Scientist, Medicinal Chemistry - Library Discovery

Nurix is a science-focused company that is committed to bringing novel, first-in-class therapies to patients. Nurix is a leader in discovering a new class of drugs that work by modulating E3 ubiquitin ligases within the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS). The UPS is a regulatory network that controls protein stabilization and degradation – a function vital to the healthy life of a cell – offering therapeutic opportunities in multiple disease areas. Nurix’s scientific team has established an innovative drug discovery platform to identify selective inhibitors or activators of the UPS, enabling the development of novel therapeutics that can restore normal cellular homeostasis.

Nurix was founded by internationally recognized experts in the UPS field and received its initial funding from leading life science investors, Third Rock Ventures and The Column Group.  In 2015, Nurix entered into a multi-year strategic collaboration with Celgene to discover and develop next-generation therapies targeting protein homeostasis in oncology, immunology and inflammation, including the rapidly evolving field of immuno-oncology.

Nurix is based in San Francisco’s biotechnology hub, Mission Bay – where academia and industry come together for cutting-edge life-saving research.

The Position

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated individual with a strong background in synthetic organic chemistry to join our library discovery group in the pursuit of novel small molecules. You will engage with a wide swath of Nurix’s therapeutic portfolio to advance screening hits to lead optimization campaigns. Specifically, you will design and synthesize novel chemical entities optimized for potency, selectivity and physicochemical properties. As a member of a dynamic multi-disciplinary project team, you will collaborate with a broad group of scientists within Nurix and with external collaborators.

You should have a strong desire to learn new techniques and incorporate new methodologies into your work.  You must be self-driven, resourceful, organized and focused, and enjoy being a part of a dynamic team in a project-based environment solving challenging scientific problems to benefit patients.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry preferably with at least 2 years of biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry experience within a medicinal chemistry department
• Expert in interpretation of screening data and execution of hit triage
• Successful application of structure-based drug design leading to advanced leads / 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
• Proven track record of innovative project contributions including peer-reviewed publications
• High level of creativity and productivity with strong synthetic problem-solving skills
• Excellent scientific expertise in organic synthesis, conversant with the current literature
• Strong knowledge of medicinal chemistry principles with a solid understanding of key ADME, biochemical and pharmacological principles and able to effectively integrate and apply these to the optimization of multiple parameters during lead generation and lead optimization efforts
• Familiarization with DNA-encoded library technology is preferred
• Ability to champion the chemistry efforts into new directions to achieve project milestones
• Experience with parallel synthesis and high throughput chemistry to prepare libraries of compounds is preferred
• Experience directing external synthetic chemistry efforts
• 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; highly collaborative
• Solutions and results-oriented focus
• Hands-on approach; resourceful and open to diverse points of view

To apply, please go to Nurix’s website: https://www.nurixtx.com/culture-careers/job-openings/