Computational Chemist

Job Description

THE ORGANIZATION

TMC Innovation (TMCi) is a flagship initiative of Texas Medical Center (TMC) that acts as a gateway to the facilities, resources, and network of the world’s largest medical center. TMC Innovation includes TMCi Accelerator for health technologies, TMCi Accelerator for cancer therapeutics, TMCi Biodesign, TMCi Coworking spaces, and our resident corporate partnerships with Johnson & Johnson Innovation and ABB Robotics for Healthcare.

Designed to provide a comprehensive suite of services, TMC Innovation includes programming to meet the needs of disruptive healthcare startups at every stage, from ideation to commercialization.

TMC ACT

The Texas Medical Center (TMC), in collaboration with the Gulf Coast Consortia for Quantitative Biomedical Sciences (GCC) and The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB), was selected for a $5M grant from The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) for a cancer therapeutics program. This accelerator is specifically designed for individuals, or early-stage startups, that are focused on developing novel cancer therapeutics.

The program, called TMC ACT (Accelerating Cancer Therapeutics), is a comprehensive nine-month program designed to enhance biotech entrepreneurship training and comprehensive drug development programs in Texas. It will simultaneously provide Texas researchers and startup companies with integrated training, resources, and mentoring in order to help advance innovative cancer therapy discoveries into clinical trials, ultimately leading to new approaches and therapies to treat and/or cure cancer patients.

This program was built upon the successful TMC Innovation Healthtech Accelerator, the Gulf Coast Consortia's (GCC) network of Texas cancer researchers and research cores, and an experienced mentor community.

POSITION OVERVIEW

TMC Innovation is currently seeking a PhD-level researcher experienced in applying computational chemistry approaches to multi-parameter lead optimization. The Computational Chemist will assist investigators and project leaders, as needed, to provide advanced computational chemistry lead optimization resources to derisk drug discoveries and increase the likelihood of advancing them to clinical trials. TMC ACT is designed for individuals or early-stage startups that are focused on developing novel cancer therapeutics. This comprehensive nine-month accelerator program is focused on enhancing biotech entrepreneurship training and accelerating the participating companies’ progression to their next major milestone.

The Chemist will work with participating companies and potential future program candidates, helping them navigate the path of drug development to be positioned for success. The Chemist will be expected to engage with numerous projects at varying stages and areas of clinical focus.

Ideal candidates exhibit the following qualities:

Enthusiasm and energy;

Humble, servant leadership;

Inquisitive and creative mind;

Thrive on complex challenges;

Ability to turn the conceptual into the tangible and actionable;

Strong self-confidence with no ego;

Looking for more than a job, but a purpose;

Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to persuasively sell ideas;

Intellectual agility;

Willingness to make difficult recommendations and decisions;

Team first mentality;

Independent thinking and data-driven decision-making;

Strong interest in healthcare and entrepreneurship

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Enable the launch of companies developing novel cancer therapeutics

Complete training to master the latest Schrodinger, Inc. computational chemistry software

Evaluate and deploy effective cloud-based computational resources for free energy calculations

Perform computer-based lead optimization for, and in consultation with, CPRIT ACT participants

Participate in core facility staff meetings

Participate in the augmentation of TMC ACT advisor network comprised of subject matter experts who will support the program and participating companies

Participate in annual progress reports as dictated by the grant-awardee Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT)

KEY SELECTION AND SUCCESS FACTORS

Work Experience:

Experience in computational chemistry, along with a strong foundation in physical organic chemistry, is required

Knowledge of bioinformatics and structural biology (in particular how organic molecules interact with pockets on proteins or other biomolecules)

Practical, working experience with computational chemistry software

Education/Qualifications:

Ph.D. or equivalent in Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics, or related discipline.

Strong analytic capabilities with a strong understanding and experience using free energy perturbation calculations

Strong comprehension of all aspects of modern drug discovery including medicinal chemistry, multi-parameter optimization, DMPK principles, etc.

Ability to influence work in a highly entrepreneurial environment, and comfort with ambiguity

Demonstrated interest and passion in entrepreneurship, startups, innovation, and/or healthcare

Excellent communication, organization, and interpersonal skills

Strong analytic capabilities and experience with a variety of analytic techniques

Sees projects through to completion with the ability to meet deadlines

Adept in taking direction and actively soliciting feedback

Thrives under pressure with the capacity to handle and balance conflicting requests

Acute attention to accuracy and detail in all aspects of responsibilities

Highly proficient in Microsoft suite of programs

Texas Medical Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, age, religion, gender, national origin, disability or Veteran status. If you require assistance or reasonable accommodation in the application process, please contact Human Resources at or .