Circle Pharma is a pre-clinical stage, life sciences company discovering and developing macrocycle therapeutics, with an initial focus in oncology. Our discovery platform allows us to address challenging therapeutic targets such as intracellular protein-protein interactions. Our structure-based drug discovery platform encompasses target affinity, cell permeability, medicinal chemistry and macrocycle synthesis, tightly integrated with biochemistry and cellular biology. We have recently closed a $45M Series B round of funding, with investments from premier life science investors, The Column Group and Nextech Invest, and we are looking to expand our team. We seek candidates who desire to make key contributions to help drive our growth. For more information about Circle Pharma, please see our website, www.circlepharma.com We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Computational Chemistry Scientist with a strong background in computational drug discovery and chemical informatics. Utilizing their drug design expertise, our ideal candidate will engage in drug discovery enabled by our computational/medicinal chemistry and biology groups while also expanding both internally developed and commercial tools to perform computer-aided design of cell permeable macrocycles. Our ideal applicant will have demonstrated expertise in current computational drug design and chemical information workflows coupled with a strong desire to learn new techniques and incorporate new methodologies into their work, while possessing a high level of creativity, knowledge of reaction mechanisms, and strong problem-solving skills. What You'll Do: Serve as lead computational chemist on one or more interdisciplinary therapeutic project teams with an emphasis on structure-based and ligand-based designs, permeability predictions, developing predictive SAR, and in vitro and in vivo PK modeling Collaboratively design, construct and evaluate targeted and general macrocycle virtual libraries for target engagement and cell permeability Manage and analyze chemical information workflows with chemists and biologists Assist with the development of customized computational algorithms Maintain currency with literature in computational medicinal chemistry About You: Ph.D. in computational chemistry, chemical informatics, physical organic chemistry, computational biology, biophysics or related field, with at least 3 years of experience in small molecule discovery and development in the biotech/pharmaceutical industry Trained in computational approaches to drug design and lead optimization Experience modeling protein-ligand binding interactions using structure-based and ligand-based methods Strong scientific programming skills (e.g., Python, Perl, R, PowerShell, Linux/Unix) with practical application of these skills is a strong plus Excellent written and verbal communication skills Team-oriented and works well in collaborative environments Comfortable with independent problem solving in a collaborative environment Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office and ChemDraw Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills Excel at maintaining laboratory record of scientific findings Self-motivated, independent, and have the ability to work with minimal supervision Enjoy operating in an exceptionally dynamic, high-achieving and cooperative environment where every voice matters Be able to lift 20 pounds comfortably Preferred Experience With: Conformational analysis of macrocycles Chemical informatics software tools Commercial modeling tools (Schrodinger, CCG, Spark) Programming with pipelining tools such as Knime Data curation and statistical analysis software Circle Pharma is a dynamic start-up company, and our successful candidate must have the ability and desire to work in a fast-paced environment. Circle offers a comprehensive compensation package, as well as generous paid time off, in addition to Company observed holidays. The Company provides Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance, along with a retirement savings plan which includes employer contributions. We promote a culture in which employees are respected and rewarded for hard work, innovation, personal initiative, and teamwork. Circle Pharma is an equal opportunity employer and committed to a diverse workplace. All applicants will be considered equally without regard to race, color, ethnicity, veteran status, religion, national origin, marital status, political affiliation, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, membership in an organization or any other non-merit factors. While COVID-19 has affected the way we operate, we are still hiring, and look forward to receiving your application! Here at Circle Pharma, the health of our team members is a top priority. Currently we have modified work arrangements, including both on-site and remote working. Our application process for prospective new team members will include initial virtual video interviews and may also include limited in-person interviews during which we will pay special attention to the distance and hygiene rules recommended by the CDC. New employees who do not start on site in our laboratory facilities are provided with IT supplies to work remotely and will be on-boarded virtually whenever possible. We recognize that these are difficult times, and are we doing everything possible to keep our employees safe while also conducting our work to bring new cancer therapies to patients.
