Senior Lead Scientist

Job Summary

Looking for a role that challenges you while making an impact on products people use every day? We are seeking a highly accomplished Senior Lead Scientist – Molecule Discovery to play a key role in building and accelerating our next-generation fragrance molecule discovery capability in China.

IFF is a global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients and health & biosciences, we deliver sustainable innovations that elevate everyday products.

Scent: Harnessing the full emotional power of scent, driven by pioneering creativity, science, consumer expertise and a mindful approach to fragrance design.​

The role is based in Shanghai (anchor role), China. Be part of a motivated, passionate, and open-minded team where together we can achieve greatness and make a real impact. Your potential is our inspiration.

Where you will make the difference
Working within the Molecule Discovery organization, this role will translate discovery strategy into high-impact scientific programs, combining molecular design, synthetic chemistry, advanced experimentation, emerging technologies and external innovation to identify and advance differentiated fragrance molecules. The Senior Lead Scientist will provide strong scientific leadership across discovery projects, working at the interface between design, synthesis, analytics, sensory science and downstream development to turn promising molecular concepts into experimentally validated candidates.

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities
Lead molecule discovery programs

- Lead and execute multidisciplinary discovery programs focused on the identification and creation of novel fragrance molecules.

- Translate strategic discovery targets into scientific hypotheses, molecular concepts and actionable experimental programs.

- Drive projects from molecular ideation and design through synthesis, characterization, evaluation and candidate selection.

- Apply strong scientific judgment to prioritize experiments and molecules based on learning, differentiation and downstream potential.
Drive molecular design and chemical innovation

- Apply deep expertise in organic and synthetic chemistry, molecular design and structure-property relationships and AI to explore new chemical space.

- Develop innovative approaches to molecule and library design, including scaffold exploration, analog generation and hypothesis-driven experimentation.

- Connect computational or AI-generated molecular concepts with practical chemistry and experimental validation.

- Challenge conventional approaches and introduce new technologies, methodologies and scientific thinking that can improve discovery productivity and quality.
Connect Design → Make → Test → Learn

- Work closely with computational chemistry, AI, synthetic chemistry, analytical and sensory teams to establish rapid iterative discovery cycles.

- Interpret experimental and computational data to generate new hypotheses and guide subsequent molecular design.

- Ensure high scientific rigor in experimental design, data interpretation and candidate progression.

- Capture scientific learnings systematically to strengthen future discovery programs and organizational knowledge.
Build external scientific leverage

- Identify and work with external scientific partners, including CROs, universities, technology providers and specialist chemistry organizations.

- Translate internal scientific questions into well-defined external work packages and critically assess partner-generated results.

- Leverage the broader China scientific ecosystem to accelerate access to new chemistry, technologies and discovery capabilities.
Advance molecules toward development

- Partner with Process R&D and other downstream functions to assess synthetic feasibility, scalability and technical risks early in discovery.

- Work with analytical and sensory experts to understand molecular identity, purity and olfactive differentiation.

- Integrate relevant IP, sustainability and regulatory considerations into candidate selection and progression.

- Support the transition of successful discovery candidates into the development pipeline.
Scientific leadership & capability building

- Act as a senior scientific role model within the Molecule Discovery organization.

- Mentor scientists and strengthen capabilities in molecular design, synthetic strategy and discovery thinking.

- Foster a culture of scientific curiosity, rigor, speed, experimentation and continuous learning.

- Build strong connections across the global discovery community and contribute beyond individual projects to the evolution of the overall discovery capability.

What makes you the right fit

- PhD in Organic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, Chemical Biology or a related discipline.

- Relevant experience in small-molecule discovery, medicinal chemistry, synthetic chemistry or adjacent discovery environments.

- Deep expertise in organic chemistry and the design and synthesis of novel molecular structures.

- Demonstrated ability to translate scientific hypotheses into molecules and experimentally test them.

- Strong understanding of structure-property relationships and iterative molecular optimization.

- Experience working in complex multidisciplinary discovery programs involving chemistry, computational approaches, analytical science and/or biological or sensory evaluation.

- Ability to assess molecular concepts critically and balance novelty, scientific feasibility, synthetic accessibility and downstream potential.

- Experience working with external research partners, CROs or academic collaborators.

- Strong scientific communication skills and the ability to influence across disciplines and geographies. Fluency in English; Mandarin would be highly valuable for a China-based role.

How would you stand out?

- Strong track record of inventing or discovering novel molecules rather than primarily optimizing established processes.

- Experience applying approaches from medicinal chemistry or drug discovery to explore chemical space systematically.

- Experience with scaffold hopping, library design, SAR/structure-property relationships, high-throughput experimentation or iterative Design–Make–Test–Learn workflows.

- Practical understanding of AI-enabled or computational molecular design and the ability to connect digital predictions with experimental chemistry.

- Strong understanding of modern synthetic technologies such as high-throughput synthesis, catalysis, flow chemistry or other enabling chemistry platforms.

- Demonstrated ability to operate across organizational boundaries and transform complex scientific problems into executable programs.

- An entrepreneurial scientific mindset, combining curiosity and creativity with a strong bias toward experimentation and delivery.

Why Choose Us?
IFF is a global leader in taste, scent, and nutrition, offering customers a wide range of natural solutions. We believe in the power of diverse perspectives and strive for an inclusive workplace where everyone can bring their authentic selves to work, regardless of background or identity. At IFF, we are a creative, collaborative environment that encourages innovation and personal growth.

You will have:

- Opportunities to learn, develop, and expand your expertise across regions

- Be exposed to global projects and participation in worldwide initiatives.

- Receive competitive compensation and benefits package, including performance incentives.

We are a global leader in taste, scent, and nutrition, offering our customers a broader range of natural solutions and accelerating our growth strategy. At IFF, we believe that your uniqueness unleashes our potential. We value the diverse mosaic of the ethnicity, national origin, race, age, sex, or veteran status. We strive for an inclusive workplace that allows each of our colleagues to bring their authentic self to work regardless of their religion, gender identity & expression, sexual orientation, or disability.

Visit IFF.com/careers/workplace-diversity-and-inclusion to learn more