Jazz Discovery and Medicinal Chemistry (D&MC) is looking for a motivated Chemistry summer student, within the Medicinal Chemistry team. The 6-week placement is designed to introduce a selected student to key medicinal chemistry activities and responsibilities as part of the early drug development process

Qualification Requirements
Completed at least one year of a Chemistry-based degree

Salary - £24,000 per annum pro-rata

Benefits

• Holiday Allowance - 25 Days Holiday Allowance, plus Bank Holidays pro-rata

• Pension - Employee 5%, Employer 3%

• Employee Assistance Programme

• On-site

• Flexi time

Location - Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Kent Science Park, Sittingbourne, ME9 8AG

Working Hours
Monday to Friday, 9am – 5.30pm with 60 minute lunch break.

Duration - 6 weeks

Start Date - 29th June 2026

Interview Date - March 2026

Closing Date for Applications - 17th February 2026

Job Description

The Discovery and Medicinal Chemistry department at Jazz Pharmaceuticals are looking for a highly motivated student with a passion for synthetic chemistry and computational chemistry to join our team on a 6-week internship. You will be working within a patient-focused, science-driven and multi-disciplinary biopharmaceutical environment, with exposure to the key activities and responsibilities of a medicinal chemist in the drug discovery process. You will be designing new small molecules using our state-of-the-art computational tools software. Upon identification of good quality molecules, attempt synthesis or shadowing more experienced lab-based chemists to perform reactions. There will be opportunities to deepen your understanding in organic and medicinal chemistry, as well as enhancing your communication skills via presentation of your work to other chemists and wider teams.

Job Responsibilities

• Shadow experienced medicinal chemists to learn best practices in drug design and synthesis.

• Assist in laboratory activities, including preparation and execution of chemical reactions (depending on prior experience and safety training).

• Support computational chemistry projects, such as molecular modelling and predictive analysis using industry-standard tools.

• Participate in team discussions and contribute to problem-solving in drug discovery workflows.

• Understanding and implementing the laboratory risk assessment process to underpin safe laboratory working, aligning with the company’s EHSS standards.

• Learning to interpret experimental observations and results and manage research strategy.

• Clear and detailed recording of experimental procedures and results in an electronic lab notebook.

• Presentation of work in team and project meetings

• Rotation in other departments and functions.

• Writing of one summary report during the placement.

Candidate Requirements

Skills

• Basic understanding of organic chemistry and medicinal chemistry principles.

• Interest in drug design and computational chemistry.

• Strong attention to detail and willingness to learn in a fast-paced environment.

• Passion for drug discovery with a problem-solving attitude.

• Highly motivated individual, with a strong willingness to learn and improve upon knowledge and laboratory skills.

• The ability to interpret experimental results and use conclusions to guide future experimental work.

• Strong oral, written and interpersonal communication skills.

• Ability to work independently through assigned work packages, and to collaborate with other chemists and scientists across diverse departments.

• Excellent organisation skills and time management, with the ability to prioritise tasks and complete within defined deadlines.

Personal Qualities

• Hard-working

• Ability to solve problems, interact with others and manage a varied workload.

• Is self-motivated to achieve high quality results within defined timeframes

• Attention to detail