Principal Scientist, Pharmaceutical Development

Who We Are:

Neurocrine Biosciences is a leading biopharmaceutical company with a simple purpose: to relieve suffering for people with great needs. We are dedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing life-changing treatments for patients with under-addressed neurological, psychiatric, endocrine and immunological disorders. The company's diverse portfolio includes FDA-approved treatments for tardive dyskinesia, chorea associated with Huntington's disease, classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia, hyperphagia in Prader-Willi syndrome, endometriosis* and uterine fibroids*, as well as a robust pipeline including multiple compounds in mid- to late-phase clinical development across our core therapeutic areas. For more than three decades, we have applied our unique insight into neuroscience and the interconnections between brain and body systems to treat complex conditions. We relentlessly pursue medicines to ease the burden of debilitating diseases and disorders, because you deserve brave science. For more information, visit  neurocrine.com , and follow the company on  LinkedIn ,  X , Facebook and YouTube . ( *in collaboration with AbbVie )

About the Role:

Neurocrine Biosciences is seeking an experienced Principal Scientist, Preformulation & Pharmaceutical Development, to provide scientific expertise, technical oversight, and strategic guidance across multiple drug development programs.

Serve as a senior technical leader within Pharmaceutical Development, representing Technical Operations in project teams across the product lifecycle from early discovery into clinical development.

The successful candidate will collaborate with Discovery, Preclinical and Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmaceutical Development, Analytical Development, and other Technical Operations functions to anticipate downstream development challenges and support the advancement of safe, effective, and developable drug candidates.

The Principal Scientist will apply broad pharmaceutical industry experience to develop fit-for purpose analytical methods, guide preformulation strategies, assess developability risks, critically evaluate scientific data, and provide recommendations that inform candidate selection, formulation development, and CMC decision-making across process development, material characterization, and analytical strategies to enable phase-appropriate development, manage developability risks, and support intellectual property and commercial objectives. _

Your Contributions (include, but are not limited to):

Serve as a scientific subject matter expert in preformulation and pharmaceutical developability, providing technical guidance and strategic recommendations across multiple drug development programs, primarily supporting pre-FIH activities

Design and develop fit-for-purpose phase-appropriate analytical methods (HPLC-UV, LC-MS, MS-MS, SEC-HPLC, etc.) studies in support of early pharmaceutical development activities

Design, execute, and oversee phase-appropriate preformulation and developability studies, including physicochemical characterization, solubility, stability, formulation feasibility, and analytical method development

Apply broad pharmaceutical development experience to identify developability risks, evaluate experimental findings, and recommend strategies that support candidate selection, formulation development, and CMC decision-making

Provide independent scientific review of experimental designs, analytical data, electronic laboratory notebooks, technical reports, developability assessments, and regulatory documentation to ensure scientific rigor and quality

Serve as a technical mentor to scientists, providing guidance on experimental approaches, troubleshooting, data interpretation, scientific writing, and development best practices

Collaborate with multidisciplinary R&D and Technical Operations teams to communicate scientific findings, anticipate downstream development challenges, and influence program strategy and advancement

Evaluate and implement innovative analytical technologies, scientific approaches, and process improvements to enhance preformulation capabilities and development efficiency

Author and review technical reports, scientific presentations, and relevant regulatory submissions while supporting knowledge sharing and scientific excellence across the organization

Other duties as assigned

Requirements:

BS/BA degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related field and 8+ years of pharmaceutical industry experience, specifically in a chemistry, analytical, or characterization laboratory setting OR

MS/MA degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related field and 6+ years of similar experience noted above OR

PhD in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related field and 4+ years of similar experience noted above; may include postdoc experience

Strong cross-functional understanding related to molecule selection and drug development is strongly preferredMust have technical expertise in analytical method development and preformulation sciences

Technical expertise in LC-MS is strongly preferred

Working knowledge of Agilent OpenLab software is a plus

Expertise with fit-for-purpose method development and phase appropriate method qualification/ validation to determine solubility, stability, and other pharmaceutically relevant properties of novel therapeutics (including small molecules, peptides, and other biologic modalities)

Familiarity with a variety of pharmaceutical dosage forms (parenteral, oral solutions/suspensions, SDD, HME, SEDDS, etc.) to design appropriate developability studies and identify potential development risks

Consistently recognizes anomalous and inconsistent results and interprets experimental outcomes

Demonstrated regulatory expertise authoring and reviewing drug product sections of INDs, NDAs, and other global submissions

Strong knowledge and expertise of the following instrumentation and techniques is required; HPLC (SEC, UV, MS, IEX, etc), solubility analysis, pKa determination, Log P/D, and other preformulation studies

A working knowledge of the following is required; DSC, TGA, PXRD, NMR, Particle-Size Analysis, GVS, PLM, and SEM

Strong knowledge of one or more scientific disciplines, becoming expert in one discipline

Strong knowledge of scientific principles, methods and techniques

Extensive knowledge of characterization instrumentation and techniques; evaluates and implements emerging technologies to enhance development capabilities

Analytical thinker with problem-solving skills and the ability to adapt to changing priorities and deadlines

Assimilates external scientific literature, competitive intelligence, and emerging technologies for application to internal development programs

Understands related functional areas and interdependencies across drug development, manufacturing, and regulatory domains

Demonstrates advanced knowledge and judgment in selecting, recommending, and implementing laboratory and manufacturing equipment and technologies

Proven ability to lead multiple teams and influence cross-functional and matrixed organizations; provides technical leadership to junior scientists and indirect teams

Exhibits strong leadership capability, strategic thinking, and organizational awareness

Excellent computer proficiency and data analysis capability

Exceptional communication, analytical thinking, and complex problem-solving skills

Sees the broader organizational impact of decisions across programs, departments, and portfolios

Effectively manages multiple high-priority programs simultaneously with accuracy, efficiency, and accountability

Excellent project management skills, including long-range planning and execution

Maintains broad knowledge of scientific principles and theories, with intellectual mastery and recognized expertise in one or more scientific disciplines

Holds self and team accountable for results; sets clear objectives and articulates measurable outcomes

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Neurocrine Biosciences is an EEO/Disability/Vets employer.

We are committed to building a workplace of belonging, respect, and empowerment , and we recognize there are a variety of ways to meet our requirements. We are looking for the best candidate for the job and encourage you to apply even if your experience or qualifications don’t line up to exactly what we have outlined in the job description.

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The annual base salary we reasonably expect to pay is $156,900.00-$214,000.00. Individual pay decisions depend on various factors, such as primary work location, complexity and responsibility of role, job duties/requirements, and relevant experience and skills. In addition, this position offers an annual bonus with a target of 30% of the earned base salary and eligibility to participate in our equity based long term incentive program. Benefits offered include a retirement savings plan (with company match), paid vacation, holiday and personal days, paid caregiver/parental and medical leave, and health benefits to include medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans.