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Assistant Principal Scientist, Computational Chemistry
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At Insmed, every moment and every patient counts — and so does every person who joins in. As a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to transforming the lives of patients with serious and rare diseases, you’ll be part of a community that prioritizes the human experience, celebrates curiosity, and values every person’s contributions to meaningful progress. That commitment has earned us recognition as Science magazine’s No. 1 Top Employer for five consecutive years, certification as a Great Place to Work® in the U.S., and a place on The Sunday Times Best Places to Work list in the UK.
For patients, for each other, and for the future of science, we’re in. Are you?
About The Role
Insmed Cambridge is looking for a high-impact Computational Chemist to join our Chemistry team, you will be dedicated to progressing small molecule drug discovery from hit identification through to late lead optimization (LLO). Our team combines expertise in medicinal chemistry, computer-aided drug design (CADD) and cheminformatics (CINF)/Data science, and machine learning. You will bring deep expertise in CADD and physics-based computational chemistry, scientific leadership and hands-on computational support.
This role will help evolve our computational capabilities, make an immediate impact on discovery programs while contributing to the long-term development of our computational drug discovery platform.
What You'll Do
- Lead computational chemistry support for small molecule drug discovery programs from hit identification through lead optimization.
- Develop and implement computational strategies that guide medicinal chemistry and improve compound potency, selectivity, and developability.
- Apply advanced computational methods such as: Molecular Dynamics (MD), Free Energy calculations, Quantum Mechanical (QM) methods, Fragment Molecular Orbital (FMO) calculations, Water thermodynamic analysis (e.g. WaterMap, GIST, or equivalent).
- Generate, test, and communicate scientific hypotheses that influence compound design and project strategy.
- Collaborate closely with medicinal chemists, structural biologists, DMPK scientists, and compound profiling teams.
- Develop and implement innovative computational workflows and best practices that strengthen IIUK's Computational Sciences capabilities.
- Evaluate and introduce emerging computational methodologies that improve scientific productivity and decision-making.
- Present complex computational analyses in a clear and persuasive manner, building confidence in computational approaches and influencing multidisciplinary project teams.
- Contribute to mentoring, scientific excellence, and the continued growth of computational chemistry capabilities within the Chemistry team.
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Who You Are
- PhD in Computational Chemistry, Chemistry, Chemical Physics, Biophysics, or equivalent experience.
- Significant experience applying computational chemistry to small molecule drug discovery in an industrial setting.
- Demonstrated success supporting programs from hit identification through lead optimization.
Expertise in Physics-based Computational Chemistry, Including Several Of The Following
- Strong understanding of medicinal chemistry, structure-based drug design, and molecular recognition.
- Experience developing computational strategies that influence medicinal chemistry decisions.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate complex scientific concepts, influence multidisciplinary teams, and champion evidence-based hypotheses.
Desirable
- Experience developing or implementing novel computational methods and workflows.
- Experience integrating physics-based methods with cheminformatics, machine learning, or AI-driven approaches.
- Experience with modern Compchem toolkits e.g. Schrödinger or OpenEye, or equivalent molecular modelling platforms.
- Interest in keeping up-to-date on developments in open-source tools e.g. openMM and some experience in deploying these to complement the commercial tools.
- Experience with cloud-based or scalable computational infrastructure.
- A track record of scientific innovation demonstrated through publications, presentations, or successful application of new methodologies.
- Experience mentoring scientists and contributing to the development of computational capabilities in a multidisciplinary research environment.
Life at Insmed
Our research site in Cambridge, UK is situated in brand new labs and offices at the Babraham Research Campus—a leading hub for bioscience innovation and collaboration. Our team of biologists, human geneticists, bioinformaticians, data scientists, computational and synthetic chemists bring together a wide range of technologies and modalities to deliver powerful new ways of treating serious diseases.
At Insmed, you’ll find a culture as human as our mission—intentionally designed for the people behind it. You deserve a workplace that reflects the same care you bring to your work each day, with support for how you work, how you grow, and how you show up for patients, your team, and yourself.
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Our Offerings Include
- Flexible work schedules with purposeful in-person collaboration.
- Competitive retirement benefits, global equity awards, and participation in our Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP).
- Career development through the Insmed Learning Institute, external programs, LinkedIn Learning, and role-specific training.
- AI-powered and on-demand learning tools, including a digital assistant to help navigate internal resources.
- Hybrid-friendly technology and IT support for seamless teamwork across locations and time zones.
- Global recognition programs and Employee Resource Groups.
- Eligibility for specific programs may vary and is subject to the terms and conditions of each plan.
Eligibility for specific programs may vary and is subject to the terms and conditions of each plan.
Current Insmed Employees: Please apply via the Jobs Hub in Workday.
Insmed Incorporated is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Unsolicited resumes from agencies should not be forwarded to Insmed. Insmed will not be responsible for any fees arising from the use of resumes through this source. Insmed will only pay a fee to agencies if a formal agreement between Insmed and the agency has been established. The Human Resources department is responsible for all recruitment activities; please contact us directly to be considered for a formal agreement.
Insmed is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact us by email at TotalRewards@insmed.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.
Applications are accepted for 5 calendar days from the date posted or until the position is filled.
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