ZoBio (www.zobio.com) was founded in 2004 and is located in Leiden, Netherlands. We offer innovative research services in the field of small-molecule drug discovery to the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Our international team of 38 people covers five fields of expertise: Protein Engineering and Production, Assay Development and Screening, Structural Biology, Medicinal Chemistry and Data and Information Sciences.

We are looking for an experienced and motivated medicinal chemist with a proven industrial track record. Initially for a period of 12 months, it is fully expected that the successful candidate will become a permanent and integral member of the ZoBio team.

TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide medicinal chemistry input to commercial drug discovery projects:

• Support medicinal chemistry efforts in fragment hit to lead projects
• Perform analysis of complex heterogenous assay data to derive guidelines for compound design, with an emphasis on fragment/lead likeness (MW < 350 Da)
• Contribute to fragment library design and maintenance
• Keep up to date with relevant literature and developments in the field of medicinal chemistry

Organize logistics and planning for the execution of fragment-based drug discovery projects:

• Act as a project leader, overseeing all internal and external communication on budget, timelines, and scientific content of projects
• Collaborate with clients, external CROs and suppliers
• Contribute to the overall quality control process of small molecules
• Control the integrity of data imported into, and development of project databases, and insuring the correct and consistent use of project databases

Internal and external communication:

• Report project results in an accurate and concise manner, both verbally and written
• Support the business development team with the preparation of project proposals
• Share knowledge, observations, and insights within ZoBio to improve quality and efficiency of projects

 PROFILE AND COMPETENCES

The ideal candidate has a PhD in synthetic or medicinal chemistry with 5-7 years’ experience in an industrial environment with demonstrated skills in the technological and scientific discipline. We are looking for a person with a proven track record of successfully running multidisciplinary projects. The multitude of ongoing projects within ZoBio in a rapidly changing environment demands a dynamic person with hands-on mentality. Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English are a prerequisite.

REQUIREMENTS

• Customer orientation by investigating and anticipating customer needs and placing high priority on research service and meeting deadlines
• Planning and organization for meeting the project goals and the willingness to take on challenging assignments in reaching those goals.
• Adaptability in planning and organization that allows dealing with frequent changes, delays and unexpected events
• Oral and written communication to clients and colleagues in a clear, persuasive, and effective manner. Project progress reporting in an accurate and reproducible manner
• Focus on Quality by setting high standards with respect to products and services and act accordingly
• Problem solving through first identifying problems, recognizing data relevant for identifying the cause, making connections between data from different sources and tracing possible causes of problems

Please send your application (CV, motivation letter and names of potential referees) to: hrm@zobio.com clearly mentioning ‘Senior Scientist Medicinal Chemistry’ in your subject line.

Start date: Position immediately available