Scientist, Peptide Chemistry
Calico · South San Francisco, CA
Posted about 2 months ago · $135,000 - $145,000 · Previously reposted
or apply directly on Calico 's site. We never take the application ourselves.
Is this posting real?
- This role has been open
- 55 days Calico 's roles stay open a median of 55 days
- Reposted
- Yes taken down and listed again at least once
- Salary listed
- Yes 83% of Calico 's roles list one
- Ghost-job risk at Calico
- high 15 stale, 2 reposted of 18 open
- Hiring momentum
- 23 roles opened in the last 90 days ↑ up vs. the prior 90 days
- Last confirmed on the employer's board
- 2026-09-27
Measured from postings appearing on and disappearing from Calico 's own greenhouse board since 2026-08-03. Full hiring picture for Calico .
About this role
The Scientist in Peptide Chemistry will lead peptide drug discovery projects, collaborating with cross-functional teams to optimize therapeutic peptides using a machine learning platform. Responsibilities include driving discovery campaigns, innovating synthetic workflows, mentoring junior scientists, and managing external collaborations. The role requires a strong background in organic and peptide chemistry, with a focus on high-throughput synthesis and characterization.
- benefits
- 1/5
- freshness
- 5/5
- career value
- 4/5
- role clarity
- 5/5
- pay transparency
- 5/5
Scored from the posting itself — how clearly the role is described, how much it says about pay and benefits, and how recently it was listed. Not a judgement of Calico as an employer.
What you need
- Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, Peptide Chemistry, or a related discipline
- 0-2 years of industry experience in drug discovery
- Experience in peptide hit discovery, SAR campaigns, ADMET optimization, and peptide formulation
- Proven experience building and interpreting complex assay cascades
- High proficiency in automated synthesis, purification (HPLC, Flash, SPE), and characterization (LCMS, NMR, CD, etc.)
- Demonstrated ability to implement diverse chemistries
Nice to have
- Experience with organic synthesis, including transition metal catalysis and synthesis of non-canonical amino acids
- Experience with automation, software, and data-science integration into chemistry workflows
- Ability to utilize AI-tools to improve efficiency of research and build programs for data analysis or synthesis
- Knowledgeable on the key principles of ML-design for peptide therapeutics
- Prior experience with peptide-specific computational tools for hit discovery, SAR prioritization, molecular modeling, and physicochemical characterization
What you get
- Estimated base salary range of $135,000 - $145,000
- Eligible for two annual cash bonuses
Worth weighing
- Onsite work required 5 days per week may limit flexibility
- Role involves mentoring, which may not appeal to all candidates
- Focus on peptide chemistry may limit exposure to other areas of drug discovery
Summarised from Calico 's posting. Read the full original.
Listed by Calico on their greenhouse job board, last confirmed open on 2026-09-27. PitchMeAI is not the employer.
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