Job Description

The Exploratory Medicinal Chemistry / Chemical Biology Senior Research Scientist is responsible for formidable experimental productivity, emerging creativity, and versatility. The candidate designs and executes critical experiments for major research projects. Responsibilities of the candidate may include designing and synthesizing chemical substances and/or reagents to evaluate targets, enable understanding of mechanism of action, and advance lead molecules for Vertex diseases in a cross functional team environment. He/She/They are expected to possess a willingness to train others while continuously learning and developing scientifically and as a mentor. This candidate should demonstrate resourcefulness in running multiple activities concurrently and contribute both individually and as a team player. The candidate should have the ability to rapidly adapt to new projects, have a broad perspective and a deep knowledge of related disciplines, and possess diverse project experiences. This is an onsite position at our San Diego research site.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Designs and performs critical experiments such as the parallel synthesis and testing of small molecules, lipids, bioconjugates of oligonucleotides and other biomacromolecules.
• Performs analytical characterization/quantification on chemical substances and evaluates intended biological performances on generated materials
• Performs complex experimental troubleshooting and methods development
• Prioritizes individual studies and balances these activities across projects effectively
• Multitasks and effectively manages efforts on projects
• Distills complicated, multidimensional data into clear, testable hypotheses while constantly incorporating collective learnings
• Engages, collaborates, and presents data to a cross disciplinary team from Chemistry, Protein Sciences, High Throughput Biology and Applied Physics
• Scours relevant scientific literature within and beyond his/her/their related discipline/field
• Incorporates new principles/concepts and develops new experimental approaches to achieve project goals
• Actively researches external intellectual property relevant to project(s) and areas of pursuit
• Contributes substantively to patent and publication preparation as necessary
• Performs other duties as assigned

Required Experience / Required Knowledge and Skills

• Designs and executes complex and challenging Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology experiments
• Quickly learns and adopts new concepts, workflow, automation, and utilization of related software/hardware interfaces
• Demonstrates astute understanding of how to deploy his/her/their own talents most effectively
• Maintains a broad and deep knowledge of relevant science beyond own discrete field(s)
• Can multitask various activities while focusing on goals/objectives
• Productively disseminates his/her/their ideas across discipline(s) and project boundaries
• Communicates effectively through verbal presentations and writing technical reports
• Actively solves complex problems which can lead to attaining crucial project goals

Required Education Level

• Ph.D. (or equivalent degree) in Chemistry, Chemical Biology or related Biological Sciences with 2-5 years of relevant post-doctoral and/or relevant employment experiences, or
• Master's Degree (or equivalent degree) in Chemistry or related Biological Sciences with >5 years of relevant employment experience, or
• Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent degree) in Chemistry or related Biological Sciences with >8 years of relevant employment experience.

Pay Range:

Disclosure Statement:

Flex Designation:

Flex Eligibility Status:

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 ApplicationAssistance@vrtx.com