About the Company

Unnatural Products (UNP) is a growing discovery-stage biotech company pioneering macrocyclic peptide drug discovery. Our goal is to unlock the full therapeutic potential of macrocycles by bringing small molecule-like behavior to molecules with high target affinity - unlocking undruggable targets and enabling oral delivery to targets traditionally only addressable with injectable modalities.

Based in Santa Cruz, CA, we are a passionate team of scientists and operators doing high-quality science in a beautiful setting—where innovation and work-life balance go hand in hand. Come shape the future of UNP with us!

The Role

We are looking for a Senior Scientist, Peptide Chemistry that can apply contemporary medicinal chemistry strategies and new methodologies to advance our macrocyclic peptide pipeline and discovery platform as we define and create next generation bRo5 drugs. This will require deep medicinal chemistry experience to navigate the lead optimization process and expedite development of preclinical candidates. Ideal candidates will be able to work cross functionally within our organization – they will interact daily with our data science and computational group for interpretation and design, our biology and pharmacology group to develop assay workflows for in vivo translation, and our chemistry group to push the boundaries of what is possible with parallel chemistry and library syntheses.

What You’ll Do

• Lead major projects in the lab with significant scientific impact
• Work closely with program leadership to spearhead projects driving drug discovery for one of our pipeline programs
• Propose research plans, identify issues, and overcome scientific challenges to advance project goals within specified timelines
• Collaborate with other medicinal chemists to interpret SAR, develop hypotheses, generate, and design molecules to deliver high quality chemical matter
• Directly manage external CRO work and priorities while providing regular progress updates to internal team members
• Mentor junior colleagues in medicinal chemistry principles and best practices, synthetic activity prioritization, and time management
• Lead synthetic route development both from a theoretical and practical standpoint and troubleshoot issues when necessary
• Work closely with the biology, software, and de-novo teams to coordinate research activities and execute against project goals
• Communicate results to internal teams and managers in the form of presentations, reports, and ad-hoc meetings/calls
• Contribute to and guide further development of UNP’s proprietary parallel synthetic platform

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ph.D. in Chemistry or related field, with 6+ years of relevant industry experience
• Proven industry track record and expertise in peptide synthesis and medicinal chemistry as evinced by publications, patents, and/or case studies from prior work
• Experience with peptide design, including SAR studies and scaffold optimization
• Experience with analytical methods, including HPLC/LC-MS
• Demonstrated experience with the drug discovery process including hit identification, hit-to-lead, and lead optimization
• Significant experience with structure based drug design and all medicinal chemistry principles
• Strong oral and written communication skills and ability to deliver clear and concise presentations of data and interpretations
• Highly self-motivated and proactive when it comes to identifying and solving problems and helping team members
• Accountable, meticulous with attention to detail, and able to multitask
• Must be willing to work onsite 5 days per week

Additional experience preferred:

• Experience managing or mentoring junior colleagues
• Previous CRO management experience
• Prior experience with bRo5 drug design (macrocycles, PROTACs, large small molecules, etc)

Why Join Us?

You will have to have an opportunity to help shape the future of a company on the rise. As a Senior Scientist, Peptide Medicinal Chemistry you will have the ability to help define and shape the next generation of peptide drugs. We value integrity, transparency, curiosity, and a collaborative spirit. If you are passionate about peptide medchem and are highly self-motivated, we’d love to talk.

The salary range for the Senior Scientist, Peptide Medicinal Chemistry position is $150,000 to $188,000. Title and compensation will be competitive and commensurate with the candidate's career experience, qualifications, and the responsibilities of the position.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants and welcome individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, or any other status protected by law.