Principal Scientist - Computational Chemistry (m/f/d)

Company Description

As a world market leader in crop protection, we help farmers to counter these threats and ensure enough safe, nutritious, affordable food for all – while minimizing the use of land and other agricultural inputs. Syngenta Crop Protection keeps plants safe from planting to harvesting. From the moment a seed is planted through to harvest, crops need to be protected from weeds, insects and diseases as well as droughts and floods, heat and cold. Syngenta Crop Protection is headquartered in Switzerland. 

Health Promotion Switzerland recognizes Syngenta's commitment to the health and well-being of its employees and awards the "Friendly Work Space" label to all its Swiss sites. At Syngenta, employee health and well-being are key to the company. 

Job Description

We are looking for a highly motivated computational chemist to join the Computational Chemistry group at our R&D site in Stein, Switzerland. With strong expertise in computer-aided chemical design and molecular modelling, you will drive innovation in our molecular design processes. As part of your professional development, you will have the opportunity to explore and integrate AI/ML methodologies with traditional computational chemistry approaches to accelerate and improve molecular design of active ingredients. Strong teamwork, excellence in computational design, and the willingness to translate innovative scientific concepts into scalable solutions are essential.

Accountabilities:

• Design and optimize molecules guided by data-driven hypotheses, in partnership with chemists, biologists, and other crop protection scientific experts
• Develop and implement computational workflows to support molecular design
• Create structure-property relationships to guide design decisions
• Explore emerging computational methods to improve the molecular design effectiveness
• Provide systematic feedback to drive continuous improvement of computational chemistry infrastructures, workflows and algorithm implementation

Qualifications

Required Skills:

• PhD in computational chemistry or related field
• Strong foundation in target- and ligand-based design
• Proficiency with standard computational chemistry/cheminformatics packages
• Experience with computational workflows (virtual screening, compound library design)
• Working knowledge of Python programming
• Basic understanding of statistics and data analysis
• Proficiency in both Windows and Unix operating systems, including batch/shell scripting and CLI automation
• Demonstrated experience with High-Performance Computing (HPC) and distributed computing environments
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams

Additional Expertise:

• Machine learning concepts and their applications in chemistry
• Advanced data analysis and visualization techniques
• Software development

Additional Information

• We provide access to state-of-the-art research facilities and technologies, enabling you to apply and expand your expertise in computational design and active ingredient optimization.
• We cultivate a dynamic and intellectually stimulating working environment, with an open culture and diverse workforce, where new ideas are always welcome. We embrace flexible work arrangements and foster work-life balance.
• We invest in your professional growth and development through a multidisciplinary training program tailored to foster a rewarding career in crop protection. Specifically, we offer comprehensive training and development opportunities to expand your expertise in AI/ML applications for computational chemistry, statistics, programming and software development.
• We are part of a strong regional Science hub, offering you the opportunity to interact with a rich community of scientists in life sciences, further enhancing your professional network and knowledge exchange.
• You will profit from a competitive pension fund plan, attractive bonus system, onsite doctor, fitness room, canteen, and other benefits (Family friendly initiatives, Child and Family allowance…)

Are you interested? Please send your complete application with CV, research summary, diploma and cover letter (if applicable).

Syngenta is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or any other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status