Executive Director, Chemical Biology/Drug Design

Recursion

. Develop and lead chemical biology efforts bridging multiomic discovery with target identification .

Posted 10/8/2026full-timeSalt Lake City • Utah • United StatesLead💰 $237,600 - $284,900 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Expertise in chemical biology with a focus on chemical probe design, target identification, and multiomic strategies. Proven leadership in managing multidisciplinary teams and executing complex drug discovery projects.

Highest-signal resume keywords

PhD In Chemical BiologyChemical Probe DesignPeople LeadershipMulti-Year Technical StrategyCRO Team Management

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Chemical Probe LibrariesSelective InhibitorsMolecular Glue DegradersChemoproteomicsHigh-Content ImagingImage-Based ScreeningAI/ML-Derived Phenotypic SignaturesIP Strategy ContributionDrug Modality EstablishmentScreening And Validation Campaigns

Soft Skills

Executive-Level CommunicationMentoring

Industry Keywords

MultiomicsComputational BiologyDrug DesignPhenotypic HitsCross-Functional Project Teams

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Develop and lead chemical biology efforts bridging multiomic discovery with target identification
Design chemical probes and build chemical probe libraries for target discovery
Lead multidisciplinary teams across biology, multiomics, computational biology, data science, structural biology, and drug design
Set chemical biology strategy and establish appropriate drug modalities, including degraders and molecular glues
Build, manage, and mentor a team of multiomics chemists
Establish and manage internal and external CRO chemistry teams and networks
Execute screening, synthesis, and validation campaigns
Define program strategy and go/no-go criteria with senior leadership
Represent the team in portfolio reviews and governance meetings
Lead technical discussions with external collaborators and partners
Contribute to IP strategy and business development activities
Shape integration of computational and generative design approaches into chemical biology decision-making

Requirements

What you’ll need

PhD in chemical biology, chemistry, or related field
10+ years of relevant industry experience
Demonstrated people leadership
Deep, hands-on experience in chemical probe design, including selective inhibitors, molecular glue degraders/PROTACs, covalent or activity-based/photoaffinity chemistry
Ability to deconvolute phenotypic hits to mechanism via chemoproteomics or equivalent target ID methods
Experience building and scaling a chemical biology function
Experience setting multi-year technical strategy
Ability to translate open biological questions into executable chemistry strategy
Executive-level communication skills
Experience managing, mentoring, or leading chemists and cross-functional project teams, including internal/external CRO team management
Direct experience with phenomics, high-content imaging, or image-based screening platforms is nice to have
Familiarity with AI/ML-derived phenotypic signatures is nice to have
External scientific visibility is nice to have
Experience contributing to IP strategy or licensing diligence is nice to have

Benefits

Comp & perks

Annual bonus eligibility
Equity compensation
Comprehensive benefits package
Office-based work option in Salt Lake City, Utah