Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the research, development, and commercialization of pharmaceutical products that address unmet medical needs in the acute care environment. In the U.S., Cubist markets CUBICIN(R) (daptomycin for injection), the first antibiotic in a new class of anti-infectives called lipopeptides. In July 2008, Cubist entered into an agreement with AstraZeneca to promote their established antibiotic, MERREM(R) I.V. (meropenem for injection) in the U.S.

The Cubist product pipeline includes ecallantide, a recombinant human protein in Phase 2 clinical trials -- CONSERV(TM)-1 and CONSERV(TM)-2 -- for the reduction of blood loss during cardiac surgery, and two Phase 1 programs that address unmet medical needs, one in CDAD (Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea) and the other in multi-drug resistant (MDR) Gram-negative infections. In addition, the Company, in collaboration with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Cambridge, MA), has a pre-IND and a Phase 2 program underway in novel treatments for respiratory syncytial virus infections using Alnylam's RNA-interference technology.

Cubist and CUBICIN are registered trademarks of Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. AstraZeneca and MERREM are registered trademarks of the AstraZeneca group of companies.

Cubist, founded in 1992, is headquartered in Lexington, MA. Additional information can be found at Cubist's web site at http://www.cubist.com

The Boston Globe ranked Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. first among the "Top 100" Massachusetts-based publicly traded companies in its 21st annual "Globe 100" list. Further, The Boston Globe named Cubist as one of the Top Places to Work in Massachusetts in 2008. Cubist was ranked 36th on the overall list and 13th on the midsized company list.

Boston, a mid-size city, has a rich history, great architecture, world famous academic and cultural institutions, and successful professional sports teams. Boston is the gateway to the recreational and cultural attractions of New England. Cubist is located a short distance from Boston in historic Lexington. Boston is accessible by car or by public transportation, and Cubist is connected to the subway system by a shuttle bus. The Boston area, including Cambridge and Lexington, has a large and vibrant collection of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.

Position Summary:

Cubist seeks a computational chemist to support hit-to-lead and lead optimization drug discovery research. The successful candidate will apply a wide variety of computational chemistry techniques to guide drug discovery projects and provide scientific insights to project teams.

Required Skills:

* Education: Ph.D. or equivalent in chemistry, computational chemistry, biochemistry and related fields.
* Expert knowledge of structure-based design, including docking and molecular dynamics.
* Excellence in protein homology model building and the analysis of protein structures.
* Strong foundation in ligand-based design, including pharmacophore generation and modeling methods as well as QSAR techniques.
* Demonstrated proficiency in SAR analysis and data mining.
* Sufficient programming skills to accelerate workflows and develop novel methodologies that drive new thinking in structure-based discovery.
* Excellence in visual, written and oral communication skills.
* Track record of working effectively in a team environment.

Required Experience:

Five to seven years industrial (or equivalent) relevant experience and a proven track record of using computational chemistry techniques to drive drug discovery projects within a multi-disciplinary team environment. Demonstrated familiarity with various biological screening paradigms.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily within the context of the representative work environment and physical demands described above. Likewise, qualifications listed are representative of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the position’s essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Total Rewards:


Our outstanding total rewards package includes: competitive base salary; annual incentive plan with cash payouts based on results; company-wide performance based equity program; choice of medical plan; dental, life and disability insurance; employee assistance program; flexible spending accounts; 100% vesting in our 401K plan with a competitive company match; employee stock purchase plan; tuition reimbursement; childcare and eldercare subsidy; 12 paid holidays, 4 of which are floating; 3 weeks vacation; fitness reimbursement program; flexible work schedules; comprehensive reward and recognition program.


We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.


Note to Recruiters:

Relationships with professional recruiters are essential to the recruitment and staffing efforts at Cubist and we value the partnerships we have built with our preferred vendors. We are also interested in establishing new relationships with experienced life science recruiters. In order to recruit on Cubists behalf, each recruiting firm needs to have a written contract in place and agree to present candidates directly to Human Resources.