Senior Principal Scientist, Peptide Therapeutics

About the role

Genentech is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Medicinal Chemist (Senior Principal Scientist) to join its research and development team in the Peptide Therapeutics department. This is a technical leadership position focused on advancing novel peptide therapeutics into clinical development, leading medicinal chemistry efforts for a collaborative team.

Key responsibilities

• Drive the discovery of novel peptide therapeutics and govern the design and synthesis of peptides and peptidomimetics with improved potency, stability and pharmacokinetic properties.
• Lead scientific and project teams from concept to clinic, guiding projects from early hit identification through lead optimization to clinical development.
• Apply rational drug design strategies, including peptide synthesis, conformational analysis and computational methods, to optimize structure-activity relationships.
• Lead or co-lead multidisciplinary teams and act as a scientific partner to colleagues in Research Biology and Drug Discovery.
• Mentor junior scientists, help prioritize team objectives and propose strategies to meet portfolio goals.
• Oversee analysis of analytical data (mass spectrometry, HPLC, NMR) to confirm compound identity and purity, while managing multiple projects simultaneously.

Required profile

• Ph.D. or postdoctoral degree in Organic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry or a related field.
• At least 7 years of experience in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry, with a track record of advancing drug candidates to clinical testing.
• Demonstrated success in a leadership role guiding multidisciplinary teams to deliver drug candidates.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, able to lead within a globally matrixed organization.

Required skills

• Complex molecule organic synthesis, including automated solid-phase peptide synthesis and solution-phase small molecule synthesis.
• High-throughput and parallel synthesis for library generation, and interpretation of HPLC, mass spectrometry and NMR data.
• Design of novel synthetic routes and multi-step synthesis of building blocks and scaffolds.
• Knowledge of macrocyclic peptides and library-based screening technologies (OBOC, mRNA display, AS/MS).
• Computational modeling and simulation (conformational sampling, MD), structure-based and ligand-based drug design, and familiarity with machine learning/AI tools for peptide prediction.
• Common computational chemistry software such as Schrödinger, MOE or Maestro.

What we offer

• Expected salary range of $168,600 to $313,000 for the California location, depending on experience, qualifications and location.
• A discretionary annual bonus may be available based on individual and company performance.
• Relocation benefits are available for this posting.