Senior Medicinal Chemist — AI-Driven Drug Discovery

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Aqemia

Senior Medicinal Chemist

Hybrid - Paris, Ile-de-France, France · London, England, United Kingdom

Feb 10, 2026

About AQEMIA

AQEMIA is a drug invention company dedicated to creating entirely new medicines to address major unmet medical needs. At the core of our mission is QEMI , our proprietary molecule-invention platform, which uniquely combines cutting-edge science with advanced technology. Powered by physics-based modeling, statistical mechanics, and generative AI, QEMI allows our teams to design novel drug candidates from first principles.

What makes AQEMIA different is our commitment to true innovation: our research is dedicated to the invention of new molecular entities, not the refinement of existing ones. We focus on inventing never-before-seen molecules , without relying on experimental data, and advancing them into a growing pipeline of proprietary programs and strategic partnerships with leading pharmaceutical companies.

Our most advanced preclinical programs are currently in vivo optimization , targeting diseases still waiting for effective treatments, offering our teams the opportunity to work on science that can make a real difference in people’s lives.

AQEMIA brings together a diverse, multidisciplinary team of 80+ professionals based in Paris and London. Our scientists and engineers, including chemists, physicists, machine learning experts, and software engineers, work side by side to push the boundaries of early-stage drug discovery.

This close collaboration across disciplines is central to our approach, enabling us to tackle complex scientific challenges from first principles and translate cutting-edge ideas into novel therapeutic candidates. At AQEMIA, team members are encouraged to contribute their expertise, learn from one another, and play an active role in shaping the future of drug invention.

As a Medicinal Chemist you will work at the interface of chemistry and biology, designing and optimizing compounds that drive our projects from hit generation through to preclinical candidates. If you’re excited to leverage your scientific expertise to help build the future of therapeutics, we’d love to hear from you

Your Mission

• Of primary importance at AQEMIA : closely collaborate with our technological platform, including atomistic calculations and generative AI, with the goals of (i) challenging and improving the platform, and (ii) designing innovative molecules,
• Optimize lead compounds and transform them into drug candidates, pragmatically applying our technology,
• Autonomously execute, and interpret complex activities to identify pharmaceutical candidates,
• Prepare and follow tasks given to our CROs to support drug discovery projects, including the synthesis of novel small molecules and the generation of biological data,
• Follow and drive one or several programs simultaneously in medicinal chemistry,
• Contribute to patent filings,
• Maintain clear, accurate, written records of decisions and progresses,
• Collaborate with our project managers to establish clear projections in terms of timelines and costs.

Your Qualifications

• PhD in synthetic or organic chemistry, academic post-doc is a plus,
• 10 years of experience in industrial drug discovery with similar role,
• Strong track record in organic synthesis and compound design for drug discovery,
• Strong interest in AI-driven and computer-assisted drug design,
• Proven ability to work with interdisciplinary teams and effectively communicate complex data,
• Familiarity with molecular modeling, SAR analysis, and ADME optimization,
• Excellent problem-solving skills and a track record of scientific innovation,
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment,
• Autonomous, curious, creative, strong analytical skills,
• Can explain complex topics with simple words.

Why Join Us ?

At AQEMIA, we work for a mission: joining us means having your own impact on changing the way drugs are discovered, and helping to shape thedirectionof our fast-growing company and team.

Expanding Drug Discovery Pipeline : Focused on critical therapeutic areas like Oncology, CNS, Immuno-inflammation... with in vivo proof of concept/patent stage programs. Collaborations with top Pharma, including a $140M Sanofi deal.

World-Class Interdisciplinary Team : work alongside exceptional talent at the intersection of technology and life sciences. Our teams combine deep expertise in AI, physics-based model