Sr. Sci/Pri. Sci, Medicinal Chemistry

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Job description

We are seeking a curious and motivated individual to join the Medicinal Chemistry group. The successful candidate will lead projects at various stages from hit-to-lead, through clinical candidate nomination. With a strong background in synthetic organic chemistry, the successful candidate will have experience in early-stage hit-to-lead optimization, structure-based drug design, and the ability to push multiple projects within the platform simultaneously. As members of a dynamic multi-disciplinary project team, this person will collaborate with a broad group of scientists within Nurix including the DNA-encoded library, biophysics, biochemistry, and cellular pharmacology groups. Additionally, they will contribute effectively to patent, report and scientific publication writing.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry with 6+ years of medicinal chemistry experience
• Successful application of structure-based drug design leading to advanced leads, and/or development candidates. Strong working knowledge of protein-ligand interactions, conformational and structural analysis, experienced in partnering closely with computational chemists through appropriate use of computational tools, models and visualization applications.
• Ability to lead/manage multiple projects simultaneously
• High level of creativity and productivity with strong synthetic problem-solving skills
• Excellent scientific expertise in organic synthesis, conversant with the current literature
• Ability to champion the chemistry efforts into new directions to achieve project milestones.
• Solid track record of innovation and impact on programs, with direct contributions to company pipelines (including both successful advances and smart terminations).
• Proven leadership capability in cross-functional team setting, either as project team leader or co-lead.
• Strong evidence of conceptual thinking and active follow through, recognized by establishing new projects or new directions within projects, new strategies and/or enabling technologies for drug discovery. Vigorous scientific curiosity evidenced by contributions to diverse medicinal chemistry strategies.
• Excellent knowledge of medicinal chemistry principles with a solid understanding of the basic biology and pharmacology of programs, the ADME issues, and series SAR. Able to effectively integrate this knowledge and apply the key principles of medicinal chemistry, literature precedent, and drug design to direct medicinal chemistry programs to phase transitions or series go/no go decisions
• Strong skills in gathering, documenting, and analyzing information from competitive sources such as patents and meetings and using this information to guide program strategy
• Excellent communication skills and able to present the rationale, key data, issues and accomplishments of the chemistry efforts to other members of the department

Fit with Nurix Culture and Values

• Strong team orientation and highly collaborative
• Solutions and results-oriented focus
• Hands-on approach; resourceful and open to diverse points of view

Company

Nurix Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of small molecule therapies designed to modulate cellular protein levels as a novel treatment approach for cancer and immune disorders. Leveraging Nurix's extensive expertise in E3 ligases together with its proprietary DNA-encoded libraries, Nurix has built DELigase, an integrated discovery platform to identify and advance novel drug candidates targeting E3 ligases, a broad class of enzymes that can modulate proteins within the cell. Nurix's drug discovery approach is to either harness or inhibit the natural function of E3 ligases within the ubiquitin proteasome system to selectively decrease or increase cellular protein levels.