Director, Medicinal Chemistry

Our Mission
Our mission is to restore cell health and resilience through cell rejuvenation to reverse disease, injury, and disabilities that can occur throughout life.
For more information, see our website at

Our Value
Our Single Altos Value:
Everyone Owns Achieving Our Inspiring Mission.

Diversity at Altos
We believe that diverse perspectives are foundational to scientific innovation and inquiry. At Altos, exceptional scientists and industry leaders from around the world work together to advance a shared mission. Our focus is on Belonging, ensuring all employees feel valued for their unique perspectives. We are accountable for maintaining a diverse and inclusive environment.

What You Will Contribute To Altos
An exciting opportunity is available for a talented Director/Senior Director to join the Institute of Medicine (IoM) Development Sciences team at Altos Labs.
We seek highly motivated, creative, and collaborative individuals passionate about restoring cell health and reversing disease. This role involves working in a multidisciplinary, dynamic environment, collaborating with the Institutes of Science and Computation (IoS and IoC), spanning multiple therapeutic areas and modalities. Candidates should have strong scientific training and industry experience in biotechnology or pharmaceuticals.

• Develop, optimize, and implement Medicinal Chemistry strategies; build supporting infrastructure.
• Lead or represent Medicinal Chemistry in discovery and early development project teams.
• Collaborate with scientists at the IoS and IoC to design and synthesize tool molecules for exploring biological mechanisms.
• Work cross-functionally with in vitro/in vivo pharmacology, DMPK, and toxicology teams to optimize drug leads and candidates.
• Champion innovations from external sources to ensure cutting-edge science is applied.
• Manage resource allocation, including CRO partnerships and internal groups.
• Assess assay capabilities and capacity needs based on pipeline evolution.
• Build strong partnerships within the Institutes of Science and Medicine.
• Promote a team culture of continuous improvement, ownership, growth, and inclusion.

• Ph.D. in Organic or Medicinal Chemistry with 10+ years in industry drug discovery.
• Extensive knowledge of medicinal chemistry, structure-based design, computational chemistry, and multi-parametric optimization.
• Experience working with CROs for screening, synthesis, and evaluation.
• Proven patents and publications in medicinal chemistry.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with research teams and discovery functions.
• Strong influencing and communication skills.

• Experience with oligonucleotide chemistry is desirable.
• Project leadership experience is highly desirable.

Locations considered:
Redwood City or San Diego. Salary ranges vary by location and level, e.g., for San Francisco Bay Area:
Director: $278,000 - $377,200;
Senior Director: $316,200 - $427,800. For San Diego:
Director: $250,750 - $339,250;
Senior Director: $294,950 - $399,050. Exact compensation depends on skills, experience, and location.

Additional notes for UK applicants and other employment policies are included in the full description.

We foster a culture of collaboration, scientific excellence, inclusion, and belonging. We are an equal opportunity employer, prohibiting discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, subject to legally required exemptions.

Thank you for your interest in Altos Labs, where we strive for scientific excellence, learning, and belonging.