OPT Pharmaceutical Jobs
Pharmaceutical jobs on OPT span drug development, regulatory affairs, clinical research, and quality assurance, all fields where a science or engineering degree maps directly to the specialty occupation standard. STEM OPT extensions apply broadly here, giving you up to three years of authorized work.
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Get Access To All JobsPharmaceutical Research Associate, Product Development
Position Summary:
- Work Schedule: Monday-Friday between 8am-5pm
- 100% on-site (San Diego)
Catalent, Inc. is a leading global Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), and Catalent’s San Diego facility focuses on early-stage development of small molecule and peptide drug candidates from the bench to the clinic. This facility offers an array of services that support oral and injectable dosage forms that include preformulation testing, formulation and analytical development, cGMP manufacturing and clinical packaging, labeling, and worldwide distribution. Our San Diego location is the home of our Catalent Spray Drying technologies with downstream roller compaction capabilities to support the needs of our client’s most challenging compounds.
Catalent Pharma Solutions is hiring a Lab Assistant (Intern) for multiple departments on our San Diego, CA team. Through guided mentorship, the Student Lab Intern program offers students a fun and stimulating environment to gain lab experience and exposure to pharmaceutical chemistry development. Lab Assistants will have the opportunity to learn analytical chemistry techniques such as: volumetric analysis, spectroscopy, and liquid chromatography.
An individual at the level of Pharmaceutical Research Associate will be expected to understand and execute basic formulation and characterization procedures in order to develop preclinical and human clinical drug products under supervision. This candidate is expected to have attained experience in solid state characterization techniques necessary for the development of oral solid dosage form drug products.
This is a student internship
The Role:
- Conduct physical characterization activities of solid-state materials for the purpose of downstream drug development activities.
- Leverage previous experience in polymer science to conduct formulation development and drug product characterization activities under supervision
- Prepare reports, summaries, protocols, batch records, and quantitative analyses
- Clear and accurate record keeping in laboratory notebooks
- Impact of decisions limited to their personal workload
- Limited client interaction will be supported by supervisor
- Development of problem-solving skills for experimental outcomes
- Experimental design and execution will be under a supervisor’s direction
- Training on scientific techniques, CMC strategy, GMPs, and ICH Guidance is emphasized
- Comply with good housekeeping and safety practices
- Personnel management is not expected
Other duties as assigned
The Candidate:
- Must be currently enrolled in a Graduate program
- Requires a Bachelors degree in Chemical, Physical, Pharmaceutical or Biological and at least one year of experience with basic formulation or laboratory techniques
- Physical Requirements: On an average day this position requires the ability to walk, sit and stand, use hands to handle or feel, reach with hands and arms at or above shoulder height and below waist height, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk and hear, smell and lift up to 25 pounds. Specific vision requirements including reading of written documents, visual inspection of materials and use of computer monitor screen frequently
Pay:
- The starting hourly compensation for this position in San Diego, CA is $31.25/hour to $32.21/hour. The final salary offered to a successful candidate may vary, and will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to: the type and length of experience within the job, type and length of experience within the industry, skillset, education, business needs, etc. Catalent is a multi-state employer, and this salary range may not reflect positions that work in other states.
Why you should join Catalent:
- Awesome employee activities: Movie Day, Monthly Birthday Celebrations, Friday Bagel Breakfast, On-site Fitness Center with machines, on-site yoga and HIIT classes, Sponsored Sports Teams, and several other company-sponsored events that encourages positive employee comradery, which contributes to effectively building positive employee relationships, overall creating a positive work environment.
- Environmentally friendly green initiatives with on-site practices as well as regularly participating in Beach Clean-up activities for community engagement.
- Several Employee Resource Groups focusing on Diversity and Inclusion.
- Competitive salary/hourly rate offering students an amazing company to add to your resume before graduation with exciting hands-on lab experience.
- Positive and fast-paced working environment focusing on continually improving processes to remain innovative and dynamic.
Catalent offers rewarding opportunities to further your career! Join the global drug development and delivery leader and help us bring over 7,000 life-saving and life-enhancing products to patients around the world. Catalent is an exciting and growing international company where employees work directly with pharma, biopharma and consumer health companies of all sizes to advance new medicines from early development to clinical trials and to the market. Catalent produces more than 70 billion doses per year, and each one will be used by someone who is counting on us. Join us in making a difference.
personal initiative. dynamic pace. meaningful work.
Visit Catalent Careers to explore career opportunities.
Catalent is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and veterans.
If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process due to a disability, you may submit your request by sending an email, and confirming your request for an accommodation and include the job number, title and location to DisabilityAccommodations@catalent.com. This option is reserved for individuals who require accommodation due to a disability. Information received will be processed by a U.S. Catalent employee and then routed to a local recruiter who will provide assistance to ensure appropriate consideration in the application or hiring process.
