Senior​/Principal Scientist, Medicinal Chemistry

Psi Thera is seeking a talented and creative medicinal chemist with a strong track record of advancing small molecule projects from initial hits through to development candidate selection to join our dynamic, multidisciplinary team. Our science and our team are focused on combining medicinal chemistry with our cutting‑edge computational platform to rapidly identify and optimize molecules into innovative medicines for patients.

We are looking for a self‑motivated individual who thrives in a fast‑paced, highly collaborative environment that integrates computational and experimental data to drive our programs to the clinic. The ideal candidate will have direct experience integrating a deep knowledge of synthetic and medicinal chemistry with in silico drug discovery methods to perform multiparameter optimization, including ADME/PK considerations, and rapidly advance programs from hit identification to lead selection to development candidate nomination.

As a successful candidate, you will have strong synthetic chemistry skills, expertise in creative and practical small‑molecule design, experience guiding teams of CRO chemists and excellent communication skills to present strategies and results to the broader team. This individual will report to the Director of Medicinal Chemistry and collaborate closely across functions including computational chemistry, biophysics, structural biology, and biology teams to provide actionable insights and strategic guidance.

• Advance small molecule programs from hit selection to development candidate selection
• In collaboration with CADD, biophysics, structural biology and biology design small molecules to achieve program goals and meet timelines
• Plan, prioritize and implement synthetic and medicinal chemistry
• Manage teams of external synthetic chemists to ensure timely delivery of complex target molecules for biological testing
• Review analytical data to ensure identity and quality of samples
• Stay current with chemistry, medicinal chemistry, and project‑relevant literature as well as with new patent application filings

• Minimum qualifications:
  
  3–5 years experienced driving small molecule discovery programs from hit to lead through lead optimization as demonstrated by peer‑reviewed publications and/or inventorship status on patent applications
• Preferred qualifications:
  
  5–10 years experience with driving small molecule discovery programs from hit to lead through development candidate selection. Experience with project leadership is a plus
• BS, MS or PhD in organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry or a closely related field
• Proven track record of creative solutions to solved medicinal chemistry challenges
• First‑hand experience in structure‑based and computer‑aided drug discovery
• Experience with working collaboratively across drug discovery disciplines, including biology, structural biology, computational chemistry and biophysics
• Experience leading and managing teams of external chemists
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work well in a multidisciplinary environment
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, with a strong passion for learning new concepts and technologies

• Experience as a project team lead
• Direct experience with DEL screen follow‑up and fragment‑based drug discovery
• Experience with progressing programs through lead optimization for immunology targets
• Familiarity with molecular modeling tools
• Proficiency with data analysis tools (Spotfire, KNIME)

$150,000 - $200,000 a year. Psi Thera offers a competitive base salary plus discretionary annual bonus and company ownership through stock options. We also support employees with subsidized medical/dental/vision insurance, 20 days vacation, and a 401k match. Salary for this opportunity will be commensurate with experience.

Psi Thera is creating better therapeutics through an integrated molecular design paradigm that leverages best‑in‑class physics‑based and AI technologies honed through decades of research and innovation. Our focus is first‑in‑class inflammation and immunology (I&I) small‑molecule therapeutics. We have…