Senior Principal Scientist - Medicinal Chemistry

Company: Amgen
Location: South San Francisco
Posted on: February 6, 2026

Job Description:

Job DescriptionJoin Amgens Mission of Serving Patients At Amgen, if you feel like youre part of something bigger, its because you are. Our shared missionto serve patients living with serious illnessesdrives all that we do. Since 1980, weve helped pioneer the world of biotech in our fight against the worlds toughest diseases. With our focus on four therapeutic areas Oncology, Inflammation, General Medicine, and Rare Disease we reach millions of patients each year. As a member of the Amgen team, youll help make a lasting impact on the lives of patients as we research, manufacture, and deliver innovative medicines to help people live longer, fuller happier lives. Our award-winning culture is collaborative, innovative, and science based. If you have a passion for challenges and the opportunities that lay within them, youll thrive as part of the Amgen team. Join us and transform the lives of patients while transforming your career. Senior Principal Scientist Medicinal Chemistry What you will do Lets do this. Lets change the world. Amgen is hiring in the department of Medicinal Chemistry at our Research and Development facility in South San Francisco CA (ASF) where we are building brand new state-of-the art chemistry labs. Responsibilities: This Senior Principal Scientist role will be part of an innovative Medicinal Chemistry group, with primary responsibilities being the design of novel compounds for potential clinical development, while also serving as a Project Team Representative (PTR). In addition, this Senior Principal Scientist role will help recruit top talent and lead several PhD level chemists in the design and synthesis of potential drug candidates. As a manager of others, this role will be responsible for providing motivating professional development guidance and/or coaching of colleagues within their group. As a PTR, this role will typically also manage an external synthetic chemistry team and work together with a diverse cross-functional team of research scientists to help determine team direction and advance programs in Amgens small molecule portfolio. Additional responsibilities include but are not limited to regularly communicate progress and strategy in various forums. Expectations for this role are to be full time onsite at our Research and Development facility in South San Francisco CA (ASF). What we expect of you We are all different, yet we all use our unique contributions to serve patients. The qualified professional we seek is a Senior Principal Scientist with these qualifications. Basic Qualifications: Doctorate degree PhD OR PharmD OR MD [and relevant post-doc where applicable] and 2 years of medicinal chemistry experience or Masters degree and 5 years of medicinal chemistry experience or Bachelors degree and 7 years of medicinal chemistry experience Preferred Qualifications: Doctorate degree in chemistry specializing in organic chemistry and 6 years of experience in synthetic organic and medicinal chemistry Experience participating on or leading medicinal chemistry teams to deliver candidates for clinical development Track record of successful drug discovery accomplishments (e.g. patent inventorship, conference presentations, and peer-reviewed publications) Proven understanding of relevant drug discovery disciplines (e.g. chemistry, biology, safety, PKDM, etc.) Expert in modern medicinal and synthetic chemistry approaches Demonstrated experience managing several direct reports Excellent collaboration and communication skills (both written and oral) What you can expect of us As we work to develop treatments that take care of others, we also work to care for your professional and personal growth and well-being. From our competitive benefits to our collaborative culture, well support your journey every step of the way. The expected annual salary range for this role in the U.S. (excluding Puerto Rico) is posted. Actual salary will vary based on several factors including but not limited to, relevant skills, experience, and qualifications. In addition to the base salary, Amgen offers a Total Rewards Plan, based on eligibility, comprising of health and welfare plans for staff and eligible dependents, financial plans with opportunities to save towards retirement or other goals, work/life balance, and career development opportunities that may include: A comprehensive employee benefits package, including a Retirement and Savings Plan with generous company contributions, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts A discretionary annual bonus program, or for field sales representatives, a sales-based incentive plan Stock-based long-term incentives Award-winning time-off plans Flexible work models, including remote and hybrid work arrangements, where possible Apply now and make a lasting impact with the Amgen team. careers.amgen.com In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information. Application deadline Amgen does not have an application deadline for this position; we will continue accepting applications until we receive a sufficient number or select a candidate for the position. As an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people around the world, Amgen fosters an inclusive environment of diverse, ethical, committed and highly accomplished people who respect each other and live the Amgen values to continue advancing science to serve patients. Together, we compete in the fight against serious disease. Amgen is an Equal Opportunity employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other basis protected by applicable law. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Keywords: Amgen, Livermore , Senior Principal Scientist - Medicinal Chemistry, Science, Research & Development , South San Francisco, California