Director, Medicinal Chemistry

Company: IDEAYA Biosciences
Location: South San Francisco
Posted on: January 10, 2026

Job Description:

Non-Solicitation Policy and Notice to Agencies and Recruiters: IDEAYA's Non-Solicitation Policy strictly prohibits agencies and recruiters from any contact and communication with IDEAYA employees, managers, and leaders to submit unsolicited candidate resumes and/or to solicit business partnerships . Submission of unsolicited candidate resumes by agencies or recruiters with or without a contract in place with IDEAYA Biosciences Inc. will not create any implied obligation. Failure to comply with this policy will result in disqualification from current and future business opportunities with IDEAYA Biosciences. All recruiting and talent agency decisions are strictly managed by the internal IDEAYA Human Resources function. All communication by external agencies and recruiters must be directed to humanresources@ideayabio.com. We ask that you only email your interest once. Job Summary About IDEAYA Biosciences: IDEAYA is a precision medicine oncology company committed to the discovery, development, and commercialization of transformative therapies for cancer. Our approach integrates expertise in small-molecule drug discovery, structural biology and bioinformatics with robust internal capabilities in identifying and validating translational biomarkers to develop tailored, potentially first-in-class targeted therapies aligned to the genetic drivers of disease. We have built a deep pipeline of product candidates focused on synthetic lethality and antibody-drug conjugates, or ADCs, for molecularly defined solid tumor indications. Our mission is to bring forth the next wave of precision oncology therapies that are more selective, more effective, and deeply personalized with the goal of altering the course of disease and improving clinical outcomes for patients with cancer. When you're at IDEAYA, you will be in the midst of brilliant minds working on precision medicine therapies to help cancer patients. We are passionate and committed about being on the forefront of oncology medicine, which means we all have a high internal drive that is at the very core of every person at IDEAYA. We are inquisitive, ask deep questions, and are data-driven innovators who like to collaborate and use team work to move science forward. For more information, please see www.ideayabio.com. Location: South San Francisco, CA Position Summary: We are seeking a talented and highly motivated individual with significant pharmaceutical industry experience to join our multidisciplinary team. The successful candidate will lead projects to drug challenging, structurally-enabled, first-in-class targets employing your expertise in structure-based design paired with our world-class computational and structural chemistry groups. Your job responsibilities will involve cross-functional collaboration and communication up and down the organization to lead discovery programs and drive the internal oncology portfolio. As a senior member of the chemistry team, you will manage and mentor junior chemists and other scientists across the organization You will also be directly responsible for managing external chemistry partners to ensure the rapid preparation of target molecules and identifying new technologies to bring into the organization. This position is based in our South San Francisco headquarter offices and required to be onsite four days per week per our company policy. Reporting to: Senior Director, Medicinal Chemistry Job Description What you’ll do: Serve as project lead for challenging first-in-class small molecule projects Collaborate closely with other research functions and with leadership to craft project strategies and deliver on project goals Clearly communicate strategy and results across the organization Manage and mentor direct report(s) and manage external FTEs to high productivity As part of the department leadership team, help craft and execute department strategy Monitor new developments in the field and identify new technologies to bring to the organization Requirements: Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry with 10 years pharmaceutical medicinal chemistry industrial experience Demonstrate a strong record of delivering portfolio success and driving projects through to the identification of high quality small-molecule drug candidates Proven leadership capability in cross-functional team setting, either as project team leader or co-lead Demonstration of expert rational target design skills using creative application of structure-based design and expertise in molecular interaction understanding with a strong track-record of utilizing computational tools to aid structure-based design is essential Expert understanding of medicinal chemistry concepts and track record of rationally solving challenging issues with creative approaches Exceptional knowledge of medicinal chemistry concepts, and ADME, physicochemical, biochemical and pharmacological principles as applied to drug discovery, and a track record of rationally solving challenging issues with creative approaches Strong synthetic chemistry skills, with the ability to deliver challenging targets on milligram to multi-gram scale Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to clearly and concisely communicate complex information to diverse audiences in different forums Experienced in partnering closely with other functional areas, including computational chemistry, DMPK, in vivo pharmacology, CMC, etc. Excellent awareness of current developments in synthetic and medicinal chemistry, and ability to identify opportunities to advance the science in these fields Strong skills in gathering, documenting, and analyzing competitive information from sources such as patents and meetings and using this information to guide program strategy A track record of mentoring junior PhD level chemists to increase their medicinal chemistry skillset and project impact Total Rewards Along with our inspiring mission, and highly collaborative and inclusive environment, IDEAYA offers a competitive total rewards package that reflects our pay-for-performance philosophy where employees are eligible to be considered for merit-based salary increases, company discretionary short-term incentive plan participation, and company discretionary stock option awards (based on board approval). Our comprehensive benefits package includes, but is not limited to, medical/dental/vision coverage (100% company paid for employees and 90% company paid for dependents), 401k, ESPP, and wellness programs. The expected salary range for the roleof Director of Medicinal Chemistry is $218,000-$270,000. The final salary offered to a successful candidate will depend on several factors that may include but are not limited to the office location where this open position is located, the final candidates’ experience within their profession, experience in the disease areas we are striving to make an impact in as a company, length of time within the industry, educational background, and performance during the interview process. The Company complies with all laws respecting equal employment opportunities and does not discriminate against applicants with regard to any protected characteristic as defined by federal, state, and local law. This position requires you to work onsite in the office at the Company’s facilities for training & meetings, with work-from-home flexibility, and the Company requires that all employees working in its facilities be fully vaccinated (except as required by applicable law). Therefore, this position requires you to be fully vaccinated from COVID-19, subject to reasonable accommodations for medical or religious reasons, and/or as otherwise required by applicable law. The Company considers you fully vaccinated once 14 days have passed since you received either the second dose in a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series or a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine must have been FDA approved, have emergency use authorization from the FDA, or, for persons fully vaccinated outside of the U.S., be listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization. IDEAYA is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with applicable law, IDEAYA does not discriminate in hiring or otherwise in employment based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital or veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status. EOE/AA/Vets.

Keywords: IDEAYA Biosciences, Santa Clara , Director, Medicinal Chemistry, Science, Research & Development , South San Francisco, California