Medicinal chemist

Medicinal chemists play a vital role in the process of drug discovery, helping to create new and more effective medicines

As a medicinal chemist, you'll use a range of chemistry techniques, primarily synthetic organic chemistry and data analysis tools, to design and create new biologically active molecules to combat a particular disease or condition. You'll also work on improving existing pharmaceuticals.

Working closely with other scientists within a project team, you'll carry out biological testing of the compounds that you've created to see if they're effective. You'll then analyse the results of these tests to identify how the molecule could be improved until there's sufficient evidence that it works and is safe for testing in people.

Alternative job titles include synthetic organic chemist, (graduate) scientist and research chemist. It's important to look beyond titles to the job description, to ensure you're finding roles in medicinal chemistry.

Responsibilities

As a medicinal chemist, you'll need to:

• plan and conduct scientific experiments in the lab to create and refine target molecules
• follow health and safety guidelines and safe working practices
• undertake data analysis to assess the results of experiments and the characteristics of the molecules produced
• ensure the structure and purity of compounds are correct
• write up experiments accurately
• work closely with other scientific colleagues across different disciplines
• attend meetings to discuss results and design the next target molecules
• use computational techniques to model the properties of new molecules
• explore how it may be possible to 'scale up' production of useful compounds that are created
• generate reports and deliver presentations about your work for colleagues, partners and clients
• attend and contribute to internal and external project meetings
• troubleshoot regularly and develop new strategies to improve processes
• liaise with partners and clients and respond to queries about the progress of your research
• keep up to date with scientific literature
• undertake ongoing professional development by attending training and conferences
• train and mentor junior staff and work placement students.

Salary

• Starting salaries for chemists are between £29,125 and £32,500.
• With experience, the salary range for chemists is between £43,300 and £88,000, with the median being £60,000.
• General managers can earn a median salary of £75,000.

Salaries vary depending on a range of factors including location, the size of the company and the sector you work in, as well as your qualifications, skills and experience.

Some employers will also offer additional benefits such as pension schemes, healthcare plans, share ownership schemes and other employee lifestyle benefits.

Income data from the Royal Society of Chemistry Pay and Reward survey report 2023. Figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Working hours are typically 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, often with an element of flexibility. Weekend or evening work is rare but may occasionally be required at busy times or when undertaking independent study or research.

Part-time work is possible. Short-term contracts are also available, sometimes through recruitment agencies.

What to expect

• The work is mainly lab based. This means that you need to be happy working at the bench for long periods of time and following health and safety processes. The rest of your time will be spent at a desk analysing results or in meetings, and you may have a work station based in the lab or in a separate work area.
• This kind of scientific research and development can be a frustrating process, as often your experiments will not produce the results you're hoping for. Therefore, it's critical to have patience and resilience.
• You'll be working in a collaborative environment, usually within a small multidisciplinary project team.
• You'll need to wear a lab coat, safety glasses and other protective clothing as appropriate when working in the lab. Although dress code is typically fairly informal, you may be expected to dress more formally if meeting with clients.
• Travel within the working day is unusual, although you may travel to meet clients or to attend conferences.

Qualifications

You'll need a degree-level chemistry qualification and a good grasp of organic chemistry, in particular synthetic organic chemistry, to work as a medicinal chemist.

Most entrants have as a minimum a BSc in a chemistry subject and many have an integrated Masters degree - either an MChem (Master of Chemistry) or MSci (Master in Science).

Most universities offer both BSc and MChem/MSci degree programmes. BSc courses are usually three years full time (four in Scotland), whereas the MChem/MSci is four years full time (five in Scotland). Part-time and distance learning courses are available at some institutions.

Both types of course typically share a common first two years, before taking different routes. The MChem/MSci generally provide extra depth of experience and advanced knowledge and you will usually undertake a major research project in your final year. It may be possible in some instances to switch from the BSc to the MChem, subject to satisfactory progress.

It's also possible to take a BSc Chemistry degree apprenticeship (Level 6), which combines paid work with study for a degree-level qualification. Find out more about work-based training in chemistry.

Degrees accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) meet a specific professional standard and can provide an advantage when applying for professional qualifications such as chartered chemist. Find RSC-accredited courses.

Although it's not a requirement, a PhD in organic or medicinal chemistry can be an advantage. Some employers specify a preference for a PhD due to the advanced level of scientific research skills you develop. This would normally be where a role is niche, and candidates may have covered some of the requirements through their PhD or postdoc.

Skills

You'll need to have:

• an aptitude for synthetic organic chemistry
• an interest in and motivation for the drug discovery process
• the ability to design and carry out scientific experiments safely and accurately
• analytical skills and the ability to interpret data relating to your experiments
• the ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team
• excellent written communication and report writing skills
• effective verbal communication skills to present information clearly to colleagues and clients
• a willingness to keep up to date with scientific research and literature
• attention to detail
• the ability to plan and manage your own work effectively
• patience and resilience to cope with a scientific process that can involve considerable trial and error
• an enquiring mind
• a creative approach to problem solving to develop new and improved scientific solutions
• computational skills to manage data and potentially to create scientific models and simulations
• effective project management skills.

Work experience

It's important to get relevant work experience. Many employers look for graduates with research experience in either an industrial or an academic laboratory in addition to their academic qualifications.

Some companies offer year in industry placements, which can be an excellent way of getting in-depth training, experience and skills.

Summer placements, internships and informal work experience or shadowing are other good ways of developing your skills. Some larger companies offer structured summer placement or insight programmes, while others can be contacted directly to enquire about informal opportunities.

You can also gain valuable experience through summer research placements in universities. Even doing specialist undergraduate modules or research projects can help to develop and demonstrate a relevant skill set.

Any experience which develops your lab skills, gives you an insight into the pharmaceutical industry, improves your knowledge and understanding of synthetic organic chemistry, or helps develop your broader transferable skills is valuable.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Typical employers in this sector include:

• pharmaceutical companies - larger organisations that produce, manufacture and sell pharmaceutical products
• contract research organisations (CROs) - smaller companies that carry out research on behalf of the pharmaceutical companies
• biotech companies - smaller organisations, often focused on a specific or niche product or development
• medical charities and research institutes
• universities - provide opportunities to carry out medicinal chemistry research at PhD and postdoctoral level and beyond, often in collaboration with or funding from industry or charity partners.

Many of the opportunities in this sector are located in geographical clusters based around universities, large employers and science parks in the UK, including but not limited to the 'golden triangle' between Cambridge, Oxford and London. Overseas opportunities exist in countries such as Switzerland, Germany, Japan, the US, India and China.

Look for job vacancies at:

• Chemistry World Jobs
• Jobs.ac.uk - academic jobs
• New Scientist Jobs

Jobs are also advertised on university job portals, graduate careers websites and employer websites.

Specialist recruitment agencies such as SRG and Hyper Recruitment Solutions also advertise temporary and permanent roles.

Other useful sources of information when looking for jobs include:

• APBI Members list - can be used to identify potential recruiters
• UK Science Park Association (UKSPA) membership list - a good source of information about science parks which often host smaller employers in this sector
• Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) member directory - provides information about medical research charities.

Professional development

You'll be given training on the job to help you develop the specific skills and knowledge required to undertake medicinal chemistry research. This will involve working in a team with more experienced scientists and learning from them in team meetings and project discussions.

Keeping up to date with new developments and research is an important part of the job. You can do this by reading scientific journals and attending conferences or training events. Some companies offer in-house training and development programmes. In some cases, you may have the opportunity to undertake independent research and even complete a PhD on a part-time basis.

It's a good idea to join the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) - the professional body for chemists. They provide careers support, up-to-date news and opportunities to network with your peers. You can also gain chartered status to become a chartered chemist (CChem) or a chartered scientist (CSci). To become chartered, you'll need to provide evidence of your scientific skills, impact and professionalism. Find out more about becoming a chartered chemist.

Career prospects

As your career progresses, you're likely to move into more senior scientific roles, leading a team or a project and making key decisions about the direction of research. You may take on more client-facing roles in some organisations.

With further experience, you may start to oversee the work of a wider multidisciplinary team and become more involved in the strategic direction and planning of projects and research. At this stage, you will be spending significantly less time in the lab and more time in the office and in internal and external meetings.

Your pathway into more senior leadership positions may be either to lead the scientific work of a department or company or to move into organisational management and leadership roles.

The pace and opportunities for career progression will depend upon the size and nature of the organisation you work for, as well as the personal skills and aptitude you demonstrate for more senior positions. Within some organisations, having a PhD can lead to accelerated promotion and recognition.

Medicinal chemists may also move into regulatory affairs, intellectual property (patent work) or other roles in pharmaceutical manufacturing and development as they gain more industry experience.