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drug discovery careers

This drug discovery careers board lists job opportunities in drug discovery, including for project team leadership, R&D, and management roles in medicinal chemistry, in vitro and in vivo pharmacology, drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, pharmaceutics, and drug development. You can also read more about how to get a job and how to build a career in drug discovery below.

US West | US East | Europe and UK | How to Get a Job in Drug Discovery

Use this form to list a drug discovery career opportunity or related job posting on this page, on the home page, or in our e-mail newsletter.

Eligible Drug Hunter newsletter subscribers can share relevant drug discovery career opportunities free of charge. Premium Members and contributors including reviewers can also share relevant opportunities in the e-mail newsletter free of charge, subject to availability.


US West Coast (e.g. Biotech Startup Jobs in San Francisco, San Diego, and Seattle)

TitleAreaCompanyCityState or CountryYears Post-PhD
Research Analyst, Medicinal Chemistry – Drug Hunterhttps://www.indeed.com/job/research-analyst-medicinal-chemistry-drug-hunter-5fbe3562ea6b27beMedicinal ChemistryDrug HunterRemoteUSN/A
Director, Sales – Subscriptions: Drug Hunterhttps://www.indeed.com/job/director-sales-subscriptions-drug-hunter-2b4b25c06015703dSalesDrug HunterRemoteUSN/A
Senior Vice Presidenthttps://jobs.lever.co/dayonebio/7ff8cdc2-de18-46b7-98b6-06686603cd53?lever-source=DrugHunterExternal Discovery and ResearchDay One BiopharmaceuticalsRemoteRemote1511/03/22
Director / Senior Directorhttps://app.trinethire.com/companies/33691-kinnate-biopharma-inc/jobs/59782-director-senior-director-medicinal-chemistryMedicinal ChemistryKinnateSan Francisco,CA704/15/22
Business Development Manager https://bit.ly/3GQadcnoptibriumNorth America06/02/22
Directorhttps://boards.greenhouse.io/schrdinger/jobs/5337569003?s=LinkedIn&source=DrugHunterMedicinal ChemistrySchrödingerSan DiegoCA1212/11/22
Head of Chemistryhttps://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=4500d3cba524a8e4&hl=enNANOSYNSanta ClaraCA02/01/23
Scientisthttps://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=ce337e2ef8afc718&hl=enOrganic ChemistryKodiak Sciences Inc.Palo AltoCA02/01/23
Vice Presidenthttps://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=0b6607bcd7e93594&hl=enDiscovery ChemistrySeagenBothellWA1502/01/23
Senior Scientific Leadhttps://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=2b5aa15f10fcc099&hl=enMedicinal ChemistryLoxo OncologyLouisvilleCO202/02/23
Director https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=67d28b26d0026ce2&hl=enMedicinal Chemistry ProtomerLillyPasadenaCA502/16/23
Senior Scientific Leadhttps://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=2b5aa15f10fcc099&hl=enMedicinal ChemistryLoxo OncologyLouisvilleCO202/15/23
Sr Scientist/Principal Scientisthttps://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=41b6d108a899d905&hl=enMedicinal ChemistryHexagon BioMenlo ParkCA02/15/23
Directorhttps://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=5792caf8bf45cc9f&hl=enMedicinal ChemistryRevolution MedicinesRedwood CityCA 02/15/23
Principal Scientisthttps://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=528bebc68b7ed183&hl=enDrug Metabolism and PharmacokineticsGilead SciencesFoster CityCA03/01/23
Principal Scientisthttps://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=f7703a7e3381d06a&hl=enComputational OncologyRezo TherapeuticsSan FranciscoCA703/01/23
Senior Directorhttps://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=a9ea7652c0e44096&hl=enBiomarker Discovery and DevelopmentAlectorSouth San FranciscoCA1203/01/23
VPhttps://exelixis.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/Exel/job/Alameda-CA/VP--Translational-Medicine_JR4915-1?source=DrugHunterTranslational MedicineExelixisAlamedaCA1504/03/23
Directorhttps://www.revmed.com/careers-list?gh_jid=5552891003DMPK - Non Clinical Development and Clinical PharmacologyRevolution Medicines Redwood CityCA604/03/23
Associate Director, Business Development in Biotech and Pharma Industry Memberships: Drug Hunterhttps://drughunters.com/ADBD-DHDrug DiscoveryDrug HunterRemoteUSA5+
Senior Directorhttps://exelixis.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/Exel/job/Alameda-CA/Sr-Dir--Computational-Chemistry_JR4875-1?source=DrugHunterComputational ChemistryExelixisAlamedaCA1204/29/23
Senior Principal Scientisthttps://deep-apple-therapeutics.breezy.hr/p/75728a372b0f-senior-principal-scientist-medicinal-chemistryMedicinal ChemistryDeep Apple TherapeuticsSan Francisco Bay AreaCA404/29/23
AD/Senior Principal Scientisthttps://www.novartis.com/careers/career-search/job-details/371104br/adsenior-principal-scientist-caddCADDNovartis EmeryvilleCA504/29/23
Scientisthttps://jnjc.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobdetail.ftl?job=2306119411W&lang=en DNA-Encoded Library - Discovery ChemistryJohnson & JohnsonSan DiegoCA505/11/23
AD/Senior Principal Scientisthttps://www.novartis.com/careers/career-search/job-details/371104br/adsenior-principal-scientist-caddCADDNovartisEmeryvilleCA705/12/2023
Research Scientisthttps://www.novartis.com/careers/career-search/job-details/373381br/research-scientist-cell-pharmacology-cvmCell Pharmacology CVMNovartisEmeryvilleCA3
Senior Staff Scientist/Associate Directorhttps://jobs.lever.co/Septerna/be10dda5-d6f4-4ca9-b1aa-0ff4b19f4388Medicinal ChemistrySepterna SOUTH SAN FRANCISCOCA05/20/23
Sr. Scientist/Principal Scientisthttps://apply.workable.com/frontier-medicines/j/B01CAA9EAF/Medicinal ChemistryFrontierSouth San FranciscoCA1005/23/23
Sr Scientist Ihttps://careers.abbvie.com/en/job/south-san-francisco/sr-scientist-i-medicinal-chemistry/14/49646052896Medicinal ChemistryAbbVieCaliforniaSouth San Francisco806/03/23
Senior Scientisthttps://jobs.jobvite.com/eikontx/job/ofgpnfw1?__jvst=Job%20Board&__jvsd=DrugHunterMedicinal ChemistryEikon TherapeuticsHaywardCA506/07/23

