(SENIOR) PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST, MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY

Hirundo Biosciences member of Gedeon Richter

(SENIOR) PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST, MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
Vacancy: (Senior) Principal Scientist, Medicinal Chemistry — Project Leader
Department: Therapeutic Modalities
Type of Contract: Permanent
Working Time: Full-time (40 hours/week)
Location: Leuven (Haasrode, motorway exit)
Homeworking: Maximum 2 days/week
Desired Start Date: As soon as possible
Reports To: Head of Therapeutic Modalities *(to be confirmed)*
About Us
Hirundo Biosciences is a biotechnology company dedicated to women's health that combines both discovery and development. Its ambition is to improve women's lives by discovering, developing, and delivering innovative treatments able to best address the unmet medical needs for pathologies and syndromes encountered specifically by women, such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, infertility, and female cancers. Hirundo Biosciences is a member of the Gedeon Richter Group and relies on the expertise of a passionate, committed, and multidisciplinary team of experienced biotech professionals. For the Therapeutic Modalities department, we are looking for a project leader (senior) principal scientist in medicinal chemistry.
Who You Are
You are a highly skilled medicinal chemist (PhD in organic chemistry or medicinal chemistry or equivalent field) with +10 years of experience in pharma or biotech, bringing a strong track record of advancing small-molecule drug discovery projects from hit finding to preclinical candidate nomination. You combine deep expertise in modern synthetic organic chemistry, strong troubleshooting capabilities, and the ability to drive molecules efficiently through iterative design cycles.
You are recognized for your strategic mindset and scientific leadership: you can define medicinal chemistry strategies, lead multidisciplinary teams, and influence project direction in alignment with scientific and organizational goals.
You are an excellent communicator and collaborator, comfortable working with cross-functional experts spanning biology, pharmacology, DMPK, computational chemistry, and external CRO partners. Experience leading distributed teams or managing external chemistry resources is a plus.
You thrive in dynamic environments, demonstrate initiative, creativity, and strong problem-solving skills, and are motivated by innovative science. Experience with advanced modalities (e.g., degraders), predictive tools, or therapeutic areas such as women's health, oncology, immunology, or metabolic disease is an advantage.
Your Responsibilities
As a (Senior) Principal Scientist in Medicinal Chemistry, you will act as a scientific leader driving the progress and direction of discovery projects.
Co-lead multidisciplinary drug discovery programs, partnering closely with biology, pharmacology, and DMPK leads.
Define medicinal chemistry project strategy, including design hypotheses, target product profile considerations, and indication-specific differentiation.
Guide teams through key decision points, assessing risks, proposing fallback options, and steering projects toward candidate nomination.
Design and evaluate novel chemical matter (HTS, DEL, FBDD and computational design).
Apply property-based design and multi-parameter optimization to advance chemical series.
Drive synthetic strategy, adopting modern synthetic and purification technologies.
Collaborate closely with computational chemists to refine compound design.
Manage interactions with CRO partners for high-quality synthesis and timely execution.
Contribute to IP strategy and patent preparation.
Mentor junior chemists and support team development.
Stay current with emerging scientific trends and integrate new technologies into project work.
Required Qualifications
PhD in organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, or equivalent field.
10+ years of relevant drug discovery experience (pharma or biotech).
As we are an international group, strong proficiency in English, both spoken and written, is essential for this role.
Why Join Us
Join a passionate team committed to transforming women's health through innovative science. You will have the opportunity to help shape the Therapeutic Modalities department, influence project strategy, and contribute to a growing pipeline in a collaborative, entrepreneurial environment.
Application Instructions
Send your motivational letter, CV including publication list, and two references to Koen Vandyck (vandyckk@gedeonrichter.com) and Caroline Hendrickx (hendrickxca@gedeonrichter.com).
Only applications sent by email will be considered.