Chair in Drug Discovery
6 days ago
Taunton
Chair in Drug Discovery Please make an application promptly if you are a good match for this role due to high levels of interest. Department Faculty of Science Salary Starting from £75,182, rising to £138,905 Contract Type Full Time, Open Ended Closing Date Tuesday 26 May 2026 About the role The Departments of Life Sciences and Chemistry are seeking an exceptional research leader to join us as Chair in Drug Discovery, a strategic joint appointment across the two departments that will help shape the future of therapeutic innovation at Bath and play a central role in the new Centre for Drug Discovery (CDD). CDD is a major cross-faculty initiative bringing together chemists, biologists, data scientists and engineers to accelerate drug discovery through innovation in synthesis, screening, computation and translation. The Centre will focus on emerging modalities and enabling technologies from cyclic small molecules, peptides, antibodies and macrocycles, exploring new 3D chemical space to AI-guided synthesis, flow automation and direct-to-biology screening. By integrating Baths strengths in synthetic chemistry, chemical and structural biology and advanced delivery science, the CDD will offer a distinctive environment for developing next-generation molecular tools and therapeutic leads. About you • Demonstrate inclusive leadership and a commitment to fostering a diverse research environment, • Have a strong track record of internationally recognised research in drug discovery, • Are passionate about collaboration across disciplines and sectors, • Can mentor and support researchers at all career stages, including Bath Prize Fellows, • Engage with industry and innovation networks to translate discoveries into real-world impact, • Medicinal chemistry for emerging modalities such as peptides, molecular glues, PROTACs, ADCs or covalent inhibitors, • Innovative screening approaches, e.g. DNA-encoded libraries, affinity-selection mass spectrometry, chemoproteomics or AI/ML-driven virtual screening, • Free counselling services through Health Assured, • Cycle to work scheme, • Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme, • Staff discount at Team Bath gym, • Staff discounts on postgraduate tuition fees, • Staff discount on language courses, • Generous employer contributory pension schemes, • Generous annual leave allowance with an additional 5 discretionary days so that you can enjoy a positive work-life balance, • A wide range of personal and professional development opportunities, including Apprenticeships, LinkedIn Learning and more, • Free entry to the Holburne Museum in Bath, • Local discounts and more, • A family-friendly workplace, • An excellent reward package that recognises the talents of our diverse workforce, • Relocation allowance