Cheminformatics Research Scientist III - Chemical Insights Research Institute

Job Description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Cheminformatics Research Scientist III UL Research Institutes, based in our Research Triangle Park, NC office.

The Cheminformatics Research Scientist III will be responsible for developing and applying advanced cheminformatics workflows to support the Chemical Insights Research Institute (CIRI) mission of advancing human and environmental health. This role focuses on developing chemical structure-based predictions for physiochemical properties, toxicological responses, toxicokinetic properties, and exposure-related functional uses. The Cheminformatics Research Scientist III works closely with CIRI scientists and external collaborators to deliver high-quality scientific outputs that inform chemical safety, risk assessment, regulatory policy, and public awareness.

UL Research Institutes:

At UL Research Institutes (ULRI), we expand the boundaries of safety science to create a more secure and sustainable world. For more than a century, we have studied the unintended consequences of innovation, designed solutions to mitigate risk and shared our findings with academia, scientists, manufacturers, and policymakers across industries. We identify critical safety and sustainability issues, asking the tough questions because we believe a safer world begins with knowledge.

Build a safer, more secure, and sustainable future with us. Join us and work with our Chemical Insights Research Institute, teams who conduct the research required to produce that knowledge and put it into practice.

Chemical Insights Research Institute:

The Chemical Insights Research Institute (CIRI) contributes to the protection of public health and well-being by conducting scientific research. Our research and initiatives let people around the world know what chemicals are in the air we breathe and how they affect human health and the planet. We share our research and knowledge through information and application tools with leaders in the scientific, business, and policy communities to raise awareness of human health risks stemming from emerging technologies. To learn more, visit: chemicalinsights.org

What you'll learn and achieve:

As the Cheminformatics Research Scientist III, you will play a key role in the rapid growth of UL as you:

• Develop and apply advanced cheminformatic workflows to perform and manage chemical structural representations, descriptor calculations, chemical taxonomy/classification, and physicochemical properties.

• Build and maintain machine learning-based quantitative structure-activity relationship models for physicochemical properties, toxicological endpoints, toxicokinetic properties, and exposure-related functional uses.

• Contribute to managing curated databases containing chemical structural representations, chemical identifiers, and physicochemical properties.

• Write clean, maintainable, and well-documented code, following best practices and coding standards.

• Collaborate with and support toxicologists, exposure scientists, and toxicokinetic scientists to provide high-quality chemistry information for linking cross-disciplinary data, computational modeling, and interpreting experimental results.

• Work closely with software and database engineers to provide high-quality chemistry information for on-line software applications and decision support tools.

• Provide technical expertise in chemistry and cheminformatics for chemical safety research projects.

• Stay current with emerging trends, technologies, and scientific literature in cheminformatic methods and workflows.

• Present research findings at scientific conferences, stakeholder meetings, and technical forums.

• Serve as author on technical reports and peer-reviewed publications.

• Assist in writing research proposals and securing funding from internal and external sources.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

What you'll experience working at UL Research Institutes: We have pursued our mission of working for a safer, more secure, and sustainable world for nearly 130 years, embedding conscientious stewardship into everything we do.

• People: Our people make us special. You'll work with a diverse team of experts respected for their independence and transparency and build a network, because our approach is collaborative. We collaborate across disciplines, organizations, and geographies to build the global scientific response that today's global challenges require.

• Interesting work: Every day is different for us here. We see what's on the horizon and use our expertise to build the foundations of a safer future. You'll have the opportunity to push the boundaries of human understanding as part of a team working to advance the public good.

• Grow and achieve: We learn, work, and grow together through targeted development, reward, and recognition programs.

• Values. Four core values guide our work: collaboration, respect, integrity, and beneficence. By living our values, we inspire the trust essential to fulfilling our mission and foster the partnerships that enable us to pursue a beneficent future in which we all can thrive.

• Total Rewards: All employees at UL Research Institutes are eligible for bonus compensation. We offer comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans and a generous 401k matching structure of up to 5% of eligible pay. Moreover, we invest an additional 4% into your retirement saving fund after your first year of continuous employment. Depending on your role, you may be able to discuss flexible working arrangements with your manager. We also provide employees with paid time off, including vacation, holiday, sick, and volunteer days.

What makes you a great fit:

While no one candidate will embody every quality, the successful candidate will bring many of the following professional competencies and personal attributes:

• Expert-level knowledge in chemistry, cheminformatics, and related scientific disciplines.

• Working knowledge of toxicology, exposure science, and toxicokinetics.

• Strong understanding of molecular structure representations, descriptor calculation, and chemical taxonomy/classification.

• Proficiency in Python, R, and/or Java.

• Demonstrated ability to independently execute cheminformatic workflows and oversee all research project phases from design to dissemination.

• Proven track record of publishing in peer-reviewed journals and presenting at scientific meetings.

• Clearly communicate complex chemistry and cheminformatic concepts to diverse technical and non-technical audiences and translating findings into actionable insights.

• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to integrate chemical structural and property data with broader public health research.

• Ability to collaborate effectively in multidisciplinary teams.

Professional education and experience requirements for the role include:

• PhD in chemistry, computational chemistry, or a related field.

• Minimum 2 years of post-graduate experience in cheminformatics, computational chemistry, or related disciplines.

• Proven track record of peer-reviewed publications, technical presentations to diverse audiences, and service on expert panels.

• Demonstrated experience in developing cheminformatic workflows to manage and utilize chemical structural representations, descriptor calculations, chemical taxonomy/classification, and physicochemical properties in chemical safety applications.

• Proficiency in building machine learning-based quantitative structure-activity relationship models for chemical safety related endpoints.

• Experience in developing structure-based methods for selecting chemical surrogates for quantitative non-targeted analysis.

About UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement

UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement are nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing safety science research through the discovery and application of scientific knowledge. We conduct rigorous independent research and analyze safety data, convene experts worldwide to address risks, share knowledge through safety education and public outreach initiatives, and develop standards to guide safe commercialization of evolving technologies. We foster communities of safety, from grassroots initiatives for neighborhoods to summits of world leaders. Our organization employs collaborative and scientific approaches with partners and stakeholders to drive innovation and progress toward improving safety, security, and sustainability, ultimately enhancing societal well-being.

Our affiliate, UL Solutions, stands alongside us in working for a safer and more sustainable world. UL Solutions conducts testing, verification and certification, and provides training and advisory services, along with data-driven reporting and decision-making tools, for customers around the world.

To learn more, visit our websites UL.org and ULSE.org.

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