Scientist/Sr. Scientist, Computational Chemistry

The posting, as General Proximity wrote it

tl;dr

General Proximity is a seed-stage startup developing the next generation of induced proximity medicines (IPMs). Our OmniTAC drug discovery engine furnishes molecules that co-opt existing cellular machinery to overcome therapeutic challenges, which have remained unapproachable to other modalities for decades.

We are seeking a first-rate computational chemist to help us pioneer this uncharted frontier of drug discovery.

Our Story

A long-standing challenge in drug discovery is the development of molecules capable of modulating difficult or "undruggable" targets. Disease-causing proteins can be dysfunctional in many different ways, but our armamentarium for fixing them is quite limited. The most common mechanism of action for FDA-approved drugs is inhibition [1] , but there are many other possible perturbation types whose potential remains unrealized.

General Proximity is a seed-stage drug discovery company developing a novel platform technology to solve this problem. We make bifunctional drugs that induce the modification of drug targets by existing cellular machinery (rather than through direct modulation by the drug, the classical approach).

Historically, the development of technologies that allow one to push new buttons in biology has been an incredibly fertile field for the discovery of new medicines[ 2 , 3 , 4 ], and our technology holds the same promise.

The Position

We are seeking an exceptional computational chemist to support our computational chemistry, cheminformatics, and molecular design efforts. This role will help drive small-molecule drug discovery programs by providing practical modeling support, applying modern computational workflows, and using the cheminformatics and AI-enabled tools that empower medicinal chemists and project teams.

The successful candidate will be a hands-on drug designer: someone who can partner closely with medicinal chemists, structural biologists, biologists, and DMPK scientists to guide compound design from hit identification through lead optimization and candidate selection. They will also apply practical tools that improve decision-making, accelerate design-make-test-analyze cycles, and make computational and AI-driven methods accessible to bench chemists.

The ideal candidate is a computational drug hunter who combines strong technical expertise with practical medicinal chemistry judgment. This person should not be an isolated modeler, but a true project partner who sits with chemistry teams, understands the design problem, proposes molecules, helps interpret data, and contributes tools that make the broader organization faster and smarter.

This role is ideal for someone who has worked in a pharma or biotech computational chemistry group and wants to work with modern, AI-enabled computational methods while remaining directly involved in molecule design.

What You'll Do

Computational Chemistry and Molecular Design

Provide hands-on computational chemistry support to small-molecule d
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drive their project areas forward, and we believe that you deserve to be compensated accordingly.

• Top tier medical, dental, and vision coverage + One Medical membership.
• 401(k) retirement plans.
• Education and health/fitness incentive programs.
• Meditation retreats—do a ten-day Vipassana retreat without counting towards vacation days.
• Reading budget! We will buy you books. 📚
• Located in the MBC BioLabs at 135 Mississippi Street, an entrepreneurial hub full of the best scientists and operators the Bay Area has to offer. Our lab is a very short walk from the 22nd St Caltrain Station and a number of wonderful restaurants and cafés.

About Us

Work Hard/Play Hard. We believe time is our most valuable commodity, so we strive to create a culture that reflects this. We won’t drag you through unnecessary meetings or email you at 7 PM on a Saturday. When we're at work, we're there to get things done, and when we're off, we're really off. 🌴

Strong Communication. We like well-written documents over PowerPoints, OKRs over vague mission statements, and weekly one-on-ones over yearly reviews.

Writing First. We have a "writing-first" culture. We believe that clarity of writing reflects clarity of thinking and that the benefits of well-written documentation in a scientific environment are innumerable: democratization of ideation and decision-making, increased reproducibility, quicker scaling and onboarding, and better company-wide alignment, to name a few.

Growth. As an early-stage startup, we value scientists with an independent, can-do attitude. The more hats you can wear, the better. Our job as employers is to put you in positive feedback loops so you can grow in the direction of your choosing.

Title and compensation commensurate with experience. Applications from candidates of diverse backgrounds, women, and members of underrepresented minority groups are particularly welcomed. We look forward to hearing from you. :)

More info at jobs.generalproximity.bio