Associate Principal Scientist Jobs
Associate Principal Scientist jobs are open across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, and chemical manufacturing, at senior individual-contributor and near-principal levels, with specializations in drug discovery, analytical chemistry, and translational biology. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Position Overview:
The CSRM Physician is a leader in pharmacovigilance and is responsible for the overall clinical risk management and safety surveillance of assigned investigational and marketed products. As chairs of the Risk Management Safety Team, CSRM physicians lead the development and maintenance of risk management and pharmacovigilance plans.
Primary Activities:
- Engage directly in product development activities via core membership on Product Development Teams and chairmanship of the Risk Management and Safety Team, and other related sub-team participation, for assigned products. This may include participation in internal and joint internal/external research project teams relevant to the development of new compounds and the further study of marketed compounds.
- Partners with clinical development to ensure that clinical programs will support robust safety assessment of investigational compounds. Works with Clinical Research to develop the benefit-risk evaluation in aggregate safety reports.
- The CSRM Physician works closely with cross-functional team members including those from clinical development, epidemiology, regulatory affairs, statistics, and manufacturing to manage safety topics under evaluation to ensure efforts are aligned to meet global pharmacovigilance and risk management strategies for assigned products.
- Duties include all aspects of safety data evaluation, including assessing safety from multiple sources, e.g., clinical trials, literature and post-approval use and ensuring completeness of safety information in company core data sheets.
- Accountable for scientific strategy for safety related documents (e.g., CTD components, Risk Management Plans and Periodic Safety Update Reports) and for ensuring that the safety sections of Company product circulars are medically and scientifically appropriate.
- Responsible for safety surveillance activities for assigned products such as aggregate clinical trial data analysis and post approval safety signaling reviews, using medical judgment in review of aggregate data and individual cases. Collaborates with CSRM Associate in the oversight of safety surveillance activities for assigned products.
- Responsible for risk management activities such as contributing to recommendations for pharmacovigilance actions, making recommendations for labeling, and developing the Risk Management Plans, pharmacovigilance strategies and risk minimization activities in collaboration with CSRM Associate.
- Oversees the review and approval of product labeling files stored in the safety database and demonstrates a working knowledge of MedDRA.
- The CSRM Physician prepares safety summaries and analyses of safety related data for regulatory documents, aggregate reports, and summaries in support of regulatory filings and may supervise the activities of CSRM medical associates in the execution of safety data analysis and authoring of regulatory documents.
- Participates in the development, implementation and evaluation of standards, processes, metrics, and other department initiatives.
- Required: MD, DO, or equivalent
- Preferred: Board Certification
- Minimum of 3 years clinical experience following post-graduate medical training or other relevant clinical experience
- Prior experience in drug development (may include clinical development and/or regulatory)
- Experience in clinical safety, pharmacovigilance and/or risk management
- Demonstrated organizational leadership skills, preferably in the employment areas noted above.
- Excellent communication, writing and analytic skills
Clinical Development, Clinical Risk Management, Clinical Safety, Clinical Training, Drug Development, Drug Safety Surveillance, Pharmacovigilance, Regulatory Documents, Risk Management, Safety Assessment Reports
Preferred Skills:
Current Employees apply HERE
Current Contingent Workers apply HERE
US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:
Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.
As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:
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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.
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The primary location for this posting is:
USA - New Jersey - Rahway
Where required by law, the compensation range for this role is provided below.
The salary range for the primary location of this role is:
$282,200.00 - $444,200.00
This range reflects the Company's reasonable expectation of the base salary applicable to this role at the time of posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs. The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.
We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.
Additional location(s): Please note the salary range above applies to the Primary Location of the position. Where a role has other listed locations, different compensation guidelines may apply. You may find the salary ranges for additional locations below. If the salary range is not listed for the location you are applying to, our Talent Acquisition team will provide further information to you relevant to your location.
Additional location(s) Compensation Information:
San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance
Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance
Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.
Employee Status:
Regular
Relocation:
No relocation
VISA Sponsorship:
No
Travel Requirements:
10%
Flexible Work Arrangements:
Remote
Shift:
Not Indicated
Valid Driving License:
No
Hazardous Material(s):
n/a
Job Posting End Date:
11/14/2026*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.
Requisition ID: R426230
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Find JobsAssociate Principal Scientist Job Market
Who's Hiring
- Merck33

