Remote Pharmaceutical Research Scientist: Drug Discovery

Placements24; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote-first work model

Competitive salary

Private medical insurance

Retirement plan

Professional development support

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a highly motivated Remote Pharmaceutical Research Scientist to join the Drug Discovery team. This fully remote role allows you to contribute to groundbreaking research from home, anywhere in Africa or beyond, with a focus on identifying targets and advancing drug candidates.

The candidate will design and execute experiments, validate targets, synthesize novel molecules, and collaborate with a world-class team, while contributing to publications and regulatory submissions.

Qualifications

• PhD required in a relevant discipline.
• Minimum 5 years post‑doc or industry experience in drug discovery.
• Excellent communication and collaboration in a remote team.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute in vitro and in vivo experiments for drug efficacy and safety.
• Utilize biochemical and cellular assays for target validation and screening.
• Synthesize and characterize novel small molecules with therapeutic potential.
• Contribute to scientific publications, patents, and regulatory submissions.
• Maintain electronic lab notebooks and adhere to safety protocols.

Skills

Communication

Data analysis

Remote collaboration

Independent project management

Education

PhD in Pharmacology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Chemistry or related

Tools

GraphPad Prism

R

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a highly motivated Remote Pharmaceutical Research Scientist to join the Drug Discovery team. This fully remote role allows you to contribute to groundbreaking research from home, anywhere in Africa or beyond, with a focus on identifying targets and advancing drug candidates.

The candidate will design and execute experiments, validate targets, synthesize novel molecules, and collaborate with a world-class team, while contributing to publications and regulatory submissions.