<p>The Drug Discovery Scientist is part of the Warren Center for Drug Discovery (WCNDD) in the School of Medicine at Vanderbilt University and is a key individual contributor responsible for designing, developing and conducting experiments. The individual should be able to interpret structure activity relationship (SAR) data and incorporate DMPK data into future ligand design. This position requires excellent communication skills; including presenting verbal and written reports to the project team. The highly motivated scientist will be an integral part of the drug discovery team and be willing to assist in other responsibilities. Reporting to the Principal Investigator or project leader, the Drug Discovery scientist works with faculty, staff, and other members of the WCNDD (pharmacologists, DMPK members and behavioral scientists).</p> <p>Every major advance in medicine starts with fundamental discoveries that teach us how living organisms work in both health and disease. These discoveries are made in biomedical sciences laboratories that study life at all levels from the individual molecules that encode heredity to the complex associations of cells that form tissues and organs. Vanderbilt Basic Sciences is a tightly integrated research and education division within the School of Medicine comprising four academic departments, eight interdisciplinary centers, twenty-seven service core facilities, and the Office of Biomedical Research, Education, and Training.</p> <p>Our team of over 1000 faculty, fellows, students, and staff is making new discoveries every day - discoveries that enrich our understanding of biological processes and provide the foundation for new insights into the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases.</p> <p>Duties and Responsibilities</p> <p>Design and synthesize target molecules with minimal supervision</p> <ul> <li>Record and interpret analytical data (LCMS, NMR, etc) </li><li>Interpret SAR data and incorporate DMPK data into future ligand design </li><li>Contribute to research so as to merit serving as author or co-author on research publications </li><li>Contribute to a fully functioning discovery team with strong communication skills and in some cases supervise or mentor junior chemists </li><li>Be open to collaboration and interaction within the WCNDD team (DMPK, pharmacologists and behavioral scientists) and also other collaborators outside of WCNDD </li><li>Implement creative and productive medicinal chemistry practices that progress the project </li><li>Capable of multi-tasking several scaffolds within the same project, but also open to handling scale-ups for other projects </li><li>Highly motivated individual with the ability to go above and beyond the job description to complete the task </li><li>Looks for opportunities to volunteer or help others within the WCNDD (i.e. proactive) </li><li>Provides a friendly demeanor, polite, positive attitude and enjoys coming to work </li></ul> <p>The ideal candidate will possess excellent verbal and written communication skills, perform well in a highly functioning team environment, and be able to independently analyze and interpret spectral and SAR data.</p> <p>Supervisory Relationships:</p> <p>This position does not have supervisory responsibility; the position reports administratively and functionally to the Principal Investigator.</p> <p>Qualifications</p> <ul> <li>A Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education is necessary. </li><li>A degree in chemistry, biochemistry, or organic chemistry or similar field from an accredited institution of higher education is highly preferred. </li><li>BS (5-10 years of experience), MS (3-5 years of experience) or PhD (0-8 years of experience) in Medicinal Chemistry or related field </li><li>Experience in a major pharmaceutical company or comparable academic drug discovery institute with a preference for experience in CNS drug discovery medicinal chemistry. </li><li>Ability to work in a team-based organization is preferred. </li><li>Ability to clearly communicate research results, ideas, and concerns is preferred. </li></ul> <p>General Characteristics of a Successful Vanderbilt University Staff Member:</p> <ul> <li>Acceptance of Feedback - Takes constructive criticism with grace, and make improvements without taking it personally or holding grudges. When wrong, owns it - freely admits mistakes. </li><li>Adaptability - Reads cues and adapt accordingly. Adjusts style and approach to accommodate the styles and needs of others. Can anticipate and effectively de-escalate potential conflicts. </li><li>Analytical & Detail-Oriented - Accurately assesses information and applies applicable law, policy and procedure. Considers the long term implications of actions today and advises employees appropriately. Even small mistakes can create big issues; attention to detail work indicates care about the outcomes. </li><li>Assumes Positive Intent - Assume that others are working and taking action with good intentions. They may not have all the information yet and asking thoughtful questions and providing information is critical to mutual understanding and moving forward with success. </li><li>Autonomous - Self-managing; self-motivated. Manages time, activities and outcomes well so that progress stays on track. Cleans up after themselves. </li><li>Believes - Believes in the work being done and in the importance of the organization's mission. </li><li>Creative Thinking - Goes beyond the boundaries of the job description, willingly takes on new challenges, finds creative solutions rather than always awaiting direct instructions </li><li>Eager - Enthusiastic, wanting to learn, wanting to continue one's personal and professional development and expertise. </li><li>Hard-Working - Is industrious as well as efficient (busy isn't the same as productive). Can juggle multiple competing priorities simultaneously without becoming overwhelmed. </li><li>Helpful Nature - Offers to help lighten the load for others in times of need. Volunteers rather than waiting to be asked. Understands that almost no one works in a silo and needs the help of others to do their job well; recognizes that by helping others first, others will likely reciprocate. </li><li>Honest and Transparent -Is authentic and forthright. </li><li>Integrity - Holds oneself accountable; takes responsibility for failures as well as successes, recognizes that trust is required to hold a team together. </li><li>Maturity - Exhibits professional maturity. </li><li>Naturally Communicates - Readily shares information and is comfortable working within a highly collaborative team. Communicates proactively. Understands that open communication and the sharing of knowledge is fundamental to the success of the team. Asks for advice, and considers it thoughtfully. </li><li>Nice - Asks caring, interested questions and is a good listener. Patient and generous. Optimistic - Is friendly, tirelessly cordial, polite, and genial. Comes in to work with a good attitude. </li><li>Perspective - Maintains a sense of humor and perspective. </li><li>Raises the Bar - Expects and delivers excellence. Is a creative problem solver. Is proactive. Welcomes input on making things better. Places a high value on learning and getting better </li><li>Reliable - Does what they say they will do, when they say they will do it. Shows up for work when expected. </li><li>Resilient - Is resilient in the face of daunting challenges and setbacks; bounces back readily. </li><li>Respect - Is friendly, tirelessly cordial, patient, polite, and genial. Comes in to work with a good attitude and is ready to help campus employees, managers, and colleagues through what may be a difficult and overwhelming time for them. </li><li>Responds Promptly - When emails and phone messages aren't returned in a timely way, it sends the message that the other party is not important. Responds even if just to acknowledge receipt and provide a timeframe by which the requester can expect a full response. </li><li>Sharing - Shares information. Communicates proactively. Transmits knowledge; recognizes that "knowledge is power" is less effective than "sharing knowledge is power." Asks for advice, and considers it thoughtfully. </li><li>Teamwork - Genuinely values teamwork and co-workers; </li><li>Works through Issues - Recognizes that the work is about successful outcomes. If things aren't going well, outcomes suffer. Is willing to have crucial conversations if things aren't going well. </li></ul> <p>CORE COMPETENCIES:</p> <ul> <li>Use critical thinking and analytical skills to identify problems and provide examples of corrective actions and follow through with corrective actions </li><li>Plan, organize, prioritize and follow through to completion on projects assigned. </li><li>Must be a team player who will both take and receive guidance and support other team members. </li><li>Communicate effectively and regularly with team members. </li><li>Strive for continuous improvement by applying various learning experiences to uncover underlying causes of problems and identify ways to solve them. </li><li>Display an awareness of and urgency around deadlines and accept responsibility of assigned duties </li></ul>