Insecticide Discovery Scientist

At Enko we believe that to create the future the world wants, we need to change the way the world grows. That is why we are on a mission to help farmers and growers provide for the planet, without it costing the Earth. Enko discovers and develops novel products for farmers to protect their crops from pests and disease. Our agricultural invention platform, Enkompass™, uses DNA encoded libraries, A.I. and machine learning to create more effective ways of finding and selecting the right treatments for the right targets– faster than anyone had ever imagined possible. By providing farmers with new tools to grow their crops successfully and look after their land sustainably, we hope to open the door for increased adoption of other new and emerging technologies being applied to agriculture.

Led by a team of proven scientists, entrepreneurs, and industry veterans, Enko’s innovative science, agile design, and discovery of new modes of action is producing next-generation crop protection solutions that will overcome the critical challenges facing industry. The industry has taken notice and we have active projects with many key industry players…with more to come!

Enko is as focused on building up our team members as we are on building a great platform and products. As such, we offer a competitive benefits package including health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, 401(k) matching contributions, and more.

The successful candidate will have demonstrated the ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced, and innovative environment. Excellent written and oral communication skills are required, as is the desire and ability to excel in a multidisciplinary environment. As an early member of the R&D team, this person will have an opportunity to help establish a culture that nurtures scientific excellence, a sense of urgency to achieve project success, and success built on collaboration and personal accountability.

Major responsibilities include:

· Apply knowledge of market leading products and the attributes of highly effective insecticides to define characterization strategies that support advancement of chemistries through the staging system.

· Lead the design and implementation of robust assays for characterization of candidate chemistries on agronomically important insect pests.

· Collaborate within multidisciplinary project teams to optimize chemistries using a hypothesis-driven approach.

· Collaborate with external partners to conduct advanced characterization of candidate molecules

· Collaborate with a diverse team of scientists to identify and validate molecular targets for new Hit generation experiments.

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated an ability to apply their expertise in insecticide discovery to advance small molecule discovery campaigns from screening to identification of development candidates. They will have a deep understanding of the discovery process and be able to translate this to the development of a tiered evaluation system for insecticides.

Qualifications and Skills:

· Ph.D. (or M.S. + additional experience) in Entomology, Toxicology, Physiology or a related discipline.

· A minimum of 5 years of experience in the discovery of small molecule insecticides including direct involvement the characterization of early-stage chemistries in the lab and greenhouse. A working knowledge of the characterization of crop protection chemistries in the field is desirable.

· Experience in utilizing data-driven decision making to advance chemistries in a staged, pipeline management system.

· Demonstrated ability to work as part of a team.

· Excellent written and oral communication.

· Experience in establishing and managing external research collaborations.

· Understanding of the properties necessary in a small molecule insecticide including a working knowledge of organic chemistry necessary to contribute to a multidisciplinary team.