Director, Head of Chemistry

At Genmab, we are dedicated to building extra[not]ordinary® futures, together, by developing antibody products and groundbreaking, knock-your-socks-off KYSO antibody medicines® that change lives and the future of cancer treatment and serious diseases. We strive to create, champion and maintain a global workplace where individuals’ unique contributions are valued and drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our patients, care partners, families and employees.

Our people are compassionate, candid, and purposeful, and our business is innovative and rooted in science. We believe that being proudly authentic and determined to be our best is essential to fulfilling our purpose. Yes, our work is incredibly serious and impactful, but we have big ambitions, bring a ton of care to pursuing them, and have a lot of fun while doing so.

Does this inspire you and feel like a fit? Then we would love to have you join us!

As Director, head of Organic and Medicinal Chemistry for Antibody Drug Conjugates at Genmab in Utrecht, you will play a pivotal role in the Discovery Department. You will use your knowledge and expertise to support and bolster Genmab’s discovery pipeline. You will guide a new team dedicated to synthetic organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry and analytics, shaping strategic direction.

Within this role, you will provide oversight of all synthetic organic and medicinal chemistry activities related to ADCs. This role will involve building up the wet lab capabilities, fostering innovation and managing a high-performance team. Your role will be instrumental in ensuring the successful progression of ADC projects from discovery through clinical development.

Collaboration will be central to your role, as you engage with the various discovery departments and contribute actively to the discovery management team.

• Provide strategic direction for the synthetic organic and medicinal chemistry team, focusing on ADC discovery and development.
• Lead the functional team of synthetic organic chemists responsible for designing, synthesizing, conjugating, and analyzing payloads, linkers, and the conjugated ADCs.
• Development and implementation of innovative synthetic methodologies and strategies to enhance efficiency, scalability, and overall project success.
• Oversee bioconjugation strategy across site‑specific and stochastic conjugation approaches including DAR control and bioconjugate characterization (HIC, RP‑HPLC, mass spectrometry).
• Direct exploration of novel payload classes balancing potency, stability, and manufacturability.
• Collaborate closely with cross‑functional teams, including biology, pharmacology, protein engineering and manufacturing, to integrate chemistry efforts and achieve project milestones.
• Lead tech transfer and scale‑up of synthetic routes from discovery to GMP manufacturing, partnering with CMC and process chemistry teams to ensure a smooth transition of ADC programs toward IND‑enabling and clinical supply.
• Shape Genmab’s strategy for scouting and external collaborations on ADC and linker‑payload synthetic chemistry, together with business development teams.
• Support due diligence, CRO oversight, and evaluation of in‑licensing/out‑licensing opportunities related to ADC and linker‑payload technologies.
• Contribute to the preparation of patent applications, scientific publications, and regulatory submissions.
• Represent the company externally through conference presentations, scientific publications, and engagement with key opinion leaders in the ADC field.
• Cultivate a collaborative environment, promoting a culture of excellence and continuous improvement. Encourage scientific knowledge…