Relation
TechBio
AssociateDirector/DirectorMedicinalChemistry
Neural analysis suggests this role is
optimal for Director candidates.
“Associate Director/Director Medicinal Chemistry at Relation. Skills: medicinal chemistry strategy, small molecule drug discovery, lead optimisation, development candidate selection, structure-based design, multiprofile optimisation, computational and data-driven methods. Lead medicinal chemistry strategy across discovery programmes. Lead medicinal chemistry activities from hit identification through to development candidate selection”
What You'll Achieve.
discover transformational medicines; understand human biology in unprecedented ways; discover therapies to treat some of life’s most devastating diseases; drive disease understanding, from cause to cure; translate insight into impact; help define how medicines are discovered; deliver meaningful impact for patients; drive scientific and portfolio impact; achieve key milestones and value inflection points; deliver high-quality molecules with balanced potency, selectivity and developability; accelerate programme delivery; deliver high-quality scientific outcomes; progress of molecules into development; strive to deliver meaningful outcomes
Industry & Context.
solve complex scientific challenges; scientifically rigorous
What They're Looking For.
Must Have
PhD in medicinal chemistry, synthetic organic chemistry, or a related scientific discipline or equivalent experience in industrial drug discovery, Significant experience leading medicinal chemistry programmes within biotech, pharmaceutical or CRO environments, Demonstrated success progressing drug discovery programmes through lead optimisation to development candidate selection, with clear impact on project strategy and delivery, Deep expertise in modern medicinal chemistry approaches, including structure-based drug design, multiparameter optimisation, and the application of computational and data-driven methods to molecule design, Experience building and managing productive collaborations with CROs and external partners to deliver high-quality scientific outcomes, record of scientific achievement and innovation, evidenced through publications, patents, presentations and progression of molecules into development, Passion for small molecule drug discovery, with curiosity for emerging technologies and enthusiasm for integrating computational approaches with experimental science, Excellent communication, influencing and interpersonal skills, with the ability to thrive in a collaborative, cross-functional, matrixed environment, Highly motivated, scientifically rigorous, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced, evolving biotech setting
Nice to Have
Working with modalities such as peptides, ADCs, oligonucleotides or targeted delivery approaches
What You'll Do.
Lead medicinal chemistry strategy across discovery programmes
Lead medicinal chemistry activities from hit identification through to development candidate selection
Design and optimise novel chemical matter
Partner closely with cross-functional colleagues
Lead and manage external collaborations and CRO partnerships
Represent medicinal chemistry in project teams
governance forums and portfolio reviews
Contribute to the growth and evolution of Relation’s discovery capabilities
Champion Relation’s collaborative
ambitious and science-driven culture
How You'll Work.
Team & Collaboration
work in highly interdisciplinary teams; partner closely with colleagues across Discovery and beyond; work in a collaborative, cross-functional, matrixed environment; operate in a matrixed, interdisciplinary environment; partner with colleagues across multiple teams and projects; contributing your expertise while aligning to shared company priorities
Communication Scope
Excellent communication; influencing; interpersonal skills; communicating scientific strategy, progress, opportunities and risks clearly to senior stakeholders; Communicate openly and directly; give and receive feedback constructively; handle challenging conversations with respect
Process & Methodology
managing productive collaborations with CROs and external partners, ensuring effective execution, clear prioritisation and delivery against timelines, budgets and project goals
Full Job Description
ABOUT RELATION Relation is a sector defining TechBio company developing transformational medicines, with technology at our core. Our ambition is to understand human biology in unprecedented ways, discovering therapies to treat some of life’s most devastating diseases. We leverage single-cell multi-omics from patient tissue, functional assays, and machine learning to drive disease understanding, from cause to cure. We are scaling rapidly and building a team of exceptional individuals to push the boundaries of drug discovery. You will work in highly interdisciplinary teams where biology, computation, and engineering come together to solve complex problems that have not been solved before. Our state-of-the-art wet and dry labs in the heart of London are designed to accelerate this integration and translate insight into impact. We are committed to building diverse and inclusive teams. Relation is an equal opportunities employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, disability, or age. By joining Relation, you will help define how medicines are discovered and deliver meaningful impact for patients. THE OPPORTUNITY Relation is offering an outstanding opportunity for an experienced Associate Director/Director of Medicinal Chemistry to help drive our growing small molecule portfolio. We are looking for a drug discovery scientist with hands-on experience shaping medicinal chemistry strategy and advancing programmes into clinical development. In this role, you will translate cutting-edge biological insights into high-quality clinical candidates, working at the intersection of science and technology within a rapidly growing TechBio company. You will serve as a senior scientific leader across the organisation – influencing project and portfolio decisions, guiding discovery strategy, and partnering closely with collea
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