Principal Scientist - Pharmaceutical Development

Placements24; Willows (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Medical benefits

Career development

Flexible vacation

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a distinguished Principal Scientist to lead critical projects in their Pharmaceutical Development division in Welkom. The role focuses on pre-formulation, formulation, and process development of novel drug candidates, ensuring stability, efficacy, and manufacturability.

You will collaborate with analytical development, regulatory affairs, and manufacturing, providing technical leadership and mentorship to a team of formulation scientists to advance candidates through

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related discipline.
• 10+ years of pharmaceutical formulation development experience.
• Proven leadership of complex formulation and process development projects.
• Excellent problem-solving, leadership, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and optimization of innovative drug formulations for various delivery routes.
• Design pre-formulation studies to understand drug substance characteristics and stability.
• Develop and validate scalable manufacturing processes for drug products.
• Oversee analytical method development and validation for formulation and process control.
• Provide scientific leadership and mentorship to a team of formulation scientists.
• Prepare regulatory documentation (IND, NDA).

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Problem solving

Communication

Mentorship

Education

Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences

Chemistry

Chemical Engineering

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking a distinguished Principal Scientist to lead critical projects within their Pharmaceutical Development division in Welkom . This senior role will focus on the pre-formulation, formulation, and process development of novel drug candidates, ensuring their stability, efficacy, and manufacturability. You will leverage extensive scientific expertise to overcome complex formulation challenges and guide projects through key developmental milestones. Collaborating with cross-functional teams including analytical development, regulatory affairs, and manufacturing, you will play an instrumental role in bringing life-changing medicines to patients. This is a senior position requiring deep technical knowledge and strong leadership capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and optimization of innovative drug formulations for various delivery routes.
• Design and execute pre-formulation studies to understand drug substance characteristics and stability.
• Develop and validate manufacturing processes for drug products, ensuring scalability and reproducibility.
• Oversee analytical method development and validation to support formulation and process control.
• Provide scientific leadership and mentorship to a team of formulation scientists.
• Prepare comprehensive documentation for regulatory submissions (e.g., IND, NDA).

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in pharmaceutical formulation development, with a strong understanding of drug delivery systems.
• Proven experience in leading complex formulation and process development projects from early stage to commercialization.
• Expertise in solid-state chemistry, solubility enhancement techniques, and parenteral formulations.
• Familiarity with regulatory guidelines and requirements for drug development.
• Excellent problem-solving, leadership, and communication skills.

Benefits

• Exceptional salary and bonus structure, commensurate with experience.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Significant opportunities for career advancement and professional development.
• Generous paid vacation and flexible working arrangements.
• Contribute to the advancement of medicine from our cutting-edge facility in Welkom .