Arena BioWorks, located in Cambridge, MA, is a new biomedical research institute focused on uncovering the mechanisms of human disease to identify opportunities for therapeutic intervention. The Institute's private funding model allows Arena to advance novel therapeutics by forming and supporting biotech companies up to the early clinical/series B stage.
We are seeking an exceptional Senior Scientist – Medicinal Chemistry, to spearhead the design and synthesis of novel screening libraries and contribute to hit-to-lead and lead-optimization campaigns across our portfolio. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of our drug discovery efforts, collaborating closely with colleagues across our drug discovery platforms, and driving projects through preclinical development.
Specific Responsibilities:
- Design and implement strategies for the efficient and scalable preparation of lead compounds.
- Develop synthetic routes for generating novel small-molecule libraries.
- Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to identify and validate promising therapeutic targets and chemical probes.
- Advance drug discovery programs through the development and use of structure-activity relationships.
- Evaluate and optimize the physicochemical and ADME properties of hit and lead compounds.
- Mentor and develop junior team members, fostering a collaborative and productive research environment.
- Present research findings at regular internal meetings and prepare written materials for scholarly publication and IP filings.
- Maintain accurate and well-organized laboratory records, including worksheets, lab notebooks, inventories, and databases.
Qualifications:
- PhD in chemistry with 2-3 years of post-doctoral or industry experience in medicinal chemistry.
- Proven expertise in chemical library design and synthesis for drug discovery, including the fluent use of cheminformatic and data analysis tools.
- Demonstrated success in lead identification and optimization from targeted libraries.
- Familiarity with the use physicochemical and ADME properties in drug discovery.
- Ability to troubleshoot challenging reactions, develop creative solutions, and optimize critical synthetic routes.
- Extensive experience with standard analytical techniques (eg. NMR, UPLC-MS, etc).
- Exceptional communication, collaboration, and leadership skills.
- A track record of driving projects to successful completion and managing resources effectively.
- Thrive in a multidisciplinary environment, coordinate with other research teams, and supervise junior associates, as needed.