Staff Scientist II - Medicinal Chemistry

Position: Staff Scientist II - Medicinal Chemistry

Location: Newark, CA

Job : 408

# of Openings: 0

The discovery chemistry team at Protagonist Therapeutics is seeking a highly motivated Staff Scientist II for a full‑time small molecule medicinal chemist position. This role is a full‑time, hands‑on bench scientist position, with the opportunity to co‑lead discovery projects under supervision. Responsibilities include design and synthesis of new molecules, solving challenging synthetic problems, managing external chemistry resources, and providing technical support to ensure high productivity.

• Propose and synthesize new molecular targets based on structure-activity relationships for compound optimization to advance leads
• Design synthetic routes based on up-to-date literature and hands‑on experience; scale‑up experience required
• Solve challenging synthetic problems using various techniques
• Lead and/or assist in writing and revising technical documents including synthetic, analytical protocols and data reports
• Analyze, interpret, summarize, and communicate results and data to the team through presentations or other formats in a timely manner
• Provide synthetic chemistry expertise and support cross‑functional activities as needed
• Stay up to date with scientific literature
• Work with external CROs to manage FTEs and outsourcing activities
• Organize the lab and maintain instruments, reagents, supplies in daily operations and follow EH&S rules and regulations

• PhD in Synthetic Organic Chemistry/Medicinal Chemistry with 2–5 years of industrial experience in medicinal chemistry
• Proficiency in small molecule target design, organic synthesis and purification, scale‑up, problem solving, and troubleshooting
• Understanding of the biology related to various drug discovery projects
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Chem Draw, Sci Finder, and ability to use computational chemistry software to design molecules
• Experience with electronic notebook, Spotfire, and other data management and uploading software is a plus
• Excellent time‑management skills, organizational skills, high efficiency in the lab, ability to adjust work priorities per project needs, and detailed record‑keeping of experiments using electronic lab notebooks in a timely manner
• Ability to develop new skillsets and knowledge is highly desirable
• Working independently with limited guidance and multitasking are crucial for success
• Ability to collaborate within the team and cross‑function in a dynamic and fast‑paced environment
• Strong verbal and written communication skills

The base pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $135,000 and $145,000 per year; however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience.