Director
Small Molecule Discovery Center

Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry
University of California, San Francisco

The Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC) at UCSF is seeking a highly collaborative and innovative leader with a passion for drug discovery and chemical biology. The successful applicant will lead a research facility that includes a professional high-throughput screening and medicinal chemistry team. The screening lab has expertise in diverse discovery modalities, from fragment-based lead discovery to high-content imaging to machine learning, and works in a wide range of programs and therapeutic areas. The medicinal chemistry team is run by an industry trained scientist and includes a team of postdoctoral fellows and staff.

The SMDC is a leader in academic drug discovery and discovery technology - we are looking for someone to bring new perspectives and the vision to grow the center. Scientist leaders who enjoy working on diverse problems and thrive in a team-oriented, multi-disciplinary environment are ideally suited for this position.

The position will report to Dr. Michelle Arkin, Professor and Chair of Pharmaceutical Chemistry. The Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry is one of the three departments in the School of Pharmacy, one of the top ranked schools of Pharmacy in the US. Pharm Chem faculty are well integrated with the local biotechnology ecosystem; more than 80% of faculty in Pharm Chem have started companies and/or hold senior advisory roles. When biomedical research at UCSF uncovers new potential targets for drug discovery, the SMDC works with researchers to develop chemical tools and drug leads to further understand and exploit these targets for human health.

To learn about our science, visit our websites at:
https://pharm.ucsf.edu/smdc
https://pharmchem.ucsf.edu/
https://pharm.ucsf.edu/arkin

Responsibilities include:

• Lead a team of high-throughput screening and medicinal chemistry scientists
• Serve as point of contact for new projects, collaboratively designing project strategies
• Identify new collaborations, partners, and programs
• Raise financial support, which may include recharge policies, corporate collaborations, philanthropy, and grants
• May initiate internal research program
• Manage hiring and performance of scientific staff
• Perform other professional duties as needed

Required Qualifications

• PhD or related terminal degree in Chemistry, Pharmacology, Biology, or related discipline; or at least 10 years of experience in screening and drug discovery
• Experience with high-throughput screening, fragment screening, cell biology, and/or medicinal chemistry
• Enthusiasm for working in a team research environment
• Strong written and communication skills
• Candidates must meet the required qualifications at the time of appointment.
• Candidate's CV must state qualifications (or if pending) upon submission.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with liquid handling equipment, high-content imaging and analysis software, biochemical and cell-based assay development
• Experience with HTS data management/visualization software (Dotmatics, Vortex, Datawarrior, Knime)

Salary will be commensurate with the applicant's experience and training

Applicants should submit a brief cover letter and a curriculum vitae. Please apply online and submit these documents along with the contact information for at least two references to: https://aprecruit.ucsf.edu/JPF04549.

See Table 13A for the salary range for this position. A reasonable estimate for this position is $84,100-$224,000.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

UC San Francisco seeks candidates whose experience, teaching, research, or community service that has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and excellence. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status.