Preclinical Research Jobs
Drug discovery and preclinical research is the earliest stage of drug development -- identifying and validating new drug targets, discovering candidate compounds, and testing them in non-human (preclinical) studies before a compound is ever tried in a human trial.
Common titles include Research Associate, Research Scientist, Preclinical Study Director, and Director of Discovery Research. Hiring comes from biotech and pharma R&D labs and from CROs that run preclinical studies on a sponsor's behalf.
Research associate roles often accept a bachelor's or master's degree in a life science; research scientist and study director titles typically expect a PhD. Because the work involves hands-on bench research and animal studies, most roles are lab-based and on-site rather than remote.
Top Hiring Companies
AbbVie
120
Amgen
101
Roche
51
Boehringer Ingelheim
40
Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research Jobs by Location
North Chicago, United States 61 Cambridge, United States 55 Thousand Oaks, United States 47 Tarrytown, United States 36 Indianapolis, United States 29 Boston, United States 29 South San Francisco, United States 28 Foster City, United States 26Get new Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research jobs by email
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does a preclinical research job pay?
Pay varies significantly by role and degree level. Where an employer discloses a salary range, it's shown directly on the individual job listing.
What degree do you need for a preclinical research job?
A bachelor's or master's in a life science is common for research associate roles; a PhD is typically expected for research scientist and study director titles.
Are preclinical research jobs remote?
Mostly no -- this is hands-on bench and animal-study research that requires being in the lab.
What's the difference between preclinical research and clinical development?
Preclinical research happens before a compound is ever tested in humans. Clinical development takes over once a compound clears preclinical testing and moves into human trials.