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Drug Design Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Chai Discovery, Inc

Design Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

... their drug discovery programs. Our mission is to accelerate progress towards new cures and better ... This is a design-and-build role: you own the interaction paradigm end to end, from research and low ...

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Drug Design information

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$10

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$24

How much do drug design jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 29, 2026, the average hourly pay for drug design in California is $17.16, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $14.23 and $18.99 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is drug design?

Drug design is the process of discovering and developing new medications based on the knowledge of biological targets. Scientists use techniques like computer modeling and chemical analysis to create molecules that interact specifically with proteins or enzymes involved in diseases. This approach helps to optimize the effectiveness and safety of new drugs before they are synthesized and tested in the laboratory. Drug design plays a crucial role in developing targeted therapies and accelerating the drug discovery process.

What are some common challenges faced by professionals working in drug design teams?

Professionals in drug design often encounter challenges such as balancing innovation with regulatory requirements and managing the complexity of biological systems. Collaborating with interdisciplinary teams—including chemists, biologists, and computational scientists—can require strong communication skills to align on goals and methodologies. Additionally, tight project timelines and the need to iterate on compound structures based on early testing results are frequent hurdles. Staying updated with the latest technologies and methodologies is also essential for success in this rapidly evolving field.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in drug design, and why are they important?

To excel in Drug Design, a strong background in chemistry, biology, pharmacology, and often a graduate degree in a related field are essential. Familiarity with molecular modeling software, cheminformatics tools, and high-throughput screening systems is typically required. Analytical thinking, creativity, and effective teamwork are crucial soft skills for identifying novel drug candidates and collaborating across disciplines. These skills enable the efficient development of safe, effective pharmaceuticals in a complex and highly regulated industry.

What is the difference between Drug Design vs Medicinal Chemist?

AspectDrug DesignMedicinal Chemist
Required CredentialsDegree in Chemistry, Pharmacology, or related fields; often advanced degreesDegree in Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, or related fields; often advanced degrees
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, pharmaceutical companies, biotech firmsResearch labs, pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms
Industry UsageFocuses on designing new drug candidates using computational and experimental methodsFocuses on synthesizing and optimizing chemical compounds for drugs

Drug Design and Medicinal Chemist roles overlap significantly, with both working in pharmaceutical research and requiring similar educational backgrounds. Drug Design emphasizes the conceptual creation of new drugs, often using computational tools, while Medicinal Chemists focus on synthesizing and refining these compounds. Both careers are vital in drug development and frequently searched together by professionals interested in pharmaceutical innovation.

How much do drug design engineers make?

Drug design engineers typically earn a median annual salary of around $80,000 to $120,000, depending on experience, education, and location. Advanced roles or those with specialized skills in computational modeling or medicinal chemistry can earn higher salaries, especially in biotech or pharmaceutical industries.

How to get a career in drug design?

A career in drug design typically requires a strong educational background in chemistry, biochemistry, or pharmacology, often at least a bachelor's degree with advanced degrees like a master's or Ph.D. for research roles. Skills in molecular modeling, computer-aided drug design, and familiarity with laboratory techniques are important, along with experience using specialized software and understanding of biological systems. Gaining internships or research experience can also improve job prospects in this field.

Is drug development a good career?

Drug design is a specialized field within pharmaceutical research that involves creating new medications through understanding chemical interactions and biological targets. It offers opportunities in research, laboratory work, and interdisciplinary collaboration, often requiring advanced degrees and knowledge of chemistry, biology, and data analysis. The career can be rewarding for those interested in science and innovation, with job prospects in biotech companies, research institutions, and regulatory agencies.

What are popular job titles related to Drug Design jobs in California?

For Drug Design jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Drug Design jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Drug Design jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Drug Design jobs?

Cities in California with the most Drug Design job openings:

Drug Design jobs near you
Infographic showing various Drug Design job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 50% Full Time, and 50% Part Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $35,703 per year, or $17.2 per hour.

Design Engineer

Chai Discovery, Inc

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 3 days ago

Job description

About Chai Discovery
Chai builds the design suite for molecules. We train frontier models that learn the underlying foundations of biochemical structure and interaction, so scientists can move faster and pursue targets that other methods cannot reach.
AI is reinventing life sciences the same way it reinvented software engineering, and Chai is at the forefront of this shift. Leading pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly, Pfizer, and Novartis are rapidly adopting our platform to power their drug discovery programs.
Our mission is to accelerate progress towards new cures and better science, and there are countless interesting problems on the road ahead.
About the role
As Chai's first design engineer, you'll define how scientists interact with the most advanced drug design models in the world, and then build it. This is a design-and-build role: you own the interaction paradigm end to end, from research and low-fi sketches through polished, shipped interfaces in real code.
Nobody has fully defined what it means to design a medicine on a computer, so this category of software is yours to invent.
Molecular biology is a cluttered, dense, deeply technical domain, and your job is to make it feel obvious and intuitive. Molecular structures are some of the most striking visuals in science, and the product should live up to them: visual and aesthetic craft matters. A great model needs the right product around it to be useful, and right now the product provides just as much leverage as the models do - the design surface is wide open.
About you
We index on taste, range, and the rare ability to both design and ship. We're looking for someone who gets obsessed with hard problems and sweats the details. We look for:
  • 5+ years designing exceptional products, with a portfolio showing end-to-end ownership of complex tools built for domain experts
  • The ability to build what you design: comfortable moving from sketch to Figma to interactive prototype to production front-end code, and fluent talking code with engineers
  • Experience designing AI-first products that break the mold and do new things in new ways
  • A bias for simplicity and minimalism in highly technical domains
  • A clear communicator who can articulate design decisions and synthesize complex science for cross-functional audiences, and a sharp listener who pulls the best ideas and the smallest details into the work

You're excited to dive into molecular biology, drug discovery, and AI/ML. A background in biology is not required - what makes the difference is craft, curiosity, and grit. Data visualization, data science, or scientific domain experience is a bonus.
We offer
The opportunity to work at the vanguard of AI research and frontier biology, with world-class people, on a mission that matters. We protect & promote a culture of high velocity and ownership. We compensate our team accordingly.

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