Notice to Agency and Search Firm Representatives: Catalent Pharma Solutions (Catalent) is not accepting unsolicited resumes from agencies and/or search firms for this job posting. Resumes submitted to any Catalent employee by a third party agency and/or search firm without a valid written & signed search agreement, will become the sole property of Catalent. No fee will be paid if a candidate is hired for this position as a result of an unsolicited agency or search firm referral. Thank you.
Important Security Notice to U.S. Job Seekers:
Catalent NEVER asks candidates to provide any type of payment, bank details, photocopies of identification, social security number or other highly sensitive personal information during the offer process, and we NEVER do so via email or social media. If you receive any such request, DO NOT respond— it is a fraudulent request. Please forward such requests to spam@catalent.com for us to investigate with local authorities.
California Job Seekers can find our California Job Applicant Notice HERE.
Volunteer Work Disclosure: Applicants for employment in Massachusetts may include in their employment history any verified work performed on a volunteer basis.
Massachusetts Lie Detector Test Notice: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law may be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. Consistent with Massachusetts law, Catalent does not require or administer lie detector tests as a condition of employment or continued employment.
Pharmaceutical Research Associate, Product Development
Position Summary:
- Work Schedule: Monday-Friday between 8am-5pm
- 100% on-site (San Diego)
Catalent, Inc. is a leading global Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), and Catalent’s San Diego facility focuses on early-stage development of small molecule and peptide drug candidates from the bench to the clinic. This facility offers an array of services that support oral and injectable dosage forms that include preformulation testing, formulation and analytical development, cGMP manufacturing and clinical packaging, labeling, and worldwide distribution. Our San Diego location is the home of our Catalent Spray Drying technologies with downstream roller compaction capabilities to support the needs of our client’s most challenging compounds.
Catalent Pharma Solutions is hiring a Lab Assistant (Intern) for multiple departments on our San Diego, CA team. Through guided mentorship, the Student Lab Intern program offers students a fun and stimulating environment to gain lab experience and exposure to pharmaceutical chemistry development. Lab Assistants will have the opportunity to learn analytical chemistry techniques such as: volumetric analysis, spectroscopy, and liquid chromatography.
An individual at the level of Pharmaceutical Research Associate will be expected to understand and execute basic formulation and characterization procedures in order to develop preclinical and human clinical drug products under supervision. This candidate is expected to have attained experience in solid state characterization techniques necessary for the development of oral solid dosage form drug products.
This is a student internship
The Role:
- Conduct physical characterization activities of solid-state materials for the purpose of downstream drug development activities.
- Leverage previous experience in polymer science to conduct formulation development and drug product characterization activities under supervision
- Prepare reports, summaries, protocols, batch records, and quantitative analyses
- Clear and accurate record keeping in laboratory notebooks
- Impact of decisions limited to their personal workload
- Limited client interaction will be supported by supervisor
- Development of problem-solving skills for experimental outcomes
- Experimental design and execution will be under a supervisor’s direction
- Training on scientific techniques, CMC strategy, GMPs, and ICH Guidance is emphasized
- Comply with good housekeeping and safety practices
- Personnel management is not expected
Other duties as assigned
The Candidate:
- Must be currently enrolled in a Graduate program
- Requires a Bachelors degree in Chemical, Physical, Pharmaceutical or Biological and at least one year of experience with basic formulation or laboratory techniques
- Physical Requirements: On an average day this position requires the ability to walk, sit and stand, use hands to handle or feel, reach with hands and arms at or above shoulder height and below waist height, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk and hear, smell and lift up to 25 pounds. Specific vision requirements including reading of written documents, visual inspection of materials and use of computer monitor screen frequently
Pay:
- The starting hourly compensation for this position in San Diego, CA is $31.25/hour to $32.21/hour. The final salary offered to a successful candidate may vary, and will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to: the type and length of experience within the job, type and length of experience within the industry, skillset, education, business needs, etc. Catalent is a multi-state employer, and this salary range may not reflect positions that work in other states.
Why you should join Catalent:
- Awesome employee activities: Movie Day, Monthly Birthday Celebrations, Friday Bagel Breakfast, On-site Fitness Center with machines, on-site yoga and HIIT classes, Sponsored Sports Teams, and several other company-sponsored events that encourages positive employee comradery, which contributes to effectively building positive employee relationships, overall creating a positive work environment.
- Environmentally friendly green initiatives with on-site practices as well as regularly participating in Beach Clean-up activities for community engagement.
- Several Employee Resource Groups focusing on Diversity and Inclusion.
- Competitive salary/hourly rate offering students an amazing company to add to your resume before graduation with exciting hands-on lab experience.
- Positive and fast-paced working environment focusing on continually improving processes to remain innovative and dynamic.
Catalent offers rewarding opportunities to further your career! Join the global drug development and delivery leader and help us bring over 7,000 life-saving and life-enhancing products to patients around the world. Catalent is an exciting and growing international company where employees work directly with pharma, biopharma and consumer health companies of all sizes to advance new medicines from early development to clinical trials and to the market. Catalent produces more than 70 billion doses per year, and each one will be used by someone who is counting on us. Join us in making a difference.
personal initiative. dynamic pace. meaningful work.
Visit Catalent Careers to explore career opportunities.
Catalent is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and veterans.
If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process due to a disability, you may submit your request by sending an email, and confirming your request for an accommodation and include the job number, title and location to DisabilityAccommodations@catalent.com. This option is reserved for individuals who require accommodation due to a disability. Information received will be processed by a U.S. Catalent employee and then routed to a local recruiter who will provide assistance to ensure appropriate consideration in the application or hiring process.
Notice to Agency and Search Firm Representatives: Catalent Pharma Solutions (Catalent) is not accepting unsolicited resumes from agencies and/or search firms for this job posting. Resumes submitted to any Catalent employee by a third party agency and/or search firm without a valid written & signed search agreement, will become the sole property of Catalent. No fee will be paid if a candidate is hired for this position as a result of an unsolicited agency or search firm referral. Thank you.
Important Security Notice to U.S. Job Seekers:
Catalent NEVER asks candidates to provide any type of payment, bank details, photocopies of identification, social security number or other highly sensitive personal information during the offer process, and we NEVER do so via email or social media. If you receive any such request, DO NOT respond— it is a fraudulent request. Please forward such requests to spam@catalent.com for us to investigate with local authorities.
California Job Seekers can find our California Job Applicant Notice HERE.
Volunteer Work Disclosure: Applicants for employment in Massachusetts may include in their employment history any verified work performed on a volunteer basis.
Massachusetts Lie Detector Test Notice: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law may be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. Consistent with Massachusetts law, Catalent does not require or administer lie detector tests as a condition of employment or continued employment.
See all 34+ OPT Pharmaceutical Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Pharmaceutical Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Pharmaceutical
Target companies with established OPT hiring pipelines
Large pharmaceutical and biotech employers like Pfizer, Merck, and Johnson & Johnson hire OPT students regularly. Their HR teams understand work authorization requirements, which removes friction from the hiring process and speeds up onboarding.
Confirm your role qualifies as a specialty occupation
Pharmaceutical roles must require a bachelor's degree or higher in a specific field to qualify. Clinical research associate, regulatory affairs specialist, and formulation scientist roles typically meet this standard. Generic lab technician titles sometimes do not.
Apply before your OPT start date whenever possible
Employers can hire you before your OPT card arrives if your I-20 shows an authorized start date. Starting the process early reduces gaps and gives employers confidence you've planned your authorization timeline carefully.
Highlight STEM OPT eligibility in your application materials
Pharmaceutical roles almost always fall under STEM-designated CIP codes. Mentioning your 24-month STEM OPT extension eligibility upfront reassures employers that they have a longer hiring window before any H-1B visa decision is needed.
Understand the E-Verify requirement for STEM OPT employers
To hire STEM OPT students, employers must be enrolled in E-Verify. Confirm this before your final interview round. Most major pharmaceutical companies already comply, but smaller contract research organizations may not.
Get your training plan documentation right from day one
STEM OPT requires a signed Form I-983 training plan outlining your learning goals and supervisor details. Work with your employer and DSO early to complete this accurately. Errors can delay your STEM OPT application and interrupt authorized employment.
Pharmaceutical OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Do pharmaceutical jobs qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Most pharmaceutical roles qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension because they fall under STEM-designated degree programs like pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry, biology, and biomedical engineering. Your degree's CIP code determines eligibility, not the job title itself. Check with your DSO to confirm your program qualifies before accepting an offer.
How do I find pharmaceutical employers who sponsor OPT students?
Migrate Mate is the best place to start. It lists pharmaceutical jobs from employers who actively hire OPT students, so you're not spending time on roles that won't work with your work authorization status. Larger pharmaceutical and contract research organizations tend to have the most established OPT hiring processes.
Can I work at a contract research organization (CRO) on OPT?
Yes. Contract research organizations are valid OPT employers as long as the role constitutes a specialty occupation and is directly related to your degree. For STEM OPT, the CRO must also be enrolled in E-Verify. Some smaller CROs are not, so confirm their E-Verify enrollment status before you reach the offer stage.
What degree fields support pharmaceutical OPT jobs?
Pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry, biochemistry, biology, biomedical engineering, and public health are the most common qualifying degree fields. Regulatory affairs and clinical operations roles also accept degrees in life sciences or health sciences. The key is that your degree field must have a direct and logical relationship to the specific job duties being performed.
What happens to my OPT authorization if my pharmaceutical employer is acquired or merges with another company?
If your employer is acquired or merges, your OPT authorization generally remains valid as long as your job duties and title stay substantially the same. For STEM OPT students, a successor employer must also be enrolled in E-Verify and you'll need to update your Form I-983 training plan. Notify your DSO promptly and document the corporate change.