Senior Scientist Chemistry; PhD

Are you a passionate and experienced Organic/Medicinal Chemist who holds a PhD and has gained additional experience during a post doc or within the pharmaceutical industry? To strengthen our Medicinal Chemistry team, we are looking for a Senior Scientist Chemistry to help identify novel therapies against haematological cancers.

Acerta Pharma is fully integrated in the AstraZeneca group and dedicated to the discovery and development of novel therapies against haematological malignancies.
Senior Scientist Chemistry (PhD)

Pivot Park Oss | Amsterdam UMC campus

Fulltime

Acerta Pharma will be relocating to Amsterdam, with the current move planned for March/April 2027. Until that time, you will be working from our facilities in Oss. After the move, you will be based at our new site in Amsterdam.

Our preference is for the new Senior Scientist to join in January 2027; however, we can be flexible on the starting date depending on the candidate's availability.

Your challenge:

As a Senior Scientist Chemistry you will help to build our small molecule project portfolio in haematological oncology. This will involve working on projects spanning the full spectrum of small‑molecule modalities and R&D stages, from hit identification to lead optimisation and candidate drug selection. Acerta Pharma’s drug discovery research is fully integrated in the AstraZeneca organisation and there will be multiple interactions with colleagues from AstraZeneca.

With your advanced knowledge and experience in organic chemistry and possibly medicinal chemistry, you will be asked to provide your critical contribution to progressing our projects through key milestones. We will enable you to grow into all aspects of modern medicinal chemistry and drug discovery.

What will you be doing?

• Based on your experience and skills, you will contribute to the design and execution of synthetic routes to drive the optimisation of hit/lead series.
• With creativity and troubleshooting mentality, you will effectively help to overcome synthetic difficulties in the laboratory.
• You will be seeking opportunities to apply new technologies and ways of working to increase synthesis efficiency. We have instrumentation in place for advanced organic synthesis like electrochemistry, photochemistry, and flow chemistry.
• You will effectively and concisely present your results in meetings and contribute to fruitful discussions.
• Take ownership of a series of compounds under optimisation and grow over time into AI/Computational Chemistry-supported Medicinal Chemistry design principles and data analyses.

What do you bring?

• You have completed a Master program in Chemistry, (bio)
  Pharmaceutical Sciences, or related, followed by a PhD in Organic/Medicinal Chemistry.
• Working experience in the pharmaceutical industry and/or a post doc in Organic or Medicinal Chemistry is highly desirable.
• Experience working in a team-based matrixed environment with a proactive and collaborative approach to drive progress.
• Scientific publications in peer-reviewed chemistry-related journals are desirable.
• You are fluent in English.
• You live in Europe, are willing to relocate within commuting distance of Amsterdam, and are open to commute to Oss for the first months.

• A dynamic, innovative, international working environment, where you can be part of the development of new medicines that can make a difference to patients' lives
• The opportunity to work in a highly professional, diverse, close-knit team, where you can learn a lot from each other and count on one another
• The opportunity to further develop yourself, for example, into a position offering even more responsibility
• Competitive salary and secondary benefits including 8% holiday allowance, 27 holidays on a full-time basis.…