Associate Director Position in Computational Chemistry and Drug Discovery Jnana Therapeutics in United States

Jnana Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company and subsidiary of Otsuka Pharmaceutical, is seeking an Associate Director of Computational Chemistry to join their Boston-based team. The company leverages its RAPID chemoproteomics platform to discover medicines for challenging-to-drug targets, focusing on diseases with high unmet needs, including rare and immune-mediated diseases. Jnana’s lead program, JNT-517, targets the phenylalanine transporter SLC6A19 for the treatment of PKU, a rare genetic metabolic disease.

The Associate Director will play a key role in structure-based drug discovery, applying advanced computational chemistry methods such as molecular dynamics simulations, free energy perturbations, docking, and structure analysis to guide medicinal chemistry strategies. The position involves close collaboration with medicinal chemists and project leads to interpret structural data, rationalize structure-activity relationships, and propose optimized compound designs addressing potency, selectivity, and developability objectives. The role also includes integrating structural insights with ADME, safety, and physicochemical property considerations to drive molecules toward clinical candidates.

Applicants must have a PhD in Computational Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, or a related field, with at least 6 years of industry experience and a proven track record in structure-based drug design and cross-functional project leadership. Deep expertise in molecular modeling, protein-ligand docking, and experience with X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM are required. Preferred skills include programming (Python, Bash), experience with chemical patent literature, and familiarity with covalent drug design. The position offers the opportunity to work in a collaborative, innovative environment dedicated to advancing therapies for challenging diseases.

For more information and to apply, visit the Jnana Therapeutics careers page. This is a full-time, salaried industry position; specific compensation details are not provided in the announcement.