexible working structure with cross-time-zone collaboration

Values & Cultural Alignment

• Operates with ownership and urgency in ambiguous scientific environments
• Communicates complex modeling concepts with clarity and precision
• Thrives in cross-disciplinary collaboration between science and engineering
• Approaches scientific challenges with intellectual rigor and curiosity
• Balances research depth with practical execution toward milestone delivery

Why This Role Matters Now

Deep Origin is at a pivotal moment in scaling its AI-driven platform to transform drug discovery. As we expand into whole-human modeling and predictive toxicology, medicinal chemistry plays a critical role in translating computational insights into real-world therapeutic candidates.

This role sits at the intersection of cutting-edge AI and traditional drug discovery, offering the opportunity to redefine how medicines are designed—faster, more efficiently, and with greater precision than ever before.