Green Card Senior Clinical Research Scientist Jobs
Senior Clinical Research Scientist roles at pharmaceutical companies, CROs, and academic medical centers regularly qualify for EB-2 and EB-3 green card sponsorship through PERM labor certification. Employers file on your behalf, certifying that no equally qualified U.S. worker is available. Advanced degrees in life sciences and documented clinical trial experience strengthen both your PERM audit defense and your I-140 petition.
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At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.
Organization Overview
The Director/Senior Director, Imaging Clinical Research Scientist is a key member of the medical development team, leading the clinical development of diagnostic radiopharmaceutical imaging programs, with a focus on oncology, immunology and cardiovascular disease. This role spans both diagnostic and therapeutic applications and contributes across the full clinical development life cycle, from early phase studies through registration trials. The successful candidate will be a translational scientist whose research background and expertise bridges disease biology, biomarker science, and clinical trial execution. In addition, the candidate will serve as an internal scientific expert in molecular imaging, partnering closely with cross functional teams and external collaborators to advance innovative imaging strategies.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the design and execution of integrated clinical development programs for diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals in oncology, immunology and cardiovascular diseases across early and late-phase development.
- Define clinical strategies, endpoints, patient populations, and imaging criteria for each phase of development.
- Design studies to evaluate diagnostic accuracy, optimal imaging timing, patient selection biomarkers, and comparative performance versus standard-of-care imaging.
- Serve as a scientific expert in molecular imaging modalities, including PET, SPECT, CT, and MRI (e.g., imaging of vascular and myocardial inflammation, autoimmune disease activity, atherosclerotic plaque, and cardiac amyloidosis), with applicability to oncology and emerging theranostic platforms a plus.
- Analyze and interpret molecular imaging data (e.g., PET/CT, SPECT/CT), including tumor localization, tracer biodistribution, dosimetry considerations, and longitudinal response assessment. Evaluate and interpret imaging biomarkers for patient stratification, disease activity assessment, and disease monitoring across immune-mediated and cardiovascular conditions.
- Evaluate imaging performance metrics such as sensitivity, specificity, standardized uptake values (SUVs), and tumor to background ratios.
- Provide strategic input into the development, validation, and quantitative evaluation of advanced image analysis methods.
- Apply knowledge of oncology, immune-mediated, cardiovascular, and/or metabolic disease biology to guide the scientific strategy of diagnostic imaging programs.
- Collaborate internally with physicians, scientists, medical physicists, as well as with imaging operations and advanced image analysis teams.
- Lead cross functional projects and coordinate with external partners, including CROs, academic institutions, software developers, and scanner manufacturers, to support imaging method validation and implementation.
- Evaluate emerging scientific and technological advances in imaging, including modeling approaches and artificial intelligence, and drive their application in clinical programs.
- Author and review key clinical and regulatory documents, including Investigator’s Brochures, protocols, protocol amendments, clinical study reports, and regulatory briefing documents.
- Contribute to the development of technical manuals and imaging related trial documentation.
- Communicate scientific findings through internal presentations, conference abstracts, and peer reviewed publications.
- Other duties as assigned.
Basic Requirements:
- PhD in a relevant field.
- Minimum 5 years clinical development experience; minimum 3 years industry experience.
Additional Skills/Preferences:
- Tracer development experience and experience in oncology, immunology and/or cardiology is highly preferred.
- Strong problem-solving skills; able to anticipate and recognize systemic problems, diagnose root causes and take corrective actions to prevent reoccurrence.
- Familiarity with Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and regulatory requirements.
- Strong ability to balance scientific and business priorities.
- Demonstrated communication, collaboration, organizational, and influencing skills.
- Fluency in written and spoken English.
- Travel estimated at 10-15%.
Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.
Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.
Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and are open to all employees. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia (AMECA), Black Employees at Lilly (BE@Lilly), Chinese Culture Network (CCN), EnAble, Evolve, Lilly Indian Network (LIN), Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), Pride (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN) and Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL).
Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $177,000 - $338,800.
Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k); pension; vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities). Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Green Card Sponsorship as a Senior Clinical Research Scientist
Document your protocol authorship before applying
PERM audits for Clinical Research Scientist roles often scrutinize whether your credentials match the job requirements. Compile evidence of protocols you've authored, INDs or NDAs you've contributed to, and any regulatory submissions you've supported before your employer files.
Target sponsors with existing PERM filing infrastructure
Large pharma companies, CROs, and academic medical centers already have immigration counsel and established PERM processes. Smaller biotech startups may be willing to sponsor but lack the infrastructure, which can add months to your timeline and increase audit risk.
Verify your role qualifies under EB-2 versus EB-3
If your position requires a master's degree or you hold a Ph.D. with specialized clinical expertise, push your employer to file under EB-2. EB-3 covers most professionals but carries longer priority date backlogs for certain nationalities.
Search for sponsoring employers using Migrate Mate
Use Migrate Mate to filter Senior Clinical Research Scientist roles by employers with active green card filing history. This lets you focus applications on organizations that already understand PERM and I-140 timelines rather than educating employers from scratch.
Confirm the prevailing wage tier before your offer
Your employer's PERM labor certification must certify a wage at or above the DOL prevailing wage for your specific job zone and location. Use the OFLC Wage Search to check the wage level independently and ensure your offered salary meets the requirement before you accept.
Negotiate a clear sponsorship commitment in your offer letter
Ask your employer to specify in writing that they will initiate PERM within a set timeframe, typically within your first year. Without this, some employers delay filing indefinitely, which matters if your current work authorization has an expiration date.
Green Card Senior Clinical Research Scientist: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Senior Clinical Research Scientist role typically qualify for EB-2 or EB-3 green card sponsorship?
Most Senior Clinical Research Scientist positions qualify for EB-2 because they routinely require a master's degree or Ph.D. in a life sciences field. If your employer's job description specifies an advanced degree as a minimum requirement and your credentials match, USCIS will generally classify the petition under EB-2. Roles requiring only a bachelor's degree fall under EB-3 skilled worker.
How does green card sponsorship differ from H-1B sponsorship for this role?
H-1B visa is a temporary status with a three-year initial period and annual lottery exposure. Green card sponsorship through PERM leads to permanent residency with no renewal risk. The EB-3 category has no annual cap on petitions filed, though visa number availability varies by nationality. The process takes longer, typically two to four years from PERM filing to approval for most applicants, but the outcome is permanent.
What makes a PERM application for a Clinical Research Scientist role vulnerable to a DOL audit?
Audits often trigger when the job description includes requirements that appear tailored to the foreign worker specifically, such as experience with a proprietary clinical data system used only by that employer. DOL also flags unusual combinations of degree requirements and experience levels. Keeping job requirements consistent with what you'd ask of any qualified hire reduces audit exposure.
How can I find employers who actively sponsor green cards for this role?
Migrate Mate lets you search Senior Clinical Research Scientist roles filtered by employers with documented green card and PERM filing history. This removes guesswork and lets you prioritize applications to organizations that already have immigration processes in place, rather than those that might be open to sponsorship in principle but have never filed.
Can I switch employers after my PERM is approved but before I receive my green card?
Yes, under AC21 portability rules, if your I-140 has been approved and your I-485 adjustment of status application has been pending for 180 days or more, you can move to a new employer in a same or similar occupational classification. For Senior Clinical Research Scientists, a comparable role at another pharma or CRO employer generally qualifies, but you should consult an immigration attorney before making that move.