US East Coast (e.g. Pharma and Biotech Careers in New York, Boston, and North Carolina)

TitleAreaCompanyCityState or CountryYears Post-PhD
Medicinal Chemisthttps://www.function-therapeutics.com/jobs/medicinal-chemistMedicinal ChemistryFunction TherapeuticsMilwaukeeWI05/11/22
Directorhttps://rometx.com/current-opportunities/director-chemistry/ChemistryROME TherapeuticsCambridgeMA10
Senior Principal Scientist/Directorhttps://boards.greenhouse.io/schrdinger/jobs/4107468003Medicinal ChemistrySchrodingerNew YorkNY8
Senior Director https://jobs.jobvite.com/careers/eikontx/job/otqwlfwu?__jvst=Employee&__jvsd=s1Pdbjw2&__jvsc=LinkedIn&bid=nNjJn3wKMedicinal ChemistryEikon TherapeuticsNew YorkNY1512/11/22
Directorhttps://boards.greenhouse.io/schrdinger/jobs/5337569003?s=LinkedIn&source=DrugHunterMedicinal ChemistrySchrödingerNew YorkNYCA12/11/22
Research Fellowhttps://jobs.smartrecruiters.com/Biogen/743999869422961-research-fellow-medicinal-chemistry-chemical-biologyMedicinal Chemistry - Chemical BiologyBiogenCambridgeMA12/14/22
Sr. Scientist/Principal Scientisthttps://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3426708419/?refId=6QCYXjQZTrKYbLG8KM50ug%3D%3D&trackingId=6QCYXjQZTrKYbLG8KM50ug%3D%3DMedicinal ChemistryFrontier MedicinesBostonMA501/10/23
Project Leaderhttps://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=db8278fa6aff05df&hl=enCancer Drug DiscoveryScorpion TherapeuticsBostonMA1002/01/23
Head of Chemistryhttps://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=3f05923914bea100&hl=enFlagship Pioneering, Inc.CambridgeMA1002/02/23
Principal Scientist/Associate Directorhttps://jobs.lever.co/atavistik-bio/55302de7-826f-448b-9c60-e6df5d05cec0?lever-source=LinkedInJobsMolecular ModelingAtavistik Bio CambridgeMA02/02/23
Medicinal Chemisthttps://jobs.lever.co/postera/7449b742-fdc4-41da-b812-35b44cf3e3e5?lever-source=DrugHunterPostEraBostonMA502/15/23
Executive Director, Global Program Team Leadhttps://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=a9183dde3558014e&hl=enAlexion Pharmaceuticals,Inc.BostonMA03/01/23
Principal Research Scientist IIhttps://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=7221064b0c7bc7eb&hl=enCMC Strategy & Portfolio Leadership Scientific AffairsABBVIENorth ChicagoIL803/01/23
Director and Head of Medicinal Chemistryhttps://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=84b521e6811e414e&hl=enFulcrum TherapeuticsCambridgeMA03/01/23
Senior Scientist / Scientisthttps://boards.greenhouse.io/odysseytherapeutics/jobs/4847045004Biochemistry Assay DevelopmentOdyssey TherapeuticsBostonMA504/12/23
Research Associatehttps://haldatx.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Research-Associate-Job-Description-In-Vivo-003.pdfin vivo groupHalda Therapeutics New HavenCT104/12/23
