Computational Chemist Full Time NEW

Company Description Stratum Biosciences is a dermatology discovery company that leverages a proprietary AI platform and more than 200,000 real tissue samples to accelerate the development of novel active ingredients and formulations. As a resident company of Johnson & Johnson’s NYC incubator, Stratum operates at the intersection of advanced data science and experimental dermatology. The company focuses on addressing complex skin challenges, including skin longevity, hyperpigmentation, and eczema. With a pipeline of high-value intellectual property, Stratum offers team members the opportunity to contribute to innovative solutions with real-world clinical and consumer impact.

Role Description The Computational Chemist will work closely with biologists, formulators, and data scientists to support dermatology-focused discovery programs. This role involves applying computational chemistry, molecular modeling, and cheminformatics methods to identify, prioritize, and optimize small molecules and active ingredients for skin health applications. Day-to-day responsibilities include building and maintaining molecular models, running virtual screens, analyzing structure–activity relationships, and contributing to drug and ingredient design strategies. The Computational Chemist will curate and analyze internal and external chemical and biological datasets, design in silico experiments, and interpret results to guide laboratory testing. The role also includes preparing clear reports, visualizations, and presentations for cross-functional project teams, as well as contributing to publications, patents, and internal best practices.

Qualifications

• Strong foundation in Computational Chemistry and Drug Design, with experience applying these methods to real-world discovery or development projects.
• Hands-on skills in Molecular Modeling and Cheminformatics, including building, simulating, and analyzing molecular systems and chemical libraries.
• Demonstrated Research skills, including experimental design, data interpretation, literature review, and clear documentation of methods and results.
• Proficiency with common computational chemistry and cheminformatics tools (e.g., Schrödinger, MOE, OpenEye, OpenMM, RDKit, or similar) and familiarity with Python or another scripting language.
• Graduate degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in Chemistry, Computational Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience in dermatology, skin biology, cosmetics, or related therapeutic areas is a plus, as is prior work in AI- or data-driven discovery environments.

Key Roles

1. Hands-on Computational Modeling & Execution

• Independently executes a wide array of computational chemistry techniques to drive drug discovery programs, including structure-based drug design (SBDD), ligand docking, target identification, virtual screening, and homology modeling.
• Applies predictive models including those developed by Stratum for key ADME/Tox properties to guide compound design and help the project team prioritize synthetic efforts
• Develop novel ADME/Tox models using proprietary datasets

2. Medicinal Chemistry & Project Team Collaboration

• Serves as a key intellectual partner to the medicinal chemistry team, participating actively in project meetings to analyze data and propose new, testable molecular designs.
• Works collaboratively with biologists and other team members to integrate computational insights with experimental data, accelerating the design-make-test-analyze (DMTA) cycle.

3. Data Analysis & Interpretation

• Performs rigorous analysis and interpretation of computational and experimental data to build robust structure-activity relationships (SAR) and structure-property relationships (SPR).
• Utilizes these models to identify key molecular interactions, explain observed activities, and guide the prospective design of next-generation compounds.

4. Computational Infrastructure Management

• Manages the administration and effective utilization of all computational chemistry software (e.g., Schrödinger, OpenEye) and resources.
• Ensures the optimal performance of cloud-based high-performance computing (HPC) environments and serves as the internal point-of-contact for software support and licensing.

5. Reporting & Communication

• Prepares and delivers clear, concise presentations of computational data, findings, and recommendations to cross-functional project teams and R&D leadership.
• Maintains meticulous records of computational experiments, analyses, and models in accordance with company standards.

Compensation:

• Part Time with Option to Transition to Full Time for Excellent Fit Candidates
• Hybrid or In-Person preferred
• Hourly $45-70/hr depending on experience and qualifications

Stratum Biosciences is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other protected characteristics.