HEAD OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead all medicinal chemistry activities, providing strategic and scientific direction from target validation through IND-enabling studies.
• Oversee the design, synthesis, and optimization of small‑molecule drug candidates to enhance potency, selectivity, ADMET properties, and overall developability.
• Develop and implement medicinal chemistry strategies for oncology and CNS programs, including fragment‑based and structure‑based drug design approaches.
• Manage, mentor, and develop internal scientific staff while coordinating external CRO teams to ensure efficient, high‑quality project execution.
• Collaborate closely with molecular modeling, biology, pharmacology and CMC groups to drive integrated and aligned project progression.
• Contribute to compound triaging, SAR development, IP strategy, and key decision‑making related to compound progression and project prioritization.
• Serve as scientific lead or co‑lead on interdisciplinary project teams, representing medicinal chemistry in portfolio‑level discussions.
• Ensure adherence to regulatory expectations, quality standards, and proper documentation practices.
• Participate in external academic collaborations, partnerships, and due diligence efforts for in‑licensing or co‑development opportunities.
• Stay current with advances in medicinal chemistry tools, technologies, and trends relevant to small‑molecule discovery in oncology and CNS.

REQUIREMENTS

• PhD (preferred) or MSc in Organic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, or a related discipline.
• 8–10 years of experience in medicinal chemistry, including at least 3–5 years in an industry leadership or team‑management role.
• Deep knowledge of structure–activity relationships (SAR), pharmacokinetics, metabolism, and safety optimization.
• Demonstrated record of advancing programs from early discovery through IND-enabling studies in oncology and/or CNS drug discovery.
• Experience working in biotech or entrepreneurial environments, ideally with exposure to resource‑constrained settings.
• Exposure to advanced modalities such as bioconjugates and CNS‑penetrant molecules is a strong plus.
• Familiarity with IP strategy, patent drafting, and collaboration with legal/IP teams.
• Proven ability to lead, mentor, and develop scientific teams, as well as manage external CROs and collaborators.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to prioritize, pivot, and execute in a fast‑changing environment.
• Ability to solve complex scientific and operational problems with creativity, originality, and analytical rigor.
• Fluent in English; knowledge of Polish or other European languages is an advantage