Principal Scientisthttps://vrtx.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/Vertex_Careers/job/Boston-MA/Research-Competitive-Intelligence-Principal-Scientist_REQ-18454?source=DrugHunterMedicinal Chemistry Competitive IntelligenceVertexBostonMA404/21/23
Associate Directorhttps://jobs.lever.co/atavistik-bio/55302de7-826f-448b-9c60-e6df5d05cec0?lever-source=DrugHunterComputational ScientistAtavistik BioCambridgeMA505/11/23
Principal Scientisthttps://jobs.jnj.com/en/jobs/2306119038w/principal-scientist-peptide-chemistry-global-discovery-chemistry/Peptide Chemistry – Global Discovery ChemistryJohnson and Johnson's Spring HousePA1005/20/23
Senior Scientist - https://careers.bms.com/jobs/R1569531?lang=en-us&previousLocale=en-USProtein ScienceBristol Myers SquibbPrincetonNJ205/20/23
Sr. Scientist/Principal Scientisthttps://apply.workable.com/frontier-medicines/j/330AA329F9/Medicinal ChemistryFrontierBostonMA1005/23/23
Sr Scientist Ihttps://careers.abbvie.com/en/job/lake-county/sr-scientist-i-medicinal-chemistry/14/48101673264?utm_source=linkedin.com&utm_medium=social_post&utm_campaign=ABBVIE_socialMedicinal ChemistryAbbVieLake CountyIL05/26/23
Associate Director/Directorhttps://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3612447874/?refId=QxXGQJjpSj%2B4qxWrxuLtuQ%3D%3D&trackingId=QxXGQJjpSj%2B4qxWrxuLtuQ%3D%3DDMPKBicycle TherapeuticsCambridgeMA05/31/23
Senior Research Scientisthttps://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=f12278fc-fdbe-4894-b687-366f928fdfcc&ccId=19000101_000001&jobId=462759&lang=en_US&source=LIProcess ChemistryC4 TherapeuticsWatertownMA505/31/23
Senior Scientisthttps://pfizer.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PfizerCareers/job/United-States---Connecticut---Groton/Senior-Scientist_4885913https://pfizer.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PfizerCareers/job/United-States---Connecticut---Groton/Senior-Scientist_4885913GrotonCT806/03/23

International (e.g. Opportunities in European Pharma Companies and the UK)

TitleAreaCompanyCityState or CountryYears Post-PhD
Principal Scientisthttps://charmtx.com/careers/principal-scientist-computational-chemist/?gh_jid=4104615101Computational ChemistryCHARM TherapeuticsCambridgeUK812/11/22
Project Team Leaderhttps://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3543753927/?refId=3OkAIicjTziYX%2Ft2iqzZnA%3D%3D&trackingId=3OkAIicjTziYX%2Ft2iqzZnA%3D%3DImmunology Early DevelopmentRocheBaselCH1004/29/23
Senior Synthetic Chemisthttps://careers.astrazeneca.com/job/gothenburg/senior-synthetic-chemist-medicinal-chemistry-of-drug-conjugates/7684/48895296976Medicinal Chemistry AstraZenecaGothenburgSE05/23/23

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List an Open Position

Use this form to list a drug discovery career opportunity or related job posting on this page, on the home page, or in our e-mail newsletter.

