Computational Synthetic Chemist

The role

This person will design and execute multi-step syntheses of novel drug-like molecules. They will use computational route planning, retrosynthesis, and automated experimentation tools to support the design-make-test loop.

What you will do

• Design, select, and execute practical multi-step routes to novel drug-like singleton compounds and focused sets.
• Own purification and characterization through delivery of high-quality, well-characterized compounds on schedule.
• Use computer-aided synthesis planning, retrosynthesis, and reaction-condition tools routinely.
• Critically evaluate proposed routes and predictions.
• Use chemical structure and reaction representations to constrain plans to realistic starting materials.
• Design or interpret HTE and other reaction-optimization experiments.
• Feed practical outcomes and corrected synthetic judgment back into planning, prediction, and cheminformatics workflows.
• Record every campaign in structured, machine-readable form.
• Design chemistry for automation and parallel execution.
• Collaborate with chemists, computational scientists, and software engineers to define useful tools and mentor junior chemists.

Required qualifications

• Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, or a closely related field, plus 3 years of relevant industry or postdoctoral experience; or an M.S. with 6 years, or a B.S. with 9 years, of
• Ability to design and execute multi-step syntheses of approximately five or more steps through characterized final compounds.
• Independent route-design judgment under real constraints on materials, time, building blocks, and execution resources.
• Routine hands-on use of computer-aided synthesis planning or retrosynthesis tools.
• Fluency with chemical structure and reaction data, including molecular and reaction representations, compound registration, stereochemistry, salts, tautomers, and building-block catalogs.
• Experience with reaction screening, HTE, design of experiments, or related optimization workflows.
• Disciplined structured capture of conditions, outcomes, analytical results, and failures.

Nice to have

• Python scripting with tools such as RDKit, pandas, or Jupyter
• Experience running chemistry on robotic platforms, liquid handlers, flow systems, or other automated resources
• Industrial HTE or nanoscale reaction-screening experience
• Prior work in a CRO, fee-for-service, or similarly schedule-driven environment
• Experience with ELN/LIMS configuration or reaction-data model definition
• Experience scaling a validated route from milligram to multi-gram quantities
• Experience with inline or process monitoring such as ReactIR, benchtop NMR, or online LC-MS
• Experience mentoring or supervising junior chemists
• Publications or patents describing multi-step routes to biologically active compounds

Benefits

• Competitive compensation
• Generous equity in a public company
• Medical, dental & vision coverage
• Health spending accounts
• Voluntary benefits
• Leave of absence policies
• 401(k) program with employer contribution
• 8 paid holidays
• Full-week winter shutdown
• Unlimited Paid Time Off policy

About the company

Ginkgo is constructing, editing, and redesigning the living world in order to answer the globe’s growing challenges in health, energy, food, materials, and more. Ginkgo Datapoints, a business unit within Ginkgo Bioworks, builds high-quality, large-scale datasets and technical capabilities that accelerate drug discovery and development.