Director, Medicinal Chemistry

7w1 month ago

Kymera Therapeutics

Watertown, US · Full-time · $195,000 – $275,000

About this role

Kymera Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering targeted protein degradation to develop medicines addressing critical health problems. The company focuses on building an industry-leading pipeline of oral small molecule degraders for immunological diseases.

The Director will drive multi-parameter medicinal chemistry optimization using creativity, in-depth data analysis, and literature information. This role contributes to compound design and synthetic route identification across all portfolio projects.

You will lead efforts on early-stage target validation while taking a holistic approach to hit and lead finding that incorporates structure-based drug design and fragment-based drug discovery. The position requires effective leadership of CRO chemistry teams through clear communication and strong synthetic skills.

Kymera values pioneering courage, collaborative trust, and inclusive belonging, with a recognized culture as one of Boston’s top workplaces. The role offers opportunities to represent the company externally and mentor junior chemists within a multidisciplinary environment.

Requirements

PhD in organic/medicinal chemistry with 8+ years of experience as a medicinal chemist/project leader in biotech/pharmaceutical industry
Track record of leading or contributing to research projects toward IND-track nomination
Extensive knowledge of modern medicinal chemistry strategies for optimization of DMPK, biochemical, pharmacological and safety properties
Excellent synthetic organic chemistry skills and creativity
Proven ability as chemistry leader contributing beyond med chem within multi-disciplinary project teams
Proven ability as chemistry leader on validating or prioritizing targets with conclusive data package
Willingness to be both a strategic leader and a hands-on problem solver
Excellent organizational skills with ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment while maintaining attention to detail

Responsibilities

Drive state-of-the-art multi-parameter medicinal chemistry optimization with creativity and in-depth data analysis
Contribute to compound design and synthetic route identification for all portfolio projects
Lead medicinal chemistry efforts on validating targets at early stage to clear decision points
Apply holistic hit/lead finding including structure-based drug design and fragment-based drug discovery
Provide effective leadership and management of CRO chemistry teams through excellent synthetic and medicinal chemistry skills
Lead medicinal chemistry efforts and contribute beyond med chem as part of a multi-disciplinary project team
Represent the company effectively in scientific matters to external organizations
Provide mentorship, guidance, and development for junior project leaders and medicinal chemists