Distinguished Scientist (Small Molecule Therapeutics)

TL;DR

Distinguished Scientist (Small Molecule Therapeutics): Building a world-class small molecule screening organization within an AI-driven discovery platform with an accent on DNA-encoded libraries (DEL) and biophysical assay development. Focus on designing scalable workflows, integrating robotic synthesis, and validating novel chemical matter to accelerate therapeutic discovery.

Location: Must be based in Cambridge, MA, USA

Salary: $184,000 - $294,000 USD

Company

hirify.global is an AI-driven biotech startup building an autonomous scientific operating system to accelerate discovery in medicine, materials, and energy.

What you will do

• Implement and scale biophysical instrumentation and assay platforms for hit validation and triage.
• Integrate screening technologies with AI-driven chemistry and robotic synthesis capabilities.
• Develop biochemical activity assays and mechanistic assays to determine mode of action for inhibitors.
• Design and characterize protein constructs required for high-throughput screening.
• Execute DNA-encoded library (DEL) screening strategies and downstream validation pipelines.
• Partner with medicinal chemistry and computational teams to translate screening outputs into actionable chemical matter.

Requirements

• PhD in Biology, Chemical Biology, Biochemistry, or related field with 8–12 years of drug discovery experience (or MS/BS with 15+ years).
• Demonstrated track record of delivering results from high-throughput screening (HTS) campaigns.
• Deep expertise in biophysical and biochemical assay development for hit triage.
• Experience working in automation- and robotics-enabled laboratory environments.
• Strong proficiency with DNA-encoded library (DEL) screening approaches.
• Proven ability to work effectively in highly interdisciplinary environments.

Nice to have

• Expertise in biophysical modalities including SPR, DSF, BLI, MST, MS-based methods, and ITC.
• Experience building screening capabilities from the ground up, including instrumentation selection.
• Familiarity with AI-enabled drug discovery settings and machine learning integration.
• Experience scaling automated discovery platforms integrating robotics and computational workflows.
• Strong communication skills with a track record of mentoring junior scientists.

Culture & Benefits

• Comprehensive U.S. benefits program including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Employer-paid life and disability insurance.
• Flexible time off with generous company-wide holidays.
• Paid parental leave and educational assistance program.
• Commuter benefits and company-subsidized lunch program.