Research Associate 2, Medicinal Chemistry

Eikon Therapeutics is a new biopharmaceutical company employing revolutionary technology at the intersection of chemistry, engineering, computation, and biology to discover novel treatments for life-threatening diseases. Eikon’s discovery platform is built on groundbreaking innovations from its founders (Nobel Prize, 2014), culminating in the creation of microscopes which enable real time, molecular-resolution measurements of protein movement in living cells, thereby unlocking otherwise intractable classes of proteins as drug targets.

Position 

As a Research Associate 2 at Eikon, you will be an essential part of an interdisciplinary founding team of highly creative and talented individuals with outstanding expertise in Eikon’s core platform technologies.  You will utilize data from our single molecule tracking platform and your knowledge of traditional medicinal and synthetic chemistry to advance our new drug discovery projects. By utilizing Eikon’s platform, you will help design compounds for therapeutic targets, which are inaccessible using conventional assays.  

About You 

You’re a chemist who loves to solve difficult chemistry problems and are not discouraged by challenges. You’re a rigorous experimentalist who takes pride in your ability to execute at the bench. You’re conscientious and pay almost obsessive attention to detail, documentation, and organization are second nature. You’re collaborative by nature and are happy to jump in and help. You’re resourceful and like to work independently but are not shy to ask for advice. You thrive in a fast-paced environment and enjoy pushing the edge of what is possible. 

What You’ll Do 

• Work with chemists, biologists, and engineers to advance our drive drug discovery pipeline and progress scientific goals.
• Plan and conduct multi-step syntheses of complex small molecules, including designing, executing, and troubleshooting experiments.
• Clearly analyze, accurately document, and communicate experimental results.
• Utilize scientific literature and databases to design and implement efficient synthetic routes.
• Design novel compounds based on project data, synthetic knowledge, and modern medicinal chemistry principles.
• Maintain a high level of scientific integrity, laboratory safety and act as a resource for others.
• Collaborate and communicate across a diverse research team to successfully progress scientific goals.

Qualifications 

• Master’s plus 2 years of relevant experience; or Bachelor’s plus 4 years of relevant experience in chemistry with relevant laboratory experience in synthetic organic or medicinal chemistry is preferred.
• Good understanding of key medicinal chemistry principles.
• Proficiency in multi-step organic synthesis, chromatographic purification (both normal and reverse phase), and compound characterization using modern analytical techniques (NMR, LC-MS and HPLC) is preferred.
• Strong synthetic problem-solving skills and a desire to learn new laboratory techniques and skills.
• Familiarity with ChemDraw and literature searching software (SciFinder or Reaxys).
• Solid track record of scientific accomplishment demonstrated by publications and/or patents.
• Ability to multi-task with organized and detail-oriented record-keeping; including excellent written communication skills.
• Self-motivated and independent with the ability to work under minimum supervision.
• Ability to perform and deliver targets under time-constraints.
• Ability to manage own priorities and deliverables while being strongly team oriented and highly collaborative.
• Ability to communicate clearly, and build open collaborative relationships is essential. 

At Eikon, employee compensation also includes bonus and equity compensation, in addition to several generous benefit programs, including:​ 

• 401k plan with company matching​
• Medical (premiums covered by Eikon at 95%), dental and vision insurance (premiums covered by Eikon at 100%)​
• Mental health and wellness benefits​
• Weeklong summer and winter holiday shutdowns​
• Generous paid time off and holiday policies​
• Life/AD&D Insurance (premiums covered by Eikon at 100%) and optional supplemental employee-paid life/AD&D policies ​
• Enhanced parental leave benefit​
• Daily subsidized lunch program when on-site​

The expected salary range for this role is $77,000 to $89,000 depending on skills, competency and the market demand for your expertise.