Director, Medicinal Chemistry

Ambagon Therapeutics is an early-stage biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery and development of small molecules stabilizing the interaction between adaptor proteins and their disease-promoting client proteins.  Our academic founders are the world leaders in this novel approach and launched Ambagon with a mission to provide new therapies for unmet needs in oncology.  This role is an opportunity to join San Francisco-based Ambagon as an early employee, bringing your scientific talent and passion to build the company.

Ambagon has an immediate opening for a Director, Medicinal Chemistry.  The successful candidate will be based in the San Francisco Bay Area and report to the VP Chemistry.

Key Responsibilities

High-throughput crystallography is one of the pillars of the Ambagon technology platform.  This presents an exciting opportunity for a creative medicinal chemistry leader, well versed in structure-based design, to make an enormous impact.  The successful candidate will build an internal chemistry team to aid in design and drive the synthesis of novel stabilizers, leading from the bench as necessary.  They will also command a sizeable, international, external synthetic chemistry team.  There is the opportunity to help develop and implement Ambagon’s small molecule IP strategy.  This includes inventing novel chemical matter to fuel our drug discovery effort and designing a proprietary screening collection of 14-3-3 complex stabilizers to accelerate hit-finding for new targets.  With respect to the drug discovery effort, the Director, Medicinal Chemistry will be responsible for advancing multiple programs simultaneously from hit to lead through clinical candidate nomination.  This will provide the opportunity for the successful candidate to collaborate cross functionally within and outside Ambagon, playing a lead role in the design of PK/PD, efficacy and preclinical safety studies as our programs advance.  They will be a program champion, responsible for communicating research progress to senior leadership and taking on project leadership roles.  They will enjoy the excitement of a growing biotech start-up with an inclusive and supportive culture.

Qualifications

Ph.D. in organic chemistry with a focus on synthesis, methodology or medicinal chemistry

At least 10 years industry experience

Demonstrated ability to lead effective internal and external chemistry teams

Experience producing development candidates either as an individual contributor or chemistry team lead

Well versed in structure-based drug design (SBDD) and fragment-based lead design (FBLD)

Strong cross-functional collaborator and communicator

Creative, curious, and intellectually flexible

Preferred additional qualifications

Strong multiparameter data analysis capability – R group analysis, matched molecular pairs, ligand efficiency metrics

Practical knowledge of in vitro ADME, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics as well as the use of these data for compound progression

Fluency with the molecular modelling software package, MOE

Experience working with Dotmatics or comparable informatics platform

Expert in the use of data analysis software tools (Vortex, Spotfire, DataWarrior, etc.)

Ambagon Therapeutics is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.  In accordance with applicable law, Ambagon does not discriminate in hiring or otherwise in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital or veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.