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Drug Design Jobs in Texas (NOW HIRING)

Compensation Range: $ 92,000 Design Specialist Daleville, VA or Selma, TX | Munters Munters is a ... All offers are contingent on a pre-employment drug test and background check, as applicable for the ...

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Drug Design information

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$10

$16

$23

How much do drug design jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 29, 2026, the average hourly pay for drug design in Texas is $16.20, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $13.41 and $17.93 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 cities in Texas are hiring for Drug Design jobs?

Cities in Texas with the most Drug Design job openings:

Infographic showing various Drug Design job openings in Texas as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 90% Full Time, 7% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 82% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 13% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $33,704 per year, or $16.2 per hour.

Postdoctoral Fellow - Genomic Medicine

MD Anderson Cancer Center

Houston, TX • On-site

$46K - $63K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 20 days ago


MD Anderson Cancer Center rating

8.5

Company rating: 8.5 out of 10

Based on 172 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

14th of 895 rated healthcare providers


Job description

AI for Drug Discovery (Bissan Al-Lazikani Lab)
A postdoctoral fellow position is available in the Department of Genomic Medicine. We seek a driven and technically adept Postdoctoral Fellow to develop and deploy Artificial Intelligence models to advance cancer drug discovery by solving key challenges, from target identification to drug design and development.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Gain an understanding of key components and bottlenecks in cancer drug discovery. Develop an understanding of a hands-on experience in data science analytics and model development to address these bottlenecks. This includes learning to train, benchmark, and deploy deep neural networks and foundation models. Learn to apply iterative, human-in-the-loop AI models in the context of cancer drug discovery and validate these models in collaboration with experimental researchers. Develop hands-on expertise in AI applications within one or more key areas: patient profiling and imaging data science; structural biology and protein structure prediction; drug design; and forecasting models for drug resistance.
All duties and responsibilities are carried out in compliance with institutional policies, ethical research standards, and applicable federal and state regulations.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Individuals with a PhD in computer science and a strong desire to apply and advance their skill set with chemical and biological structural data are encouraged to apply. A strong computational background is required. Expertise with PyTorch and torch-geometric, or equivalent technologies, is essential. Experience with other deep learning and generative methods is preferred. Experience working in a high-performance computing environment (Unix/Linux) using state-of-the-art GPU computing is required. Alternatively, candidates with a PhD in computational biology and demonstrable experience in Python, Jupyter Notebook, or equivalent technologies, applying bioinformatics or computational techniques to biomedical data, are encouraged to apply.
Some understanding of databases related to several of the following-cancer genomes, structural biology, and chemistry is highly desired. Importantly, candidates' eagerness to grow in these related fields is crucial. This position will involve collaboration with multidisciplinary partners, requiring excellent written and verbal communication skills. The role will also include reporting and sharing findings with the broader cancer and drug discovery research community through published articles and presentations.
ADDITIONAL APPLICATION INFORMATION
The appointment is immediately available. The appointee is expected to work forty hours per week, including instruction and literature studies in the computational life sciences to deepen the successful candidate's knowledge beyond data science alone.
This position reports to Dr. Bissan Al-Lazikani in the Genomic Medicine Department.
Consideration of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
POSITION INFORMATION
Offsite work arrangements are subject to approval and may be modified or revoked at any time based on business needs, performance considerations, or regulatory requirements.
This position may be responsible for maintaining the security and integrity of critical infrastructure, as defined in Section 113.001(2) of the Texas Business and Commerce Code and therefore may require routine reviews and screening. The ability to satisfy and maintain all requirements necessary to ensure the continued security and integrity of such infrastructure is a condition of hire and continued employment.
It is the policy of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. http://www.mdanderson.org/about-us/legal-and-policy/legal-statements/eeo-affirmative-action.html

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