Sanford Burnham Prebys is a preeminent, independent biomedical research institute dedicated to understanding human biology and disease, and advancing scientific discoveries to profoundly impact human health. 

A Postdoctoral Chemist position is available to participate in translational research/drug discovery projects focused on the treatment of cancer, central nervous system (CNS) disorders, and infectious diseases.

This person will be primarily responsible for scientific activities associated with small molecule drug/probe discovery projects. The Postdoctoral Chemist will be responsible for the design and synthesis of new targets and will interpret biological data to inform compound design. This position is an excellent opportunity to be mentored by industry professionals in an academic setting, and to hone the skills and rigor demanded by Pharma.

This is an exciting opportunity to directly support biomedical and drug discovery projects with an end goal of developing diverse capabilities throughout the pre-clinical drug discovery pipeline and ultimately benefiting patients.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Independently designs and performs experiments and procedures with high degree of complexity, demonstrating increasing expertise with a wide range of techniques
• Interprets results and evaluates of data from different sources and draws relevant conclusions
• Presents results in internal and possibly external meetings

• Anticipates, identifies and analyzes potential scientific and/or technical problems of significant complexity that could arise within a project and devises innovative solutions to move the project forward
• Collaborates with team members and with cross-unit teams to successfully execute a project to meet its milestones and objectives
• Accurately document experiments in lab notebook

• Contributes to writing of reports and manuscripts
• Contributes to the preparation of grant applications, as requested
• Trains junior team members as needed
• May serve as a scientific backup to supervisor when required

Education and/or Experience:

• Ph.D. in Chemistry or related field and two years’ experience conducting independent drug discovery or related laboratory research or an equivalent combination of education, training and/or experience from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been attained required
• Demonstrated experience designing and executing complex synthetic schemes required

Knowledge, Skills and/or Abilities:

• In-depth knowledge and fundamental understanding of modern characterization techniques (NMR, LCMS, etc.)
• Ability to analyze complex data sets to develop understanding of SAR
• Demonstrates flexibility in adapting methods/skills according to evolving project priorities
• Demonstrated ability to analyze, interpret and present results in internal meetings
• Work independently as well as in a team environment
• Be responsible and have strong time management skills
• Ability to analyze and resolve issues of moderate complexity
• Possess strong attention to detail and organizational skills
• Demonstrate professional communication and interpersonal skills
• Professional proficiency in standard software, including MS Office
• Embody the Institute’s core values of Commitment, Collaboration, Communication, Community and Compassion

• The scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute are making research breakthroughs in cancer, neuroscience, immunology, and children's disease. We are also at the forefront of finding solutions for health threats such as COVID-19, where we are working to identify drugs that may help millions of people. During our more than 40 year history, we have established an NCI-designated Cancer Center, designed one of the most sophisticated drug discovery centers in the nonprofit world, and created global collaborations that are leading to preventions, treatments and cures to improve human health. 

  Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute is an Equal Opportunity employer – M/F/Veteran/Disability – committed to the hiring, advancement and fair treatment of all individuals. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other protected status as designated by federal, state or local law.  For additional information about your rights as an applicant, click HERE.

  If you need an accommodation seeking employment with Sanford Burnham Prebys, please email [email protected]. Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis.