Director, Computational Chemistry

Job Description

We are seeking a creative and passionate Computational Chemist with exceptional people and scientific leadership skills to lead our Boston, MA, USA - based Computational Chemistry group within Modeling and Informatics (M&I) at our company.

As part of our larger Discovery Chemistry organization, Modeling and Informatics is a diverse and inclusive team of approximately 50 computational chemists, informaticians, data and molecular design scientists who employ state of the art capabilities to drive drug design and development across the globe.  We are seeking a passionate people leader and accomplished computational drug hunter to lead a team of talented computational chemists, support their growth and development, and provide strategic and scientific guidance to and through the team.  As a member of the Global M&I Leadership Team, the successful candidate will also collaboratively set strategic directions and help shape the future of computational drug discovery at our company.

Key responsibilities will include:

People Leadership:

• Management of the Boston Modeling Group (5+ reports), accountable for enabling talent growth and career development for all direct reports.

• Deploying computational chemistry resources within the team against the Boston, Cambridge, and company-wide portfolios to accelerate our pipeline.

• Supporting and driving Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion along with a culture of innovation and engagement.

Scientific Leadership:

• Delivering on our pipeline directly and through scientific direction of the group, serving as a role model for advancing medicinal chemistry projects using computational approaches. Providing expertise in general molecular modeling techniques (docking, molecular simulation, homology modeling, quantum mechanics, QSAR / machine learning, ligand- and structure-based design) with modern software packages (e.g. Schrodinger, OpenEye, CCG)

• Scientific mentoring and training to maximize team impact against pipeline and capabilities deliverables.

• Leading aspects of our capability builds and working groups toward our future-state vision of computational drug discovery at our company.

Strategy:

• Collaboratively setting M&I strategy as a member of the M&I Leadership Team

• Defining best practices for computational chemistry and directly influencing their execution

• Reviewing opportunities for collaboration and licensing to enhance our capabilities

• Enabling a design-driven and predict-first culture throughout Chemistry

Building Relationships:

• Building bridges and fruitful cross-functional collaborations with stakeholders across discovery chemistry, pharmacokinetics & pharmacodynamics, quantitative biosciences, therapeutic area biology, information technology and beyond

We recognize that the diversity of our team is our strength, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Successful candidates must demonstrate a commitment to inclusive behaviors in order to drive our core mission.

Position Qualifications:

Education Minimum Requirement:

Ph.D., M.S. or B.S. in chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics, or equivalent with a computational emphasis

Required Experience and Skills:

• 8+ years of industrial or relevant experience with a Ph.D., 12+ years with a M.S., or 14+ years with a B.S.

• Demonstrated broad success in advancing pipeline projects in drug discovery through computation, both independently and as a team leader

• Proficiency in general molecular modeling techniques (docking, molecular simulation, homology modeling, quantum mechanics, QSAR / machine learning, ligand- and structure-based design) with modern software packages (e.g. Schrodinger, OpenEye, CCG)

• Strong oral and written communication skills, with a recognized ability to positively influence decisions and strategy

• Experience with and passion for developing and/or mentoring computational chemists

• Ability to build strong, inclusive relationships in highly collaborative, cross-functional teams to effectively drive computational drug discovery and prioritize across multiple demands

• Experience in complex problem solving with excellent attention to detail and influencing strategy across organizational boundaries

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Experience with people management (preferably a minimum of 1-2 direct reports