- Amazon27

- AbbVie21

- Genentech16

- Capital One14

Top Industries Hiring
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals25
- Technology & Software23
- Consulting & Professional Services8
- Retail7
- Science & Research7
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in associate principal scientist jobs.
- PhD in life sciences, chemistry, or a related field with five or more years of industry experience
- Demonstrated experience designing and executing complex in vitro or in vivo experimental programs
- Proficiency with analytical platforms such as mass spectrometry, flow cytometry, or next-generation sequencing
- Proven ability to lead cross-functional project teams and communicate scientific findings to non-specialist stakeholders
- Experience authoring regulatory documents including INDs, briefing packages, or technical reports
- Familiarity with GLP or GMP environments and working knowledge of ICH guidelines
Tips for Your Associate Principal Scientist Job Search
Align your resume to pipeline stage
Hiring managers in this role scan for the development phase you've worked in, whether preclinical, IND-enabling, or Phase II. Name the specific stage on your resume for each project, not just the molecule or platform, so reviewers can place you immediately.
Highlight cross-functional scientific leadership
Associate principal scientist postings almost always require steering project teams without direct authority. Call out times you drove alignment between biology, formulation, and regulatory affairs on a shared deliverable, not just your individual experimental contributions.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists associate principal scientist openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Target postings by therapeutic area precisely
Oncology, rare disease, and immunology teams hire associate principal scientists on different timelines and for different depth of expertise. Filter your search to your specific therapeutic background rather than applying broadly, since technical screens are area-specific from the first call.
Prepare a data-defense narrative for interviews
Expect to walk through a full study from hypothesis to decision, including experiments that failed and how you redirected the program. Practice explaining the scientific rationale behind a go or no-go call you influenced, not just the methods you ran.
Negotiate scope alongside compensation
At this level, the number of direct reports, budget authority, and whether the role is a path to principal scientist matter as much as base pay. Ask explicitly about promotion criteria and program ownership during the offer stage, before you accept.
Associate Principal Scientist Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most associate principal scientists?
The most active employers for associate principal scientists right now are Merck, Amazon, and AbbVie, and the most openings are in California, Massachusetts, and Washington, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Demand tends to cluster around large biopharma campuses and contract research organizations with active late-stage pipelines.
How many associate principal scientist jobs are remote?
About 54% of associate principal scientist openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, though the share varies by function. Roles centered on computational biology, bioinformatics, or regulatory writing are most likely to offer remote flexibility, while positions requiring hands-on lab work or GMP oversight typically require on-site presence.
How do you become an associate principal scientist?
Most associate principal scientists earn a PhD in a relevant field, then spend several years as a scientist or senior scientist building deep technical expertise and project ownership in an industry setting. Advancing typically requires leading cross-functional studies, contributing to regulatory filings, and demonstrating that you can drive scientific strategy rather than execute tasks assigned by others.
Can you get an associate principal scientist role with limited industry experience?
It's uncommon but not impossible for someone early in their career to reach this level. Postdoctoral researchers who have led industry-sponsored collaborations, managed junior scientists, and published in applied therapeutic areas sometimes make the jump. Targeting smaller biotechs, which compress titles more than large pharma, and coming in with a narrow but deep technical specialty improves your chances significantly.
What does the associate principal scientist interview process look like?
Most processes run three to five rounds, starting with a recruiter screen and a hiring manager conversation focused on your scientific background. A technical presentation where you walk through a research project in depth is standard at this level. Later rounds typically include panel interviews with cross-functional partners from regulatory, clinical, or manufacturing teams who assess how you communicate science and handle program-level decisions.
Where can I find and apply to associate principal scientist jobs?
You can find and apply to associate principal scientist jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search for roles that match your therapeutic area and technical background, then apply directly to each listing that fits your experience.
See All 503+ Associate Principal Scientist Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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