Head of Computational Drug Design

About the Computational Drug Design Team

We are building a dynamic team of Computational Chemists in Cambridge, MA within the Drug Design and Medical Research function. We drive the computational chemistry strategy for our internal portfolio and collaboration projects. Crucially, we partner closely with our AI/ML colleagues, using our domain expertise to augment the Isomorphic Labs Drug Design Engine and leverage its power to accelerate drug design. We foster a supportive, learning-focused environment where every member is valued, and continuous professional development is a priority.

Your Impact

As part of our expansion to Cambridge, MA, we are seeking an experienced and strategic Head of Computational Drug Design to join our foundational Drug Design team. This is a pivotal role for a motivated scientific leader eager to shape the future of drug discovery at the intersection of computational chemistry and artificial intelligence. This role requires a unique blend of deep scientific expertise and the ability to lead both technical projects and high-performing teams, whilst contributing to or leading active drug discovery programs.

You will provide scientific leadership and strategic direction for the Computational Drug Design team, responsible for delivery and guidance of projects to clinical candidate nomination. Additionally, you will oversee and mentor a team of talented Computational Drug Designers, fostering their scientific growth and career development. Working alongside world-leading AI Scientists, you will play a critical role in establishing principles for embedding AI/ML into modern computational chemistry workflows, ensuring seamless integration across ML, Biology, and Chemistry teams.  You will partner with our Head of Chemistry, Drug Design to champion the drug discovery pipeline, overseeing external collaborations (with CROs) and lead programs to deliver critical go/no-go milestones. Critical to this role will be the ability to build highly effective and efficient connectivity with Medicinal Chemistry, Biology and Pre-Clinical Development teams to accelerate pace to the clinic. If you are a skilled Computational Chemist with leadership experience and a passion for applying cutting-edge technology to complex scientific challenges, this role offers an unparalleled opportunity for impact and growth.

What you will do 

• Apply your knowledge and track record of modern drug design and discovery principles to deliver our Drug Design portfolio. 
• Provide direct line management for a growing team of Computational Chemists. Set clear goals, provide regular feedback, support their professional development, and foster a collaborative and high-performance team environment.
• Provide strategic input and technical direction to our AI/ML platform teams. 
• Collaborate both internally and with third party organisations, interacting within multidisciplinary teams, to support data-driven delivery of high quality scientific solutions to complex technical problems. 
• Represent the company externally, interacting with existing and prospective collaborators and Contract Research Organizations (CROs). 
• Prepare detailed scientific proposals and reports to support new and ongoing programs. 
• Embrace and champion our culture of inclusion and continuous professional development.

Skills and Qualifications

Essential:

• PhD in Computational Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, Synthetic Chemistry, or a related scientific field, or equivalent industrial experience.
• Solid foundation in computational chemistry with a minimum of 10+ years previous industrial experience within a pharma/biotech/CRO setting.
• Proven experience leading computational chemistry strategy and execution for multiple drug discovery programs and target classes, and managing high-performing scientific teams.
• Prior experience of leading drug discovery programs, from hit finding to lead optimisation and candidate selection.
• Strong expertise in virtual screening, ligand and structure-based drug design using physics-based and ideally AI/ML methods.
• Proven track record of developing models using ML or deep learning methods.
• Expertise in writing and implementing Python scripts for analysis and tool development, and/or utilising pipelining tools to support cheminformatics and design workflows.
• Genuine passion and enthusiasm for applying AI/ML to drug design and how this can transform the field.
• Demonstrated success managing external collaborations (industry/CROs) and working effectively in cross-functional environments.
• Growth mindset, adaptability, and eagerness to learn new concepts and techniques.

Nice to Have:

• Prior experience leveraging machine learning and generative AI methods for hit finding (e.g. ultra-large virtual screening and active learning), molecular design and lead optimisation
• Strong knowledge of drug design principles, including ADMET and DMPK.
• Knowledge of modalities such as PROTACs, molecular glues, PPI inhibitors or ADCs.
• A track record of authorship of relevant scientific manuscripts.