Principal Scientist & Program Lead, Medicinal Chemistry

Location: Boston office

About The Role

DeepCure is looking for a visionary Medicinal Chemist Principal Scientist and Program Lead to join our Discovery team. You will advance our preclinical pipeline, targeting immune system dysfunction and chronic inflammation, by defining and executing medicinal chemistry strategies for multiple programs at the intersection of life sciences and computer science. You will take small-molecule hits from in-silico concept through to candidate selection using our proprietary AI platform, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams and external partners to shape our research portfolio and culture.

This is a high-impact role within an interdisciplinary team of life-science and computer science professionals. As a core scientific leader, your contributions will meaningfully shape DeepCure’s research direction, portfolio growth, and culture, while offering substantial opportunities for professional growth.

More About DeepCure

DeepCure is an AI-driven drug discovery company, founded by researchers from the MIT Media Lab, and focused on transforming how medicines are discovered and developed. By combining advanced computational platforms with deep biological and chemical expertise, DeepCure aims to deliver differentiated therapeutic candidates faster and more efficiently. As a small, highly collaborative biotech, we value scientific rigor, creativity, and adaptability.

Requirements:

Required Qualifications

• Principal Scientist: Ph.D. with 5-8 years of relevant industry experience or M.S. with >8 years of experience in the biotech or pharmaceutical industry.
• Associate Director: Ph.D. with 8-12 years of relevant industry experience or M.S. with >12 years of experience in the biotech or pharmaceutical industry.
• Demonstrated track record of successfully delivering development candidates and/or advancing drug discovery programs through lead optimization.
• Deep theoretical understanding and extensive hands-on expertise in modern synthetic organic chemistry, including reaction design and mechanistic interpretation.
• Proven ability to independently design, plan, and execute the synthesis of complex molecules in an outsourced, CRO-driven model.
• Highly self-motivated team contributor with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, demonstrating strong technical proficiency, scientific creativity, and independent project planning skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively in a cross-functional team environment.
• Strong track record of scientific innovation, including patents and/or peer-reviewed publications.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong understanding of DMPK, pharmacology, and chemical biology, with demonstrated application to multiparameter optimization in drug discovery programs.
• Proficiency in structure-based drug design (SBDD) and/or AI-enabled drug discovery approaches, with experience utilizing molecular modeling software to guide compound design.
• Deep expertise in inflammation and immunology (I&I), including knowledge of key signaling pathways driving disease progression.
• Experience in molecular glue discovery and modulation of protein-protein interactions (
• Demonstrated success in leading, mentoring, and developing scientists across multiple disciplines within cross-functional teams.
• Prior experience in a startup or fast-paced biotech environment, with demonstrated comfort operating in a flat organizational structure characterized by high autonomy, accountability, and cross-functional collaboration.
  
  

Responsibilities:

In this role you will

• Leadership: Spearhead chemistry-led project teams by architecting and executing sophisticated synthetic and medicinal chemistry strategies, maintaining the highest standards of scientific rigor and industry best practices.
• Project Management: Manage cross-functional CRO collaborations in a dynamic, sprint-based environment, focusing on the continuous refinement of DMTA workflows to rapidly advance drug discovery programs.
• Data Integration: Leverage advanced cheminformatics to dissect structure-activity and structure-property landscapes, utilizing predictive modeling to design optimized chemical entities in an integrated in silico environment.
• Collaboration: Partner with experts in computational chemistry, structural biology, DMPK, Biology and ML scientists to conduct real-time data interpretation to iteratively optimize molecular designs.
• Communication: Deliver data-driven strategic recommendations to senior leadership to guide program direction. Contribute to the expansion of the firm's IP estate through patent filings and disseminate key research milestones to the wider scientific community.
• Mentorship: Drive organizational excellence by supporting professional growth of the scientific team and maintaining a collaborative, learning-centric workspace.
  
  

Benefits:

Salary

The base salary range for this position is between 170k and 220k. We follow a personalized market-value approach and strive to offer compensation to each candidate that aligns with the top of their individual market range.

Hiring level commensurate with experience.

Benefits

For the right candidate, we offer a competitive salary and a generous equity grant. Your compensation is rounded out by a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Flexible work hours with a hybrid working model
• Unlimited paid leave and sick time
• 401(k) plan with employer matching
• Healthcare, vision, dental, and life insurance plans for you and your dependents
• Employer contributions to a health spending account (HSA) and flexible spending account (FSA)
• Employer coverage public transportation expenses or parking
• Work in a cool and vibrant space at the heart of Boston
• Snacks, drinks, and regular social events for local and remote team members
  
  

“We believe that the best solutions come from diverse perspectives. Our open environment promotes teamwork and cross-functional collaboration. Everyone’s voice is heard, and we celebrate the unique contributions of each team member.” (DeepCure Discovery Team Member)

Most importantly, you’ll have a huge impact, do important work, and collaborate with a team of people you’ll genuinely enjoy working with.

DeepCure is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to creating a workplace free of harassment and discrimination. We base employment decisions solely on business needs, job requirements, and qualifications. We do not tolerate discrimination or bias of any kind and are committed to building an inclusive environment for all teammates.