Principal Scientist in Chemical Induced Proximity

Responsibilities

• Drive strategic decisions throughout various stages of the small molecule drug discovery process focusing on chemically induced proximity platforms.
• Set up the chemistry strategy for projects and advance drug discovery programs by collaborating cross‑functionally within departmental centers and various institutional departments.
• Lead and manage a team of scientists and large‑scale, multidisciplinary projects through proactive research collaboration, providing direction in a specific area of expertise.
• Recruit, grow, guide, and mentor junior staff.
• Remain at the forefront of induced proximity platforms, including PROTACs, molecular glues, and other biphenolic or allosteric modulators.
• Evaluate new technologies, chemical tools, and screening platforms that accelerate the development of proximity‑based therapeutics.
• Design and optimize focused chemical libraries to identify hits, leads, and drug candidates that induce selective protein interactions and cellular phenotypic changes.
• Maintain collaborative partnerships while ensuring recognition on collaborating publications and patents.
• Lead and manage contract research organizations and external chemistry partners worldwide.
• Oversee structure‑activity relationship studies to enhance potency, selectivity, and drug‑like properties of candidate molecules; improve pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and toxicological profiles in collaboration with ADMET and DMPK teams.
• Serve as functional expert in due diligence for assets in‑licensing and discovery partnerships.
• Lead publication efforts in high‑impact scientific journals.

• Experience in drug discovery within the pharma/biotech industry highly preferred.
• Experience with computational design or AI/ML preferred.
• PhD with management experience preferred.

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant scientific area is required.
• PhD preferred.

• Fifteen (15) years of relevant work experience required with a Bachelor’s degree.
• Thirteen (13) years of relevant work experience required with a Master’s degree.
• Ten (10) years of relevant work experience required with a PhD.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital provides employees with high‑quality benefits choices, covering medical premiums for employees with low additional costs for dependents. Benefits include medical & prescription drug plans, dental plan, vision plan, financial security, retirement plan, living‑well employee wellness program, time‑off programs, educational benefits and family friendly benefits.

St. Jude is an Equal Opportunity Employer.