DIRECTOR OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY SKILLS, EXPERIENCE, AND JOB REQUIREMENTS
Published: Nov 27, 2024 - The Director of Medicinal Chemistry brings extensive biotech/pharmaceutical industry experience, highlighted by a robust track record in portfolio delivery across hit identification, lead development, and clinical candidate identification. Demonstrates proven expertise in structure- and property-based drug design, optimizing ADME and solid form properties of lead compounds, and driving rapid SAR studies through Parallel Medicinal Chemistry. Known for leading and expanding a team of scientists, exhibiting outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, and effectively collaborating with and influencing multidisciplinary teams.
Essential Hard and Soft Skills for a Standout Director of Medicinal Chemistry Resume
- Drug Design
- Synthetic Organic Chemistry
- ADME Optimization
- SAR Analysis
- Lead Compound Development
- Clinical Candidate Identification
- Parallel Medicinal Chemistry
- Laboratory Techniques
- Structural Analysis
- Bioinformatics
- Leadership
- Team Management
- Strategic Thinking
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Collaboration
- Influence
- Adaptability
- Innovation
- Networking

Summary of Director of Medicinal Chemistry Knowledge and Qualifications on Resume
1. BA in Chemistry with 10 Years of Experience
- Experience in the biotech/pharmaceutical industry.
- Excellent business acumen and scientific leadership demonstrated by a track record of portfolio delivery on multiple dimensions (hit ID, lead development, clinical candidate identification).
- Proven expertise in structure- and property-based drug design.
- Experience with successfully optimizing ADME and solid form properties of lead compounds.
- Expertise in synthetic organic chemistry and all laboratory techniques.
- Experience with driving rapid SAR studies through Parallel Medicinal Chemistry
- Experience in leading, growing, and developing a team of scientists.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and influence a multidisciplinary team.
- Ability to engage an external scientific network of collaborators.
- Experience in directing outsourced CRO activities and working collaboratively with process chemists
2. BS in Biochemistry with 12 Years of Experience
- Experience preferably in pharma/biotech, including group leadership.
- Track record in innovation and delivery of novel clinical candidates across several diseases and therapeutic areas.
- Extensive experience in small molecule drug discovery and development
- Strong experience in lead generation strategies (structure-based, fragment-based drug design) and exposure to a broad range of therapeutic targets and chemical modalities.
- Deep knowledge of modern medicinal chemistry with a strong track record of applying computational chemistry in guiding chemistry optimization.
- Good understanding of DMPK principles and practical knowledge of driving project delivery using DMPK and in vitro and in vivo tox data.
- Strong track record in IP creation and peer-reviewed publications.
- Excellent interdisciplinary communication skills.
- Strong team player
3. BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences with 7 Years of Experience
- Experience doing medicinal chemistry in a pharmaceutical or biotech environment.
- Experience managing CROs to accomplish synthesis and in vitro and in vivo evaluation of small molecules.
- Experience solving difficult multi-parameter optimization problems in drug discovery, involving ADMET, potency, and selectivity
- Experience bringing small molecules from discovery into the clinic, and the publications and patents to tell some of those stories.
- Experience or readiness to lead a team of in-house and CRO chemists.
- Experience developing brain-penetrant small molecules is particularly valuable
- Experience developing kinase inhibitors is particularly valuable
- Expert knowledge of structure-based drug design and physical property-based optimization of drug-like properties and ADME/PK profiles
- Ability to manage external CRO chemistry resources to high levels of productivity
- Effective and motivated team player with a high degree of independence, innovative and critical thinking skills, and the ability to adapt to changing projects and work assignments
4. BS in Medicinal Chemistry with 11 Years of Experience
- Experience in the pharmaceutical industry, with a strong track record of scientific innovation and success in delivering clinical candidates
- Demonstrated leadership of project teams in a cross-functional environment
- In-depth knowledge of the drug RandD process with expertise in the application of ADME/PK, pharmacology, and computational chemistry
- A leader with effective organizational, interpersonal, communication, and managerial skills who is able to motivate and inspire others with excitement for achieving the scientific vision
- Demonstrated technical proficiency, scientific creativity, independent thought, and ability to effectively collaborate with others.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to lead timely discussions with colleagues, vendors, CROs, and scientific advisors
- Enthusiastic, self-motivated individual wanting to work in the fast-paced and dynamic environment of a startup
- Excellent time management, organizational skills and strong communication skills, both written and oral
- Experience in E3 ligase drug discovery (e.g. PROTACs and/or ’molecular glues’) or DNA-encoded library technologies
- Expert synthetic chemistry knowledge and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to apply singleton synthesis and parallel/solution-phase library design as appropriate to project needs