Senior Research Scientist, Medicinal Chemistry

About IDEAYA Biosciences

IDEAYA is a precision medicine oncology company committed to the discovery, development, and commercialization of transformative therapies for cancer. Our approach integrates expertise in small-molecule drug discovery, structural biology and bioinformatics with robust internal capabilities in identifying and validating translational biomarkers to develop tailored, potentially first-in-class, targeted therapies aligned to the genetic drivers of disease. We have built a deep pipeline of product candidates focused on synthetic lethality and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for molecularly defined solid tumor indications. Our mission is to bring forth the next wave of precision oncology therapies that are more selective, more effective, and deeply personalized with the goal of altering the course of disease and improving clinical outcomes for patients with cancer. At IDEAYA, you will be in the midst of brilliant minds working on precision medicine therapies to help cancer patients. We are passionate and committed about being on the forefront of oncology medicine, which means we all have a high internal drive that is at the very core of every person at IDEAYA. We are inquisitive, ask deep questions, and are data-driven innovators who like to collaborate and use teamwork to move science forward.

Position Summary

We are seeking a talented and highly motivated individual with significant pharmaceutical industry experience to join our multidisciplinary team as a Discovery Medicinal Chemist. The successful candidate will impact programs by being highly productive in the lab and by rationally proposing target molecules that overcome liabilities to deliver clinical candidates. You will be part of dynamic, cross-functional teams that successfully deliver drug discovery pipeline goals. This position is based in our South San Francisco headquarters and is required to be onsite five days per week per company policy.

Location: South San Francisco, CA
Reports to: Vice President, Medicinal Chemistry

Responsibilities

• Apply modern synthetic techniques to prepare complex chemical targets to advance cutting-edge oncology programs and deliver high-quality molecules at a very productive rate
• Design high-confidence reaction sequences that avoid known liabilities and reduce difficult purifications
• Rapidly gather reaction information and troubleshoot problematic transformations
• Plan ahead and multitask in and out of the lab
• Deliver molecules on scales from 10 mg to >25 g
• Help manage external synthetic chemistry resources to high productivity
• Follow SAR data and leverage medicinal chemistry knowledge to propose targets that address critical issues
• Use emerging structure-based design skills to design targets with improved affinity and selectivity profiles
• Clearly and concisely present results in various forums

Requirements

• Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry with 0–3 years of pharmaceutical industry medicinal chemistry experience
• Excellent scientific expertise in synthetic organic chemistry, including asymmetric reactions and modern cross-coupling techniques
• Strong knowledge of modern chemistry literature and in-depth knowledge of a wide range of purification and spectroscopic characterization techniques
• Ability to keep good scientific records
• Demonstrated ability to maintain high productivity in the lab and synthesize complicated chemical structures at the pace required to impact medicinal chemistry programs while maintaining high safety standards
• Ability to develop new chemistry that is both practical and scalable
• Ability to regularly troubleshoot synthetic problems and provide practical and creative solutions
• Demonstrated excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to multi-task and set priorities in a fast-paced and dynamic environment while demonstrating a positive attitude and superior work ethic
• Ability to work well in multi-disciplinary teams
• Level-appropriate knowledge of medicinal chemistry concepts, including structure-based target design, SAR-driven target design, multi-parameter optimization, physicochemical properties of drugs, and ADME and pharmacological principles applied to drug discovery
• Desire to continually learn drug discovery concepts and structure-based design concepts and to stay current with the field

All employees are expected to act with integrity and in full compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and IDEAYA policies, including IDEAYA's Code of Conduct. Employees must demonstrate good judgement and ethical behavior in all business activities, maintain patient and product safety as a top priority, and report any suspected violations of law or Company policy through appropriate channels.

Total Rewards

Along with our inspiring mission and highly collaborative and inclusive environment, IDEAYA offers a competitive total rewards package that reflects our pay-for-performance philosophy where employees are eligible to be considered for merit-based salary increases, company discretionary short-term incentive plan participation, and company discretionary stock option awards (based on board approval). Our comprehensive benefits package includes, but is not limited to, medical/dental/vision coverage (100% company paid for employees and 90% company paid for dependents), 401k, ESPP, and wellness programs.

Pay

The expected salary range for this role is $148,000 – $183,000. The final salary offered to a successful candidate will depend on several factors that may include but are not limited to the office location where this open position is located, the final candidate's experience within their profession, experience in the disease areas we are striving to make an impact in as a company, length of time within the industry, educational background, and performance during the interview process.

Vaccination Requirement

This position requires you to work onsite in the office at the Company's facilities for training and meetings, with work-from-home flexibility. The Company requires that all employees working in its facilities be fully vaccinated (except as required by applicable law). Therefore, this position requires you to be fully vaccinated from COVID-19, subject to reasonable accommodations for medical or religious reasons, and/or as otherwise required by applicable law. The Company considers you fully vaccinated once 14 days have passed since you received either the second dose in a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series or a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine must have been FDA approved, have emergency use authorization from the FDA, or, for persons fully vaccinated outside of the U.S., be listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization.