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Research Scientist, Life Sciences (Chemistry)

Anthropic· AI Research & Engineering
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San Francisco Bay Area$300k - $320kFull-timePosted 2mo ago

About the role

Research Scientist role focused on medicinal chemistry within Anthropic's Life Sciences team, combining AI-driven hypotheses with hands-on small molecule design, synthesis, and evaluation. Fully on-site in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Responsibilities

  • Design multi-step synthetic routes for small molecules and oversee their execution end to end, including route selection, reaction optimization, purification strategy, and interpretation of full characterization data (NMR, LC-MS, HPLC)
  • Coordinate synthesis and biological evaluation with external contract research organizations and academic partners
  • Evaluate AI-designed molecules and AI-proposed synthetic routes, drive them to experimental readout, and feed results back to research teams
  • Apply medicinal chemistry principles, including SAR analysis and physicochemical property optimization, to compound design and prioritization
  • Ensure experimental data across programs is high quality and well documented, including procedures, spectra, and failure modes
  • Communicate findings clearly to chemistry, AI research, and life sciences audiences

Qualifications

  • PhD in chemistry
  • Demonstrated medicinal chemistry experience, including SAR-driven design and optimization of small molecules, with recent, sustained hands-on synthetic work
  • Comfort navigating ambiguity and defining problems in a rapidly evolving research environment
  • Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across cross-functional teams, with strong written and verbal communication skills

Skills

Required:Medicinal chemistrySynthetic chemistryData interpretation and documentationCommunication

Benefits

  • Competitive compensation and benefits
  • optional equity donation matching
  • generous vacation and parental leave
  • flexible working hours
  • lovely office space
Last updated Aug 19, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Anthropic

building reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems

Anthropic is an AI safety and research company that's working to build reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems.

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