Medicinal Chemist - Taste Modulation

About the role

Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, reporting to the Head of Explore, you will join an innovative multidisciplinary team focused on the design, synthesis, purification, and characterization of small molecules, peptides, and related compounds to support discovery programs. You will collaborate with cheminformatics, molecular biology, analytical chemistry, and application specialists in a hands‑on laboratory setting.

Responsibilities

• Independently design, synthesize, and characterize taste‑active molecules with suitable toxicology and regulatory profiles.
• Interpret structure‑activity relationship (SAR) data and contribute to compound design strategies.
• Support hit‑to‑lead and lead optimization programs.
• Work collaboratively with biology, analytical, computational chemistry, and application teams to troubleshoot synthetic challenges and develop practical, efficient synthetic solutions.
• Ensure laboratory work complies with safety, health, and environmental regulations; consult with relevant teams.
• Contribute to patent filings and assessment of competitor IP landscape.
• Maintain current medicinal chemistry/drug discovery knowledge; participate in project/planning discussions and present results/plans concisely in team meetings.
• Support scale‑up activities and coordinate with external CRO partners.

Qualifications

• Master of Science or higher in Organic Chemistry or Medicinal Chemistry (PhD preferred).
• 4+ years of industrial experience in medicinal, organic, or discovery chemistry.
• Familiarity with medicinal chemistry concepts and SAR‑driven optimization.
• Familiarity with computational chemistry or molecular modeling tools.
• Hands‑on expertise in synthetic organic chemistry and modern purification methods.
• Practical experience with compound characterization techniques, including NMR and mass spectrometry.

Skills

Strong synthetic organic chemistry background, data‑driven mindset, ability to work across disciplines (biology, analytical, computational chemistry), excellent communication and collaboration skills, commitment to safety and regulatory compliance.

Benefits

• Major Medical, Dental, Vision insurance
• Life, LTD, STD, Disability insurance
• Family Leave
• High matching 401(k) plan

Pay

Established salary range: $100,000 – $125,000 per year, with an annual bonus. Actual compensation based on education, experience, and qualifications.