Eligible Drug Hunter newsletter subscribers can share relevant drug discovery career opportunities free of charge. Premium Members and contributors including reviewers can also share relevant opportunities in the e-mail newsletter free of charge, subject to availability.

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How to Get a Job in Drug Discovery

How do you become a drug hunter? After working in the industry ourselves and talking to thousands and thousands of biotech and pharma R&D leaders, here are the three most important characteristics of a great drug discovery hire:

  • Be somebody others want to work with
  • Demonstrates extraordinary expertise in at least one area
  • Demonstrates sincere interest in the role

Be somebody others want to work with

Drugs are discovered by a community of researchers, not individuals. It takes a village to make a drug! Whether you work at a small biotech, a large drug company, an investment firm, or even academia, you’ll need to work with other individuals to make great things happen. While individuals are often celebrated as heroes in the media, everybody in the industry knows that every great drug is the result of teamwork, teamwork, teamwork.

It’s impossible for anybody to know everything about anything nowadays. In order to succeed in an area as technically complex as drug discovery, you need a team of people who are all experts and who work well together. If you want to become a drug hunter, you have to be somebody that others want on their team. That means being somebody who offers to help others, being somebody who is honest and candid, being somebody who is positive and passionate about their work, and just being somebody who’s pleasant to be around!

Demonstrate extraordinary expertise in at least one area

Drug discovery is incredibly technically complex, so each person on a drug discovery team has to carry their weight in at least one area of expertise. Nobody can know everything about anything, but you should prove that you can become an expert in at least one thing. Olympic athletes often find success later in their careers because they’ve learned how to get really really good at something. If you demonstrate that you can be a world leader in any super niche topic, whether it’s how to make single enantiomers of molecules, or how to run one particular biological assay that nobody else understands, that’s a great start!

Obviously, the more relevant your field of expertise is to pharmaceutical drug development, the better! Organic synthesis, biochemistry, chemical biology, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacology have all traditionally been important fields to the industry, though the industry is becoming more flexible in what kinds of backgrounds are sought out initially.

Demonstrate sincere interest in the role

The easiest way to flunk an interview is to look bored. People want to work with people who want to be on their team! When applying for a role, it’s great to already have in mind what you want out of it and why you’re applying. Nobody likes to hear that you “just need a job.” Your future team members want to know why you think they’re special, and why when you join their team you’re going to be an equally happy camper. If you love what you do and you can’t wait to join a company, it will radiate!

Study the companies that you’re applying to, be selective with the teams you interview with, and really focus on areas that you think you’ll really shine in. It’ll set the tone from the moment you walk into the door and everybody will be able to tell.

Building a Career in Drug Discovery R&D

Many of the same principles that apply in finding a job to begin with also apply and building and growing a satisfying career in drug discovery research and development. Initially, growing your career is about growing technical expertise and building relationships. You’ll need to develop your knowledge not just of your specialized area, but also of adjacent areas, such as pharmacology, pharmaceutics, and clinical development, to understand how to best serve your teammates.

Building relationships cannot be understated. In order to affectively serve your team and to serve patients, you’ll need to be able to draw on the strengths and talents of people who aren’t directly on your team. You’ll need to be the type of person who can reach out to clinical key opinion leaders to figure out what drugs you should be working on, who can push and pull on other departments internally to advance projects, and who can find external partners like CROs, CMOs, and suppliers who can support your company’s work.

An easy way to start growing your knowledge just by exploring our sites resources! You can find conferences and events to learn from and network with other professionals here as well, and grow your knowledge a little every day by reading our science-based newsletter.

We wish you the best of luck on your drug discovery journey, and hope to meet you in person someday!

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