Senior Medicinal Chemist, Drug Discovery

About SandboxAQ

SandboxAQ is a high-growth company delivering AI solutions that address some of the world's greatest challenges. The company’s Large Quantitative Models (LQMs) power advances in life sciences, financial services, navigation, cybersecurity, and other sectors.

We are a global team that is tech-focused and includes experts in AI, chemistry, cybersecurity, physics, mathematics, medicine, engineering, and other specialties. The company emerged from Alphabet Inc. as an independent, growth capital-backed company in 2022, funded by leading investors and supported by a braintrust of industry leaders. 

At SandboxAQ, we’ve cultivated an environment that encourages creativity, collaboration, and impact. By investing deeply in our people, we’re building a thriving, global workforce poised to tackle the world's epic challenges. Join us to advance your career in pursuit of an inspiring mission, in a community of like-minded people who value entrepreneurialism, ownership, and transformative impact. 

About the Role

SandboxAQ’s AI Simulation team develops new drugs and materials using a spectrum of AI and physics-based computational solutions. Our AQBioSim group is looking for a senior medicinal chemist to join our Drug Discovery team. This person's responsibility will be to drive innovation by applying organic and medicinal chemistry expertise to drug discovery projects and address unmet medical needs. These skills will be leveraged within a seasoned, agile, and multi-disciplinary group, including drug hunters with an excellent track record in drug discovery, computational chemists, physicists, AI experts, and software engineers.

What You’ll Do

• Apply organic and medicinal chemistry strategies to address unmet drug discovery needs
• Apply your knowledge and track record of modern synthetic organic chemistry and medicinal chemistry principles to provide strategic input and technical direction
• Translate insights from drug discovery projects and work closely with the AI Sim computational chemistry and development teams to improve SandboxAQ's unique technology and Large Quantitative Models (LQMs) to deliver deep impact at scale
• Drive and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to deliver scientific expertise and strategic direction in drug design problems. 
• Work in close collaboration with computational chemists, AI/ML experts, and cross-functional teams to prototype and scale cutting-edge, impactful drug design solutions.
• Responsible for chemistry strategic alignment and effective resource allocation, leading and managing several contract research organizations (CRO) and external chemistry partners to deliver high-quality data in a timely manner
• Lead and collaborate in the preparation of scientific proposals, patents, reports and scientific publications supporting new and existing programs
• Represent SandboxAQ externally both with CROs and scientific partners
• Generate and evaluate hypotheses to assist design decisions and influence project direction. 
• This is an opportunity to directly contribute to the discovery of novel innovative medicines by applying modern drug discovery methodologies on teams with experienced multidisciplinary drug hunters.

About You

• PhD in synthetic organic chemistry or medicinal chemistry or a related discipline
• More than 3 years of relevant experience including organic and medicinal chemistry expertise applied to drug discovery in the private sector e.g biotech or pharma
• Experience contributing to structure-based and ligand-based drug discovery programs and familiarity with computational methods
• Outstanding synthetic chemistry background and a demonstrated track record of aptitude and problem-solving in medicinal chemistry.
• Experience leading the chemistry function within drug discovery projects 
• Experience executing drug discovery programs from HitID to Candidate delivery with a consistent track record, working in multidisciplinary teams
• Help to advance Sandbox’s computational design platform, working with our computational chemists and developers teams to accelerate the development of computational tools and algorithms.
• Experience in working with and closely managing a number of CRO resources and external chemistry partners
• An interest in solving scientific problems in chemistry and biology via computational and data-driven methods
• A drive to cooperate with colleagues to identify problems and communicate scientific solutions in an accessible manner
• Hands-on mentality & comfortable with getting deep into complex problems, and a track record of contributing to projects and publications
• Preferably located on the East Coast of the US to enhance collaboration with EMEA team members

The US base salary range for this full-time position is expected to be $158k - $221k per year. Our salary ranges are determined by role and level. Within the range, individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. This role may be eligible for annual discretionary bonuses and equity.

SandboxAQ welcomes all.

We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where we have zero tolerance for discrimination. We invest in our employees' personal and professional growth. Once you work with us, you can’t go back to normalcy because great breakthroughs come from great teams and we are the best in AI and quantum technology.   We offer competitive salaries, stock options depending on employment type, generous learning opportunities, medical/dental/vision, family planning/fertility, PTO (summer and winter breaks), financial wellness resources, 401(k) plans, and more.    Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status.   Accommodations: We provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities in job application procedures for open roles. If you need such an accommodation, please let a member of our Recruiting team know. Apply