Director of Chemistry

Job Summary

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Principal Scientist or Director of Chemistry at our Doylestown, PA (on site). The successful candidate will work within the discovery and early development teams and be responsible for leading process chemistry of our peptide programs. The candidate must have demonstrated an ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary, dynamic environment with excellent scientific and communication skills.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a subject matter expert, chemistry project leader in peptide discovery efforts.
• Oversee SAR campaigns, leading the design, synthesis, and optimization of peptides and peptide conjugates. Work closely with partner functions in chemistry, computational chemistry, molecular and cellular biology, pharmacology, ADME/PK, structural biology, and other key functions.
• Analyze data, design, propose, and implement discovery plans, coordinate chemistry and biology effects to support project goals.
• Formulate conclusions and design follow-on experiments based on multidisciplinary data.
• Supervise and manage synthetic chemistry activities internally and/or at contract research organizations (CROs)
• Travel: 5-15%

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Synthetic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, or a related discipline with 5 years of relevant industry experience; or M.S. with 8 years; or B.S. with 10 years of experience in peptide or medicinal chemistry.
• Demonstrated expertise in peptide chemistry, including design, synthesis, and optimization of peptides and peptide conjugates.
• Strong track record of leading or significantly contributing to discovery-stage programs, including SAR development and advancement of candidates toward preclinical milestones.
• Experience with solid-phase and/or solution-phase peptide synthesis, as well as modern medicinal chemistry approaches.
• Familiarity with one or more peptide discovery platforms (e.g., phage display, mRNA display, DEL, or related technologies).
• Experience applying structure-based design principles to optimize key properties such as potency, stability, permeability, and PK profiles.
• Hands-on experience with or strong understanding of advanced synthetic strategies (e.g., cyclization, conjugation, late-stage functionalization).
• Exposure to oral peptide design strategies and/or beyond-Rule-of-5 (bRo5) chemical space is highly desirable.
• Experience working in cross-functional teams and effectively collaborating with biology, DMPK, computational chemistry, and structural biology partners.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, including oversight of external CROs.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly present complex scientific concepts and data.
• Experience leveraging computational or AI/ML approaches in peptide discovery is a plus.