Senior Principal Scientist / Director – Computational Chemistry (IDD)

Senior Principal Scientist / Director – Computational Chemistry (IDD)

Location: UK – RemoteAbout PharmaronPharmaron is a global contract research and manufacturing organization (CRO/CDMO) helping pharma and biotech companies bring new therapies to life.

With over 25,000 employees worldwide across 28 locations in the UK, US, China, and Singapore, we support drug discovery through to manufacturing with fully integrated high-quality services.We're proud of the impact we make and just last year, we supported 887 discovery projects, 1,100+ CMC programs, and 1,397 clinical trials across all phases.

Our teams are involved in everything from small molecules, ADC's, biologics, and gene therapies and we work with more than 3,300 global customers. To learn more, visit www.pharmaron.com.

Pharmaron is looking for a Senior Principal Scientist / Director – Computational Chemistry to lead on the design and optimisation of multi-modality ligands within our Integrated Drug Discovery programmes and help shape our Computational Sciences capability.This is a senior role requiring scientific excellence, and client engagement to drive integrated, multi-modality drug discovery programmes.The Integrated Drug Discovery (IDD) Services group at Pharmaron is responsible for leading and delivering drug discovery projects for our client partners.

The team comprises scientific expertise and strategic leadership across medicinal chemistry, CADD, biology, DMPK and translational science. Combined with Pharmaron’s global research capabilities, we design and deliver integrated programmes from target identification and hit finding, through to IND filing.

Working closely with our partners, we define strategy, coordinate execution across teams and, with an AI enabled accelerated Design–Make–Test–Analyse cycle, support the progression of projects and innovative medicines towards the clinic. The RoleLead Computational Sciences design strategy across a diverse portfolio of discovery projects from hit expansion through lead optimisation.

Design, evaluate, and prioritize molecules for synthesis using a complete suite of computational toolsProvide scientific leadership to multidisciplinary project teams from hit-finding to candidate selectionDrive the application of modern CADD approaches (AI/ML, SBDD, cheminformatic) across small molecule and other modalitiesBuild and enhance computational infrastructure, tools and capabilitiesCollaborate closely with global Computational Chemistry teams and cross-functional stakeholdersBuild and strengthen client relationships, supporting business growth and long-term collaborationsContribute to departmental strategy, innovation, capability development and business proposalsRepresent Pharmaron externally, enhancing reputation within the Computational Sciences and broader drug discovery communities About YouPhD in Computational Chemistry, Theoretical Chemistry, Molecular Modelling or related discipline10+ years’ experience in computational drug discovery (Pharma, Biotech or CRO)Proven track record delivering impact across drug discovery pipelines and key milestonesExpertise across CADD approaches, including SBDD, AI/ML and cheminformaticsExperience working across modalities (small molecules, peptides, biologics, emerging platforms)Strong publication and/or patent recordDemonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary teams and external collaborationsExcellent communication skills Key SkillsDeep knowledge of computational chemistry in drug discoveryStrong understanding of medicinal chemistry, biology and DMPK integrationExcellent communication and stakeholder influencing skillsAbility to manage multiple complex programmes in parallel Key AttributesStrategic thinker with the ability to translate vision into executionInspirational leader and team developerCollaborative, adaptable and culturally awareResults-driven with strong client focusPassionate about innovation, continuous learning and scientific excellence Why Join Pharmaron?Lead cutting-edge computational science within a global CROInfluence strategy, capability build and scientific directionWork on diverse, high-impact discovery programmesCollaborate with world-class global teams If you're ready to take a leadership role in advancing cheminformatics and computational chemistry, we’d love to hear from you.