Director of Chemical Biology

Company: Lundbeck
Location: La Jolla
Posted on: July 16, 2025

Job Description:

Do you want to join a team where the mission is meaningful, the challenges are complex, and you can directly see the results of your hard work? Lundbeck is a global biopharmaceutical company focusing exclusively on brain health. With more than 70 years of experience in neuroscience, we are committed to improving the lives of people with neurological and psychiatric diseases. Lundbeck employees are inspired and driven by our purpose to advance brain health and transform lives. As Lundbeck’s North American hub for early-stage drug discovery, the Lundbeck La Jolla Research Center positions our company to deliver transformative treatments for brain disease. Join us on our journey of discovery! POSITION SUMMARY: The Director, Chemical Biology leads a world-class team researching new understandings of the behavior of biological systems and their interactions with small molecules, in order to populate the portfolio with high value targets and novel mechanisms and to deliver and characterize new chemical entities. This position works with a high degree of independence to devise and communicate the strategy of the team, is accountable for the team’s execution of that strategy, works collaboratively with many global functions and projects within Research, and is responsible for supervising and mentoring the members of the team, who themselves are leaders of various sub-functions spanning multiple projects. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Leads a multi-disciplinary team in devising and executing company’s innovative chemical biology strategy Introduces specific targets into the Research portfolio and oversees their progression to early milestones Leads the design and synthesis of high-quality small molecule tools and early hits Working closely with project teams, utilizes the Platform Technologies capabilities to accelerate the optimization of hits into lead compounds Directs the integration of chemical biology into all research programs as appropriate Implements leading edge chemo- and bio-informatics infrastructure to advance data management & visualization Identifies and implements state of the art instrumentation and automation Oversees chemistry activities at Contract Research Organizations (CROs) Contributes to objective setting for team and site Trains and mentors a team of varying skill and experience levels Contributes to publications in peer-reviewed journals, presents work at scientific conferences, and prepares patent applications Identifies and executes on opportunities to collaborate externally Informs on BD activities REQUIRED EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, and SKILLS: PhD from an accredited university 10 years' experience in chemical biology 3 years' working knowledge of chemical biology and experience in planning, developing, and executing relevant experiments 3 years' working knowledge of synthetic organic chemistry and medicinal chemistry strategies and problem solving, related to design of small molecule therapeutics Ability to develop, implement, and clearly communicate strategies to team, management, and collaborators Excellent collaboration, communication, and presentation skills. Skilled team player, flexible, and able to handle multiple tasks and deliver high quality results under tight timelines Thrives in a team environment of shared goals and responsibilities PREFERRD SKILLS: Working knowledge of chemo proteomics Background in biological assay development Proven skills in covalent chemistry Recent exposure to Activity Based Protein Profiling (ABPP) Experienced leader of project teams and mentor to junior staff TRAVEL: Willingness/Ability to travel up to 10%. The range displayed is specifically for those potential hires who will work or reside in the state of California, if selected for this role, and may vary based on various factors such as the candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and proficiency for the role. Salary Pay Range: $240,000 - $275,000 and eligibility for a 25% bonus target based on company and individual performance, and eligibility to participate in the company’s long-term incentive plan. Additional benefits for this position include flexible paid time off (PTO), health benefits to include Medical, Dental and Vision and company match 401k. Additional benefits information can be found on our site . Applications accepted on an ongoing basis. Lundbeck is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by law, rule, or regulation. Lundbeck participates in E-Verify .

Keywords: Lundbeck, Yucaipa , Director of Chemical Biology, Science, Research & Development , La Jolla, California