Associate Scientist, Synthetic/Medicinal Chemistry

Position: Associate Scientist, Synthetic/Medicinal Chemistry

Reporting to: Manager, Medicinal Chemistry

Employment term: Contract (6-month intervals)

Start date: Immediate

Location: Mississauga, ON

About Dalriada Drug Discovery Inc.:

Founded in 2017, Dalriada is a leading Canadian drug discovery organization specializing in small molecule therapies. Purposely built as an agile, co-located, and uniquely integrated drug discovery partner, Dalriada accelerates the discovery and development journey of high-value new small molecule therapeutics from concept to IND.

Our unique Turn-Key™ operational model offers the global biotechnology industry a full suite of drug discovery, preclinical development, intellectual property, and business expertise to manage and execute tailored R&D programs. To date Dalriada has supported integrated programs and platform buildouts of public and top-tier venture capital-backed biotech companies from the US, UK and Europe, including their collaborations and partnerships with Big Pharma.

Why join?

Our team of passionate and skilled drug discovery scientists is a key factor in Dalriada’s rapid success. Since inception, the company has prioritized creating an environment that promotes professional, scientific, and personal growth and fosters agile innovation through integrative and interdisciplinary learning across all key drug discovery disciplines. We pride ourselves on providing individuals a unique opportunity in small molecule R&D to:

• Actively conduct and advance cutting-edge science in a state-of-the-art R&D facility.
• Make the most direct impact and contribute intellectually to the creation of better medicines. Our scientists design and evaluate new drug molecules across multiple therapeutic areas and are named inventors or direct contributors on patents.
• Collaborate with Dalriada’s expert interdisciplinary drug discovery scientists in medicinal & computational chemistry, cell & molecular biology, biophysics & biochemistry, ADME and proteomics (>70% PhD).
• Be at the forefront with Ontario’s largest and one of Canada’s fastest-growing drug discovery organizations. In 2023, the company is on track to grow by 40 percent to approximately 140 employees.
• Directly interact with management teams of innovative clinical-stage pharmaceutical and VC-backed biotech companies from across Canada, US and Europe.
• Learn new things every day in a fast-paced, stimulating, values-based company committed to driving growth, delivering solutions, being accountable and creative.
• Work closely with Dalriada senior leadership and executive team of expert drug discovery scientists, innovators, global pharmaceutical industry executives and entrepreneurs, who collectively have > 165 patents, pharma transactions > $2B, 6 companies founded, >250 years of drug discovery experience, led > 130 drug discovery programs and brought drugs to the clinic and market.

Job Summary

The successful candidate will have a background in Organic or Medicinal Chemistry at the master’s level and will be responsible for synthesizing and testing new compounds, as well as performing purification and analytical characterization. The Associate Scientist will also be responsible for operating and maintaining laboratory instruments, reporting and summarizing experimental details to Scientists, and maintaining a clean lab space.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Scientists and other team members to troubleshoot and optimize synthetic routes.
• Compile and analyze data, and present findings to Scientists in a clear and concise manner.
• Characterize synthesized compounds using various analytical techniques (e.g., NMR, LC-MS, HPLC).
• Operate and maintain laboratory instruments and equipment, ensuring their proper functioning and calibration.
• Conduct synthesis of new compounds based on project requirements and protocols.
• Document experimental procedures, observations, and results accurately and in a timely manner.
• Perform purification techniques (e.g., column chromatography, preparative HPLC, recrystallization) to obtain pure compounds.
• Adhere to safety guidelines and maintain a clean and organized laboratory space.

Education & Certifications

• BSc with minimum 2 years relevant work experience or MSc in Organic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, or a related field.

Requirements

• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Working knowledge of theoretical and practical synthetic organic chemistry.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively present findings and summarize experimental details.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to operate and maintain laboratory instruments and equipment.
• Demonstrated commitment to laboratory safety and maintaining a clean working environment.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to follow protocols and standard operating procedures.
• Proficiency in synthetic organic chemistry techniques, including multi-step synthesis, purification, and characterization of small organic molecules.
• Experience with analytical techniques such as NMR, LC-MS, HPLC, and spectroscopic methods.

This position is open to applicants legally authorized to work in Canada.

Dalriada Drug Discovery Inc. is an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to achieving accessibility by providing accommodation for people with disabilities during our hiring process. Accommodation is available on request for qualified candidates during the recruitment process.

All employment is conditional upon completing and obtaining a satisfactory background check which may include educational, employment, references, and criminal records.