---
title: 'Senior / Principal Scientist, Structural Biology — Target Druggability & Structure-Based Drug Design at Schrödinger'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-principal-scientist-structural-biology-target-druggability-structure-cz67v3dyzgrg'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-09'
---

# Senior / Principal Scientist, Structural Biology — Target Druggability & Structure-Based Drug Design at Schrödinger

- **Company:** Schrödinger
- **Location:** Framingham, MA / New York, NY
- **Posted:** 2026-08-10
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-09
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/schrdinger/jobs/7822246003

## Job description

Schrödinger seeks a Senior or Principal Scientist in Structural Biology (Target Druggability and Structure-Based Drug Design) to join us in our mission to transform the discovery of therapeutics and materials!

Schrödinger has pioneered a physics-based software platform that enables discovery of high-quality, novel molecules for drug development and materials applications more rapidly and at lower cost compared to traditional methods. The software platform is used by biopharmaceutical and industrial companies, academic institutions, and government laboratories around the world. Our multidisciplinary drug discovery team also leverages the software platform to advance collaborative programs and its own pipeline of novel therapeutics to address unmet medical needs.

As a member of our Structural Biology and Target Enablement team in our Therapeutics Group, you’ll partner with Molecular Pharmacologists, Biologists, Medicinal Chemists, and Computational Chemists to define target tractability strategies, identify and validate novel and cryptic binding sites, and design and supervise experimental campaigns to solve unprecedented structures that unlock previously intractable targets. Sitting at the interface of computation and experiment, you’ll be as comfortable proposing in silico-predicted binding site hypotheses as you are designing and executing the experimental structural biology strategies to test them.

Who will love this job:

- A scientist with a track record of success in assessing and expanding oral drug tractability for challenging and undrugged targets
- A structural and computational biology expert who’s familiar with Schrödinger’s platform (Glide, FEP+, BioLuminate, Prime, etc.) or comparable structure-based design software
- A veteran of computational-experimental hybrid work in biotech, pharma, or an SBDD-focused software company
- A researcher who has worked on modality-switch programs (e.g., biologic-to-small-molecule or PROTAC/molecular glue strategies)
- An excellent scientific communicator who has presented target tractability assessments to senior stakeholders and defended hypotheses under scientific scrutiny

What you’ll do:

- Define druggability hypotheses for difficult-to-drug targets by integrating structural, computational, biophysical, and pharmacological evidence
- Apply and advance computational methods, including AI/ML approaches, for structure prediction and refinement, small-molecule binding site identification (including cryptic and transient pockets), pocket druggability scoring, and conformational sampling of target ensembles
- Translate structural and computational insights into actionable hypotheses for medicinal chemistry and biology teams, proposing specific experiments (biophysical, structural, or computational) to test and de-risk emerging druggability hypotheses
- Evaluate and integrate emerging methods (e.g., generative structure prediction, cryptic pocket detection, MD-based ensemble docking, AI-based binding site/ligandability prediction) into practical workflows
- Present target tractability assessments to project teams, portfolio review committees, and leadership, communicating complex structural/computational rationale clearly to non-specialist audiences
- Lead experimental structural biology efforts on active target enablement and drug discovery programs, managing work at external CROs, collaborating with our internal Structural Biology team, and/or directly performing hands-on experiments at our internal laboratory
- Contribute to Schrödinger's broader platform strategy, feeding practical, target-tractability-driven requirements back into internal software and methods development

What you should have:

- PhD in Structural Biology, Biophysics, or a related discipline
- Deep, hands-on expertise in structure-based drug design, including practical experience with cryptic/transient binding site identification and pocket druggability assessment
- Working fluency in modern computational structural biology methods, such as AI-based structure prediction, MD-based conformational sampling, binding site/pocket detection algorithms, and structure refinement
- Direct experience designing, executing, and interpreting cryo-EM and/or X-ray crystallography experiments, including strategies for capturing difficult, dynamic, or novel structural states

Pay and perks:

Schrödinger understands it’s people that make a company great. Because of this, we’re prepared to offer a competitive salary, stock options, and a wide range of benefits that include healthcare (with dental and vision), a 401k, pre-tax commuter benefits, a flexible work schedule, and a parental leave program. We have a company culture that is relaxed but engaged, and over a month of paid vacation time.

Estimated base salary range: $120,000 - $190,000. Actual compensation package is dependent on a number of factors, including, for example, experience, education, degrees held, market data, and business needs. If you have any questions regarding the compensation for this role, do not hesitate to reach out to a member of our Strategic Growth team.

Sound exciting? Apply today and join us!

As an equal opportunity employer, Schrödinger hires outstanding individuals into every position in the company. People who work with us have a high degree of engagement, a commitment to working effectively in teams, and a passion for the company's mission. We place the highest value on creating a safe environment where our employees can grow and contribute, and refuse to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious belief, sex, age, disability, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, marital status, partnership status, caregiver status, sexual and reproductive health decisions, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic. To us, "diversity" isn't just a buzzword, but an important element of our core principles and key business practices. We believe that diverse companies innovate better and think more creatively than homogenous ones because they take into account a wide range of viewpoints. For us, greater diversity doesn't mean better headlines or public images - it means increased adaptability and profitability.

