Cheminformatician/ML Scientist

COMPANY

Octant is a well-backed team of experienced scientists and entrepreneurs at the frontiers of biology, chemistry, and computation. We are a small molecule therapeutics company scaling drug discovery to navigate the complexity of human diseases using an integrated platform combining synthetic biology, genomics, computation and high-throughput chemistry.

Octant is an equal opportunity company that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds. We’re committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment for everyone.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Octant is actively seeking an experienced scientist with a strong background across the chemical and computational domains. You will apply both conventional and recently emerging approaches to drive Octant’s small molecule drug discovery programs forward. This is a unique opportunity to spearhead the development of new machine learning methods that leverage Octant’s iterative, direct-to-biology chemical synthesis platform and expansive datasets. In this interdisciplinary role, you will utilize strong communication skills and chart a course through a complex technical and strategic landscape.

AS A PART OF OCTANT'S DATA SCIENCE TEAM, YOU'LL:

• Pioneer innovative strategies to boost Octant’s cheminformatics capabilities. You'll also contribute to our long-term strategic vision, particularly in incorporating the latest machine learning developments to our workflows.
• Lead the essential cheminformatics support for multiple drug discovery projects, collaborating with medicinal and computational chemists, and other project team members.
• Collaborate with chemists to leverage our nanoscale synthesis platform to design and test novel chemical libraries, guiding our hit-to-lead and lead optimization processes.
• Develop machine learning strategies for iterative exploration of chemical space that can be accessed using our platform.
• Support talent development through direct mentorship of your teammates

THIS JOB MIGHT BE GREAT FOR YOU IF YOU:

• Possess an advanced degree (preferably a Ph.D.) in chemistry, computer science, statistics, or a related field.
• Have at least 2 years of relevant experience in the Drug Discovery industry.
• Have demonstrated successful cross-functional collaboration, especially in the areas of Chemistry, Machine Learning/Data Science, or Software Engineering.
• Have strong programming skills in languages such as Python or R and their data analysis libraries (e.g. NumPy, Pandas, Polars, Tidyverse).
• Have experience with cloud infrastructure, databases, and version control systems.
• Have proven expertise with cheminformatics toolkits (e.g. RDKit, OpenBabel, Datamol, OEChem).
• Can provide examples of successfully using machine learning to address chemical problems and experience with relevant libraries (e.g. TensorFlow, PyTorch, JAX, scikit-learn, DeepChem).
• Have hands-on experience in the development, deployment, and application of QSAR models for small molecule drug discovery.
• Can curate large chemical datasets (e.g. ChEMBL, PubChem), and use them to augment computational approaches.

The expected annual base salary for this role is in the range of $160,000 - $240,000, depending on experience level. We offer health benefits (medical, dental, vision), equity, and 401(k) matching.

Octant is located in Emeryville, California.