Drug Discovery Scientist — Hybrid: Lab + Remote Data

Placements24; Stellenbosch; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Cutting-edge facilities

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Pharmaceutical Research Scientist to join its cutting-edge R&D team in Stellenbosch. The hybrid role balances laboratory-based research with remote data analysis and reporting, enabling you to contribute to the discovery and development of novel therapeutic compounds.

You will collaborate with medicinal chemists, biologists, and clinicians to drive projects from concept to early-stage development in a state-of-the-art facility, applying rigorous experimental design,

Qualifications

• PhD or Master’s in Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Chemistry or related life science field.
• 3–5 years post‑doctoral or industry research experience in drug discovery.
• Proven experience with molecular and cellular biology techniques and assay development.
• Strong understanding of drug discovery processes and principles.

Responsibilities

• Design, execute, and optimize complex laboratory experiments to identify and characterize drug candidates.
• Perform advanced analytical techniques and interpret data to guide research direction.
• Contribute to development of new drug discovery methodologies and technologies.
• Collaborate with medicinal chemists, biologists, and pharmacologists to advance projects.
• Document procedures, results, and conclusions in notebooks and reports.
• Stay abreast of literature and industry trends in pharmaceutical research.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Scientific communication

Laboratory techniques

Remote data analysis

Education

PhD or Master's in Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Chemistry

Tools

Assay development

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Pharmaceutical Research Scientist to join its cutting-edge R&D team in Stellenbosch. The hybrid role balances laboratory-based research with remote data analysis and reporting, enabling you to contribute to the discovery and development of novel therapeutic compounds.

You will collaborate with medicinal chemists, biologists, and clinicians to drive projects from concept to early-stage development in a state-of-the-art facility, applying rigorous experimental design,