Principal Scientist, Discovery Chemistry

SanegeneBio is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing innovative genetic medicines based on RNAi (RNA interference) technology. Powered by the proprietary LEAD™ (Ligand and Enhancer Assisted Delivery) RNAi delivery and chemistry platform, SanegeneBio has a growing pipeline across several therapeutic areas including cardiometabolic and complement-mediated diseases. SanegeneBio has R&D operations in Boston, Suzhou and Shanghai. We are driven by a culture of scientific and operational excellence, integrity, and working together to deliver best-in-class medicines.

This role focuses on the design and synthesis of siRNA conjugates to advance novel RNAi delivery technologies. This individual plays a critical role in developing delivery strategies and driving project development, with particular emphasis on the ligand identification/optimization, conjugates design/synthesis, and SAR (Structure-Activity Relationships) design/analysis.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, execute, and optimize siRNA conjugations with targeting ligands (small molecules, peptides, or antibodies) and delivery enhancers.
• Analyze the SAR (Structure-Activity Relationships) data, formulate the hypothesis, and guide the optimization.
• Design and optimize the targeting ligands with desired properties in the context of siRNA delivery, e.g. binding affinity, PK properties.
• Maintain a high level of productivity to deliver siRNA conjugates in the lab and to drive project development, aligning with the project goals and timeline.
• Contribute to platform innovations through the integration of emerging technologies and best practices in drug discovery.
• Mentor junior chemists and foster a culture of rigorous science, intellectual curiosity and innovation.

Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in synthetic chemistry, peptide chemistry, or oligonucleotide chemistry, with more than 5 years of industrial experience.
• Strong knowledge in synthetic chemistry, with demonstrated ability to address challenging synthetic chemistry problems.
• Experience in ligand (small molecules, peptides, and antibodies) identification and optimization, via screening and structure-based design.
• Current with chemistry literature and strong working knowledge of emerging synthetic methodologies and technologies.
• Highly motivated and able to advance multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to interact with multidisciplinary teams and present complex scientific data to broad audience.
• Excellent attention to detail, organization, and documentation skills.