Senior Scientist - Computational Chemistry

About the Department                                                                                                                                               

Computational Drug Design (CDD) is the Novo Nordisk organization where we develop and apply state of the art capabilities in data science, predictive modeling, and AI/ML to enable both ligand and structure-based drug design. Scientists within CDD collaborate seamlessly with teams across the globe to invent better molecules faster. With an unbiased approach to drug modalities, in-house access to the newest screening techniques, and world-class experimentation, we have a wealth of opportunities to impact our pipeline and save and improve patient lives. We work in multidisciplinary, highly collaborative discovery teams both locally and across Novo Nordisk’s global network to invent novel medicines by applying advanced computational techniques and developing innovative computational methods. We engage in external collaborations to ensure access to innovative research and technology.  

Small Molecule Digital Chemistry is dedicated to the research and development of small molecule therapeutics. Our role is two-fold: support cutting-edge pharmaceutical research projects and develop innovative computational technologies in digital chemistry field. To be successful, we foster strong collaborations with Small Molecule Medicinal Chemistry within our Global Research and Technology (GRT) organization and colleagues across the Data Science and Innovation (DSI) organization. Our mission is to deliver in silico models, cheminformatics tools and computational chemistry platforms to enable in silico small molecule drug design to benefit patients across the globe. 

We believe in the value of a diverse and inclusive culture. Together, we build and grow talent to ensure the development of novel solutions. The team is comprised of collaborative, diverse and passionate people who have a true sense of pride in their work.  We are committed to helping each other grow, and we are driven by the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people living with chronic disease. Everything we do starts and ends with the patient. And, while changing the future of chronic disease treatment, such as diabetes and obesity, is no easy task, we also recognize the importance of an enjoyable workplace, which is why we have cultivated a culture of fun, ingenuity, and innovation. Our competitive compensation package and support of a healthy work-life balance all add to a best-in-class employee experience.  

The Position

The Senior Data Scientist – Computational Chemistry will contribute to the Small Molecule Digital Chemistry team's effort towards exploring, implementing, and applying computational chemistry methods and tools to achieve CDD goals. The ideal candidate will have knowledge and experience in advanced molecular modeling and computational drug design methods as well as small molecule project support. The successful candidate should have a high degree of proficiency in modern 3D modeling tools for structure and ligand-based drug design, scientific programming using Python or other modern languages, machine learning methods, and HPC/cloud computing. They will engage in drug discovery projects from early discovery to scale up and lead the development of complex workflows to prepare structural data, generate 2D/3D models, execute virtual screening, and perform small molecule design and optimization. Furthermore, the candidate will show initiative in recognizing and addressing unmet scientific needs using internal and external data and the desire to grow outside their comfort zone. 

Relationships

The Senior Data Scientist – Computational Chemistry reports to the Senior Scientific Director of SMDC. They will have close interactions with scientists and experts within Medicinal Chemistry, Quantitative Biology and ADME & Tox. Additional internal partners include data scientists, data engineers, ML specialists, software developers and others across US, UK, and Denmark. External relationships include commercial and academic collaboration partners. 

Essential Functions

Scientific work 

• Contribute to an ongoing portfolio of projects in multiple therapy areas with an in silico first mindset. 
• Apply computational chemistry methods to advance pharmaceutical projects.  
• Develop digital chemistry processes and workflows to address pharmaceutical project needs and advance Small Molecule portfolio. 
• Prepare and present research in top-leading journals or conferences.  
• Maintain a well-documented, reusable codebase, and traceable model history  
• Maintain scientific and technical expertise through familiarity with scientific literature and attending conferences.  
• Provide pharmaceutical project teams with computational strategies to inform, influence, and prioritize designs for potency/selectivity  

Collaborative teamwork 

• Work closely with Therapeutic areas, Research Chemistry and Computational Drug Discovery to drive discovery and development efforts  
• Work with ML scientists and engineers to guide the development of our ML model infrastructure. 
• Collaborate with colleagues from ADME, Tox, Computational Drug Discovery and ML to implement production quality global and local predictive models. 
• Actively participate in virtual global team meetings regularly 
• Present results to interdisciplinary teams of experimental, modeling scientists and machine learning colleagues at company meetings.  

Physical Requirements

Up to 10% overnight travel required.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree required. PhD is preferred. Degree within Computational Chemistry or related field preferred
• Master’s Degree with 3+ years’ relevant experience, or PhD with little to no years’ relevant experience can be considered
• Relevant experience includes:
  • Research experience in the field of small molecule drug discovery within industry or academia (industry preferred) as demonstrated by publications or presentations documenting impactful application of computational chemistry methods.   
  • Proficiency in general molecular modeling techniques (e.g. docking, molecular dynamics simulations, pharmacophore search, structure/ligand-based design).   
  • Hands on experience with molecular modeling software (e.g. Maestro, OpenEye, Rosetta, etc.) and cheminformatics packages (e.g. RDKit).  
  • Familiarity with QSAR/QSPR modeling, cheminformatics, and AI/ML methods. 
  • Ability to perform in-depth data analysis and solve complex problems. 
  • Proficiency in scripting or programming languages such as Python.  
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the create and present via powerpoint 

• Preferred experience includes:

  • Working experience with data-driven and physics-based (eg FEP) modeling – highly preferred 

  • Working experience with Linux and HPC environments.   

We commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all our job applicants.

At Novo Nordisk we recognize that it is no longer good enough to aspire to be the best company in the world. We need to aspire to be the best company for the world and we know that this is only possible with talented employees with diverse perspectives, backgrounds and cultures. We are therefore committed to creating an inclusive culture that celebrates the diversity of our employees, the patients we serve and communities we operate in. Together, we’re life changing.

Novo Nordisk is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal laws, rules or regulations.

If you are interested in applying to Novo Nordisk and need special assistance or an accommodation to apply, please call us at 1-855-411-5290. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.