What are the responsibilities and job description for the Sr. Scientist (Chemistry) position at Sutro Biopharma?
Sutro Biopharma, Inc. is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Scientist to join our dynamic Medicinal Chemistry team. The candidate should have deep Medicinal Chemistry experience with a proven track record of successfully contributing to drug discovery programs. The successful candidate will report to the Senior Director of Chemistry and will assume critical roles in advancing our drug discovery programs. This individual will be contributing to design of small molecules using innovative structure- and computation-driven design strategies, with a focus on property-based optimization. The successful candidate will be expected to allocate part of his/her time to characterizing payloads and linker-payloads to support discovery programs. The role is integral to a collaborative, multi-disciplinary team environment, working closely with chemists and cross-functional teams including Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics (DMPK), Protein Biochemistry, Cell biology and Pharmacology, ensuring a seamless integration of medicinal chemistry into the drug discovery process.
Responsibilities
- Design of novel ADC payloads using structure-based drug design (SBDD) to enhance potency, selectivity, ADMET, and pharmacokinetics.
- Develop and refine structure-activity relationships (SAR) to drive multi-parameter optimization in medicinal chemistry.
- Collaborate with computational chemists on structure-based, ligand-based, and machine learning design approaches to advance drug discovery projects.
- Characterize payloads and linker-payloads to support ADC discovery programs.
- Contribute to compound synthesis and synthesis related discussions.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including analytical, synthetic chemists, and biology teams, to drive drug discovery projects toward optimized lead candidates.
- Work within the team to identify the most promising candidate linker-payloads and take the necessary steps to advance them towards preclinical evaluations.
- Mentor and coach junior-level scientists to support them achieve their goals and objectives.
- Contribute to the filing of intellectual property by preparing and submitting patent applications and scientific publications.
- Participate in general laboratory and chemistry responsibilities.
- Present key reports, updates, and strategic initiatives to external collaborators, the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), the Board of Directors (BoD), and at public meetings, effectively communicating complex information to diverse audiences.
- Ph.D. in Organic or Medicinal Chemistry with a minimum of 5 years of experience in small molecule drug discovery within the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry.
- Deep knowledge in Medicinal Chemistry with a proven track record of successfully contributing to drug discovery programs that led to the selection of clinical candidates.
- Extensive experience applying contemporary medicinal chemistry strategies to optimize drug discovery programs.
- Experience with payload and linker-payload discovery for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) is highly desirable.
- Strong understanding of medicinal chemistry principles, including expertise in pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and physicochemical properties.
- Strong background in natural product total synthesis.
- Experience in modern techniques in solution- and solid-phase organic synthesis, including a variety of organic reactions at different scales, microwave chemistry, and inert atmosphere techniques is a plus.
- Proficiency in purification techniques such as normal and reverse-phase chromatography, crystallization, and analytical techniques including HPLC, LC-MS, flash chromatography, and NMR.
- Promote a culture of innovation, teamwork, and ongoing learning within the team.
- Analyze and interpret data from multiple sources to inform project decisions and effectively communicate findings to key stakeholders.
- Excellent problem-solving abilities, with a collaborative and team-oriented mindset.
- Exceptional written and oral communication skills, with the ability to present complex data and ideas clearly.
Sound exciting? Apply today and join our team!
Sutro Biopharma, Inc. encourages all colleagues to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 prior to the first date of employment.
As an equal-opportunity employer, we believe in fostering a culture that is inclusive and values diversity in background and opinions. Sutro Biopharma hires extraordinary individuals into every position in the company and is committed to the diversity of our team. Our company progresses without regard of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, age, disability or citizenship status. We are dedicated to creating a safe environment where our employees can grow and succeed together.
We look forward to hearing from candidates who are interested in exploring opportunities with Sutro! Our People & Culture team/hiring managers are unable to respond and do not accept solicitations from third-party agencies.
The anticipated salary range for fully qualified candidates applying for this role at Sutro Biopharma’s California-based locations will be $155,000 - $180,000 (not including bonus, equity, and benefits). The final salary offered will be dependent on several factors that include and are not limited to relevant previous experience, job responsibilities and duration of experience, the type and length of experience within the industry, and education.
About Sutro Biopharma
Sutro Biopharma, Inc., is a clinical-stage company relentlessly focused on the discovery and development of precisely designed cancer therapeutics, transforming what science can do for patients. Sutro’s fit-for-purpose technology, including cell-free XpressCF®, provides the opportunity for broader patient benefit and an improved patient experience. Sutro has multiple clinical stage candidates, including luveltamab tazevibulin, or luvelta, a registrational-stage folate receptor alpha (FRα)-targeting ADC in clinical studies. A robust pipeline, coupled with high-value collaborations and industry partnerships, validates our continuous product innovation. Sutro is headquartered in South San Francisco. For more information, follow Sutro on social media @Sutrobio, or visit www.sutrobio.com.
