Research Scientist II/Senior Research Scientist, Medicinal Chemistry
Iambic Therapeutics
San Diego, CA · $125k–$156k a year · Posted November 6, 2026
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Where San Diego, CA placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #1Cities hosting the most business conferences in the West Coast78 conferences · of 17
- #2Cities hosting the most human resources conferences6 conferences · of 10
- #3Best cities for life sciences and biotech jobs454 openings · of 41
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How AI is used in this kind of work
AI use among medical scientists, except epidemiologists is little observed so far. Measured exposure for medical scientists, except epidemiologists: 4% (little observed).
Share of this job’s tasks that AI is already used for at work, from real usage. It is not a forecast of job loss, and a low number means no use seen yet. Source: Anthropic Economic Index.
Skills this job asks for
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About the job
POSITION
We seek a motivated, detail-oriented, experienced and creative chemist to join our Discovery team at Iambic Therapeutics in San Diego, CA. The role will entail managing external research support, coordinating with the medicinal chemistry and HTE team to facilitate compound library campaigns, and drug discovery efforts. Candidate should be motivated to work in an intensely collaborative, multidisciplinary, team-based setting. This position will be based in our San Diego Headquarters.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Manage a team of FTEs/FFS teams at external CROs to drive molecular discovery efforts aimed to deliver intermediates, final targets, and reference compounds.
- Support proposal development, scope definition, purchase orders, change orders, resource and FTE planning, budgeting, and commercial alignment throughout the project lifecycle.
- Develop and manage integrated project plans, timelines, milestones, priorities, resources, action items, and deliverables to ensure effective and on-time execution.
- Identify delivery risks, assess potential impacts, escalate critical issues, and drive resolution to maintain project momentum
- Act as a liaison between Iambic, CROs, and other external collaborators
- Communicate project updates clearly and effectively to the broader team and key stakeholders
- Work as a senior member of the Chemistry research group and foster a culture of scientific excellence, innovation, and teamwork
QUALIFICATIONS
- Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry with 3+ years of Pharma/bio-tech drug discovery experience.
- Strong foundation in modern organic synthetic methods as exemplified by peer-reviewed publication track record.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, highly collaborative, and dynamic research environment.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to clearly convey technical results to vendors, colleagues and cross-functional partners.
- Prior expertise in CRO management; demonstrated examples of problem solving within tight timelines.
- Experience in managing vendor relationships and performance, exemplified by eliminating obstacles to maximize the value of external workflows.
- Highly organized and detail-oriented.
ABOUT IAMBIC THERAPEUTICS Iambic Therapeutics (Nasdaq: IAM) is a technology and clinical-stage life sciences company headquartered in San Diego. By utilizing molecular superintelligence — integrating proprietary AI with automated, scalable chemistry and biology experimentation — our platform is designed to address the totality of drug discovery and development. At Iambic, we are building an engine that is designed to power the future of medicine. Learn more at iambic.ai http://iambic.ai.
MISSION & VALUES Our mission is to make better technology for better medicines. Three values guide how we work:
- Bold. We are courageous, take thoughtful risks, and approach challenges with tenacity.
- Innovative. We are creative and find new solutions that deliver impact.
- Collaborative. We respect one another and partner with integrity.
We value the range of perspectives our people bring, and we work to build an environment where every team member can contribute and grow.
PAY AND BENEFITS The pay range for this role is listed above. Actual pay depends on factors including experience, skills, and location. Eligible employees in the U.S. receive company-paid medical coverage, flexible spending accounts, voluntary life insurance, 401(k) matching and flexible time off. We are in a brand-new state-of-the art facility in beautiful San Diego with a community gym, dining, and easy access to great places to live and play.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY Iambic is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by law.