Medicinal Drug Design Lead, London or Lausanne
Isomorphic Labs (IsoLabs) is an inclusive employer and a member of myGwork – the LGBTQ+ business community. This role is part of Isomorphic Labs and involves advancing human health through AI-enabled drug design. This job posting is not to be forwarded to recruiters directly.
About IsoLabs
Isomorphic Labs was launched in 2021 to advance human health by building on and beyond the AlphaFold system. Our interdisciplinary team of drug discovery experts and machine learning specialists has built powerful predictive and generative AI models to accelerate scientific discovery. Our name reflects the symmetry between biology and information science, using AI to model biological phenomena, design novel molecules, and develop innovative medicines to treat and cure diseases. We maintain a world-leading drug design engine and continually innovate to advance rational drug design. Our mission is to one day solve all disease with the help of AI.
Your role
Medicinal Drug Design Lead (London or Lausanne) within the Medicinal Drug Design Team. You will lead chemistry on internal portfolio and collaboration projects, collaborating with AI/ML colleagues to build the Platform and drive drug design success. This is a scientific leadership role with an active hands-on contribution as an individual contributor, not a people manager.
Your impact
As part of the expansion of our Drug Design and Medical Research function, we are recruiting Medicinal Chemistry positions to join the Medicinal Drug Design Team. You will provide scientific expertise and strategic direction for milestone objectives on portfolio projects, collaborating with Platform teams and applying insights to real drug design projects. You will contribute to a culture of inclusion and ongoing professional development.
What you will do
* Apply your knowledge of modern drug design and synthetic organic chemistry to execute drug design programs and provide strategic input to Platform teams.
* Collaborate internally and with third parties, working with multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality scientific solutions.
* Represent the company externally with collaborators and Contract Research Organisations (CROs).
* Manage CRO resources and other team members, mentoring and supporting their development.
* Prepare detailed scientific proposals and reports to support programs.
* Champion an inclusive culture and ongoing professional development.
Skills and qualifications
Essential
* PhD in Chemistry or related field, or equivalent experience.
* Minimum 5+ years of industrial experience in medicinal chemistry as an individual contributor in pharma/biotech/CRO.
* Experience in executing drug discovery programs from Hit ID to Candidate delivery within multidisciplinary teams.
* Experience in a lead chemist role.
* Experience and expertise in Lead Optimisation, including Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics (DMPK).
* Experience managing CRO resources.
* Authoring scientific manuscripts and inventorship of composition of matter patents.
Nice to have
* Direct pharma/biotech/CRO collaboration experience, ideally in a chemistry or project lead role.
* Experience with Structure-Based Drug Design and fragment-based approaches.
Upcoming deadline
Excited about this opportunity? Apply by Friday 26 September 2025.
Culture and values
We are guided by our shared values: Thoughtful, Brave, Determined, Together, and Creating An Extraordinary Company. These values shape our work and support a culture where collaboration, learning, and inclusion drive impact. We are committed to equal employment opportunities and welcome applicants regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, disability, age, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or related condition, or any other basis protected by applicable law. If you require accommodations due to a disability or additional needs, please let us know.
Hybrid working
We follow a hybrid model and would require you to be able to come into the office 3 days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and one other day, depending on team). If you have additional needs, we can discuss them during the screening process.
Please note that when you submit an application, your data will be processed in line with our privacy policy.
Other open roles at Isomorphic Labs
* Seniority level: Mid-Senior level
* Employment type: Full-time
* Job function: Design, Art/Creative, and Information Technology
* Industries: Biotechnology
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