Computational Chemist

Summary:

PhoreMost® is looking for a talented and innovative computational chemist to join our Drug Discovery team. The position can be appointed at Scientist or Senior Scientist level dependent upon experience. The successful candidate will play a key role in enabling the success of multiple drug discovery programs through computational expertise. The candidate will be required to build a computational chemistry capability within PhoreMost and bring onboard new methodologies to be integrated into the platform. Designing of high-quality molecules that constantly progress closer to the target product profile (potency, selectivity, ADME), in collaboration with medicinal chemists and other interdisciplinary scientists.

Who we are:

We are a biotech company located in Cambridge, UK. We have developed a next-generation high-throughput screening platform called SITESEEKER® to identify the best new targets for future therapy and the mechanisms to drug them. Our SITESEEKER® platform uses a cutting-edge approach called PROTEINi® (protein interference) to identify novel targets. This technology has the ability to identify hidden or cryptic drug sites in disease-relevant proteins that might be missed using conventional methods of target discovery. PhoreMost has developed a number of partnerships and an exciting pipeline of first-in-class drug discovery programmes spanning multiple therapeutic areas including oncology, immuno-oncology, and ageing. Our technology is positioned to massively expand the diversity of novel therapeutics for several key diseases of unmet clinical need – we are drugging the undruggable.

Roles and responsibilities:

• Initially develop a strategy, and build from scratch a fully functioning computational chemistry capability
• Provide computational chemistry support across a portfolio of drug discovery targets from hit identification through to late lead optimization projects
• Contribute scientific ideas and implementation of new cutting-edge techniques
• Work collaboratively within the Drug Discovery and Target Validation groups and across multi-disciplinary teams (potentially including external collaborators)
• Effective communication and presentation of results to diverse audiences including to internal teams and external partners
• Additional Senior Scientist responsibilities may include leading early-stage projects (depending on experience)

Essential Requirements:

• PhD or equivalent in computational chemistry with 2+ years’ experience in the biopharma industry
• Appointment at Principal Scientist level will require minimum 5-10 years postdoctoral experience in an industry setting
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to explain computational methods to a multidisciplinary audience
• Ability to work on multiple programs simultaneously
• Excited about the prospect of artificial intelligence approaches and their application to drug discovery
• Experience with computational chemistry methods like virtual screening, MD, QSAR, PK/PD modelling, quantum chemistry, etc.
• Excellent team player, enthusiastic and actively seeking to learn and develop
• Attention to detail, structured thinking, good communication and time management skills
• Committed to the pursuit of new therapies for critical unmet clinical need

Desired additional qualifications (but not required):

• Experience with protein-protein interaction inhibitor drug discovery
• Experience of machine learning frameworks
• A working knowledge of Python scripting would be useful

Time: This is a permanent full-time, laboratory-based position.

Please Email your CV and a cover letter addressing the requirements for this position to jobs@phoremost.com. For more information please visit https://www.phoremost.com