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Salary: USD 237,600 - 284,900 / annual
Recursion Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage TechBio company, seeks an Executive Director of Chemical Biology to develop and lead chemical biology efforts that bridge multiomic discovery with target identification. This senior scientific leadership role is responsible for setting chemical biology strategy, managing a team of designers, and driving programs that connect multiomic discovery to target ID while designing the chemical probe library to facilitate target discovery.
You will lead multidisciplinary project teams, partnering closely with biology, multiomics platform (high-content imaging, RNA sequencing, etc.), computational biologists, and data scientists to translate novel target and ligand insights into potent, selective, and developable chemical matter. You'll bring hands-on chemical biology expertise together with strategic judgment to prioritize programs, manage internal and external (CRO) teams, and build new capabilities for emerging modalities such as targeted protein degradation and molecular glues.
Recursion's AI/ML-driven Design Platform is a core tool your team will leverage, and you'll play an active role in shaping how computational and generative design approaches are integrated into chemical biology decision-making. This role blends deep technical credibility with people and program leadership.
Key responsibilities include: setting chemical biology strategy based on the multiomics platform with focus on linking proprietary biology maps to targets using modern chemical biology methods; building, managing, and mentoring a team of multiomics chemists in a coaching-driven environment; establishing and managing internal and external chemistry teams and networks for screening, synthesis, and validation campaigns; partnering with biology, target ID, structural biology, and computational drug design teams; defining program strategy and go/no-go criteria with senior leadership; representing the team in portfolio reviews and governance meetings; and contributing to IP strategy and business development activities related to novel chemical matter and new modalities.
Recursion is a NASDAQ-listed company with platform infrastructure anchored in Salt Lake City, Utah and Milton Park, Oxfordshire, with additional offices in New York, Montréal, and London. The company is advancing a differentiated pipeline across oncology, rare disease, neuroscience, immunology, and other therapeutic areas, powered by the Recursion OS—an AI-native, end-to-end drug discovery and development platform.
REQUIREMENTS:
- PhD in chemical biology, chemistry, or related field, with 10+ years of relevant industry experience and demonstrated people leadership
- Deep, hands-on track record in chemical probe design—selective inhibitors, proximity approaches such as molecular glue degraders/PROTACs, covalent or activity-based/photoaffinity chemistry
- Proven ability to deconvolute phenotypic hits to mechanism via chemoproteomics or equivalent target ID methods
- Track record building and scaling a chemical biology function—hiring, mentoring, and developing multiple scientists/managers
- Experience setting multi-year technical strategy (e.g., chemical library architecture, probe portfolio direction) rather than executing a single program's plan
- Comfortable operating with high ambiguity—translating open biological questions into executable chemistry strategy without a pre-defined target
- Executive-level communication: able to represent chemical biology strategy directly to C-suite/board and influence cross-functional senior leaders
- Prior experience managing, mentoring, or leading chemists and cross-functional project teams, including internal/external (CRO) team management
NICE TO HAVE:
- Direct experience with phenomics, high-content imaging (e.g., Cell Painting), or other image-based screening platforms
- Familiarity with how AI/ML-derived phenotypic signatures inform compound prioritization or target nomination
- External scientific visibility—publications, conference leadership, or partner/BD-facing technical credibility
- Experience contributing to IP strategy or licensing diligence involving novel chemical matter
