Senior Director, Medicinal Chemistry

## Senior Director, Medicinal ChemistryApplylocations: Oxford, United Kingdomtime type: Full timeposted on: Posted Todaytime left to apply: End Date: August 14, 2026 (24 days left to apply)job requisition id: REQ-29648**Job Description****GENERAL SUMMARY:**We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Medicinal Chemistry leader to join our group at Vertex Oxford at the Senior Director level. Reporting to the Head of Medicinal Chemistry, you will lead a highly skilled and motivated medicinal chemistry team to discover high quality clinical candidates that progress into clinical trials. You will have a track record of success across multiple projects from Hit ID to Candidate delivery. You will lead, develop, and implement state of the art medicinal chemistry strategies, providing key expertise in medicinal chemistry and related disciplines (DMPK, biology, computational chemistry, process chemistry). You will help drive the development of our internal talent through continuous teaching and mentorship.You may also take on wider project leadership responsibility, driving a multi-disciplinary project team, accountable to the Site Head for the overall strategy and delivery of a key project within our portfolio.**KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:*** Drive state of the art chemistry design and synthesis to rapidly deliver high-quality clinical candidates.* Exercise exceptional judgement based on significant medicinal chemistry experience to ensure your team delivers molecules with low predicted human doses and overall profiles that enable rapid progression through pre-clinical safety assessments and into clinical trials* Drive and motivate your team of medicinal chemists to deliver molecules using efficient synthetic routes, ensuring smooth transition to scale up teams to enable rapid progress and delivery to project goal timelines.* Provide dynamic leadership of a multidisciplinary drug-discovery team working on a key project within our portfolio.**SKILLS & EXPEREINCE:*** Qualifications in Organic or Medicinal Chemistry with extensive experience working in a pharmaceutical and/or biotechnology setting as a medicinal chemist.* Leadership of medicinal chemistry teams with a strong record of scientific accomplishment and success delivering clinical candidates.* Experience from Hit ID to candidate delivery, with deep knowledge of both molecular properties and drug substance solid form.* Expert knowledge of medicinal chemistry literature, organic synthesis, and methodology, with good working knowledge of DMPK, biology, computational chemistry, and structure-based drug design.* A concise and effective communication style to provide teams with clear guidelines, energy, drive, and motivation.* Strong interpersonal teamwork and organizational skills, with ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced, innovative environment. Ability to manage timelines and drive projects to rapidly answer key questions.**Flex Designation:**On-Site Designated**Flex Eligibility Status:**In this **On-Site** designated role, you will work **five days per week on-site** with ad hoc flexibility. Note: The Flex status for this position is subject to Vertex’s Policy on Flex @ Vertex Program and may be changed at any time.#LI-Onsite**Company Information**Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation.Vertex is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Vertex is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. Vertex will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should make a request to the recruiter or hiring manager, or contact Talent Acquisition at [email protected]### About Vertex## **Help Us Achieve Our Mission**## *Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases. The company has approved medicines that treat the underlying causes of multiple chronic, life-shortening genetic diseases — cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia — and continues to advance clinical and research programs in these diseases. Vertex also has a robust clinical pipeline of investigational therapies across a range of modalities in other serious diseases where it has deep insight into causal human biology, including APOL1-mediated kidney disease, acute and neuropathic pain, type 1 diabetes, myotonic dystrophy type 1 and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency* *.**Founded in 1989 in Cambridge, Mass., Vertex's global headquarters is now located in Boston's Innovation District and its international headquarters is in London. Additionally, the company has research and development sites and commercial offices in North America, Europe, Australia, Latin America and the Middle East. Vertex is consistently recognized as one of the industry's top places to work, including 14 consecutive years on Science magazine's Top Employers list and one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For. For company updates and to learn more about Vertex's history of innovation, visit **www.vrtx.com** or follow us on Facebook,* *Twitter/X* *, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.**The diversity and authenticity of our people is part of what makes Vertex unique, and we recognize that each employee brings diverse perspectives and strengths. By embracing those strengths and celebrating differences, we are fostering an inclusive culture where each of us can bring our authentic selves to work, inspire innovation together, and change people’s lives.**Our vision is clear: to be the place where an authentic, diverse mix of talent want to come, to stay, and do their best work.* #J-18808-Ljbffr