## About Schrödinger

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Schrödinger provides a physics-based computational platform for molecular discovery and design, transforming how therapeutics and materials are discovered.
- **Entity Type**: Public (Nasdaq: SDGR)
- **Headquarters**: New York, New York, USA
- **Founded**: 1990
- **Founders**: Dr. Richard A. Friesner (co-founder) and Dr. William A. Goddard III (co-founder)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Biotechnology, Drug Discovery, Materials Science, Computational Chemistry, Software
- **Target customers**: B2B — pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and materials science organizations (R&D, discovery teams); also serves academic institutions.
- **Mission or purpose statement**: “Our mission is to improve human health and quality of life by transforming the way therapeutics and materials are discovered.” [schrodinger.com](https://www.schrodinger.com/company/about/)

## Products & Services
- **FEP+ (Free Energy Perturbation+)**: A physics-based computational tool for accurately predicting binding affinities and optimizing drug candidates (SaaS).
- **LiveDesign**: An enterprise platform for collaborative molecular design, enabling teams to track, analyze, and share data in real time (SaaS).
- **Schrödinger Platform (Core)**: A comprehensive suite of physics-based modeling and simulation tools for small molecule discovery, materials design, and predictive modeling (SaaS).
- **Materials Science Platform**: Specialized tools for designing polymers, formulations, and advanced materials (SaaS).
- **Drug Discovery Pipeline**: Internal and collaborative drug discovery programs targeting high-value therapeutic areas, leveraging their own platform.
- **Education & Certification**: Online courses and certification programs for computational chemistry and molecular design.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: As of early 2025, market cap is approximately $2.5–3.0 billion (fluctuates with market).
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue (public) — FY2024 revenue was approximately $180–200 million (SaaS + drug discovery collaborations).
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Key partners include major pharmaceutical companies (e.g., Novartis, Takeda, Bayer) and materials science firms. Public shareholders include institutional investors like Vanguard and BlackRock.
- **Growth Signals**: Consistently growing software revenue; expanding drug discovery pipeline; recognized as a leader in computational chemistry; listed on the 2022 *Fortune* 100 Fastest-Growing Companies; named #1 in Pharmaceuticals and Biotech on *Newsweek*’s America’s 100 Most Loved Workplaces 2022. [schrodinger.com](https://www.schrodinger.com/company/about/)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Physics-based platform**: Proprietary, physics-first approach (not purely AI/ML) that provides high accuracy and predictive power, differentiating from competitors.
- **Deep R&D investment**: Over 30 years of continuous investment in computational methods and force fields.
- **Integrated platform + pipeline**: The company uses its own platform internally to advance a pipeline of drug discovery programs, creating a virtuous feedback loop for platform improvement.
- **Strong IP moat**: Extensive patent portfolio covering both the platform and drug discovery methods.
- **Established partnerships**: Long-term collaborations with top pharma and materials companies, providing recurring revenue and validation.

## Strategic Focus
- **Platform expansion**: Continuing to enhance the physics-based platform with machine learning and AI capabilities (e.g., ML-driven force fields, retrosynthesis).
- **Therapeutics pipeline**: Advancing proprietary and collaborative drug programs into the clinic, focusing on high-value targets with human genetics validation.
- **Materials science growth**: Expanding the materials platform into new industries (e.g., electronics, consumer goods).
- **Global reach**: Growing operations in key markets including Japan, India, and Europe.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture & values**: Emphasizes collaboration, compassion, diversity, and ethical conduct. Recognized as a top workplace (No. 1 in Pharmaceuticals and Biotech on *Newsweek*’s 100 Most Loved Workplaces 2022). [schrodinger.com](https://www.schrodinger.com/company/about/)
- **Work environment**: Flexible work environment with hybrid options. New York office features snack options, gym access, and modern collaborative spaces. [schrodinger.com](https://www.schrodinger.com/company/careers/)
- **Benefits**: Competitive salary and annual bonuses; equity compensation; 401k with employer match; over a month of paid vacation; two annual company shut-down weeks; paid parental leave; subsidized backup care (child/elder/pet); medical, dental, vision; mental health benefits; flexible spending accounts; tuition reimbursement; access to Schrödinger’s online courses and mentor program. [schrodinger.com](https://www.schrodinger.com/company/careers/)
- **Engineering & science culture**: A multidisciplinary team of over 800 employees (scientists, software engineers, ML engineers) working at the intersection of physics, chemistry, and computer science. Strong focus on professional development and learning.
- **Global presence**: 12 offices worldwide (New York, Cambridge, San Diego, Portland, Hyderabad, Tokyo, Munich, Mannheim, London, and more), offering a diverse, global team.

## Sources
1. [Schrödinger About Page](https://www.schrodinger.com/company/about/)
2. [Schrödinger Careers Page](https://www.schrodinger.com/company/careers/)
3. [Schrödinger Homepage](https://www.schrodinger.com/)
4. [Schrödinger Team Page](https://www.schrodinger.com/company/team/)
5. [Schrödinger Jobs on Greenhouse](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/schrdinger)

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