Faculty Position - RNA Therapeutics Chemistry

Responsibilities

Faculty Position – RNA Therapeutics Chemistry

Jacksonville

Florida

Description of Role and Responsibilities

The Mayo Clinic RNA Therapeutics Discovery and Translation Program is recruiting an exceptional and highly creative RNA therapeutics chemist (PhD) to help develop the next generation of RNA-based medicines with the potential for meaningful translation to patients. This is an opportunity for a scientist who wants to move beyond applying established approaches and instead, invent new ways to make RNA therapeutics more potent, selective, durable, and clinically useful.

The scientist will work with a multidisciplinary team to conceive, design, and advance innovative RNA therapeutics toward clinical translation. Depending on the expertise, the work is expected to include:

• Design and optimization of ASOs, siRNAs, mRNAs, and other nucleic acid therapeutics 

• Development and application of novel nucleoside, backbone, conjugation, and other chemical modifications 

• Optimization of RNA therapeutics for potency, stability, pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, cellular uptake, and safety 

• Development of strategies for tissue- and cell-selective delivery 

• Integration of chemistry, RNA biology, pharmacology, and disease biology to establish structure– activity relationships and therapeutic design principles 

• Exploration of new RNA therapeutic architectures and mechanisms 

• Design of rigorous experiments to understand why candidate molecules succeed or fail 

• Translation of promising discoveries from molecular design through preclinical development and ultimately toward therapies for patients

• Collaboration with biologists, pharmacologists, clinicians, computational scientists, and external academic and industry partners 

The Ideal Candidate 

We are looking for a scientist with outstanding intellectual curiosity, creativity, and scientific rigor. Candidates may range from an exceptional early-career scientist to a more established investigator. 

Strong candidates will have: 

• PhD in chemistry, medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, nucleic acid chemistry, or a closely related discipline 

• Significant research experience in RNA or oligonucleotide therapeutics 

• Expertise in one or more of ASO, siRNA, mRNA, oligonucleotide chemistry, nucleoside chemistry, RNA modification, conjugation, or RNA delivery 

• Strong understanding of the relationships between chemical structure and biological activity 

• Ability to design experiments that connect molecular properties with pharmacology and therapeutic performance 

• A record of innovative scientific contributions demonstrated through publications, patents, therapeutic programs, or other accomplishments 

• Ability and enthusiasm to work across traditional disciplinary boundaries 

• Currently holding extramural funding from NIH and other funding agencies. Early-stage candidates are expected to be competitive for such funding. 

Experience with in vivo pharmacology, extrahepatic delivery, medicinal chemistry optimization, RNA synthesis/analytics, oligonucleotide conjugates, lipid or non-lipid delivery systems, or translational drug development would be particularly valuable.

This position will be located at Mayo Clinic Florida with significant enterprise engagement. 

Highlights of Mayo Clinic Research Enterprise:

• Over 5,200 research personnel, including 321 faculty level research investigators and 948 physicians who are actively involved in research.
• 11,220 peer-reviewed papers were published in 2023.
• Investments in research each year, resulting in hundreds of new clinical trials. In 2024, the institution received over $753 million in extramural research awards supplemented with over $517 million of institutional support.
• Nearly 10,000 active studies involving human participants in progress. More than 5,900 research grants and contracts.
• State-of-the art laboratories and shared resource facilities, including those for microscopy and imaging, cell and molecular biology, animal models, production of iPS cells and clinical grade MSCs, biomedical engineering and mathematics, materials testing, a Medical Genomics Facility, a Mouse Modeling Facility, Molecular and Microscopic Core Facilities, and unique Human Disease Tissue Banks.
• Over 420,000 square feet of research laboratory space includes several robotic freezers capable of storing 3.5 million DNA samples.
• Mayo Clinic supports innovation and has a wealth of resources available – including an integrated health record and collaboration with top specialists.
• Mayo Clinic Brain Bank housed within the Department of Neuroscience and including 11,000 unique brains with neuropathologic characterizations from donors with neurodegenerative diseases and other conditions.
• Mayo Clinic RNA Synthesis Recharge Facility overseen by the Mayo Clinic RNA Therapeutics Discovery and Translation Program. The facility, which became operational in 2026, houses cutting-edge technology to support the design and manufacturing of oligonucleotides, mRNA and lipid nanoparticles to advance and accelerate discovery and preclinical testing of RNA therapeutics.

Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is top ranked in more specialties than any other care provider according to U.S. News & World Report. With a 73,000-person workforce, Mayo Clinic cares for more than 1.3 million people each year with serious or complex illnesses from all 50 U.S. states and 130 countries. Mayo Clinic is the largest not-for-profit, multidisciplinary academic medical center in the world with over 4,000 physicians and scientists in an integrated multi-campus system spanning the globe. 

The unified mission at Mayo Clinic is to provide the best patient care, backed by our expertise and supported by innovation in education, research and practice, to bring hope and healing in times of need. We embrace collegial relationships among campuses (Arizona, Florida and Minnesota) allowing for best practices and innovation to help solve the most serious complex medical challenges-one patient at a time.

As we work together to put the needs of the patient first, we are also dedicated to our employees, investing in a highly competitive compensation package with substantial long-term institutional and departmental support for salary, personnel, equipment, and travel as well as a competitive startup package all designed to ensure immediate and continued success. Additional benefits for faculty at Mayo Clinic include intramural funding opportunities for research and innovation. We provide an outstanding, comprehensive benefits package that includes plenty of options for medical, dental and vision care; flexible spending accounts; life insurance; short- and long-term disability coverage; travel allowance; generous time away; and more! We are proud to be among the few U.S. companies to provide a pension benefit at no cost to employees plus you can add the Mayo 403(b) plan which features an employer match.

Qualifications
The successful candidate will have a PhD in chemistry, medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, nucleic acid chemistry, or a closely related discipline. The candidate should have significant research experience in RNA or oligonucleotide chemistry. They should have expertise in one or more of ASO, siRNA, mRNA, oligonucleotide chemistry, nucleoside chemistry, RNA modification, conjugation, or RNA delivery.  Appointment and academic rank will be determined based on the candidate’s qualifications. 

Applications should include a full CV/Bibliography, statement of research interests, and list of references. 

Exemption Status

Exempt

Benefits Eligible

Yes

Schedule

Full Time

Hours/Pay Period

80

Schedule Details

Daily

International Assignment

No

Recruiter

Natalie Brewster