Neurocrine Biosciences Inc. Posted September 1, 2026

Scientist II, Analytical Development

US CA San Diego, United States Full time
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Neurocrine Biosciences Inc. is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

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:

Analytical project leader responsible in performing analytical chemistry research to develop assays based on new and existing methodologies. Responsible for all analytical activities for an assigned project(s) to support manufacturing of API and drug products intended for use in preclinical and clinical studies (all phases). Develops, establishes and validates testing methodology used to control raw materials, production intermediates and final products. Establishes, validates and documents new or existing compound specific methods. Conducts testing of analytical samples for the laboratory area, the separation and characterization of drug candidates, develops assays in support of new formulations, and other analytical methods of development. Conducts work in the spirit of cGMP, with a focus on safety and regulatory requirements. _

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

Act as an analytical project leader

Responsible for all analytical activities for assigned project(s) to support manufacturing of API and drug products intended for use in preclinical and clinical studies (all phases)

Develops and validates test methods at NBI for drug substances (API), intermediates and drug product

Supports chemical development and formulation development

Preformulation collaboration to Pharmaceutical Sciences

Tests and provides a complete characterization of toxicology supplies

Structural characterization of drug substance molecules, identification of impurities/degradants in API and drug product

Audits and selects contract service providers (CSP) to conduct GMP analytical testing for Neurocrine projects

Analytical technology transfer to CSP

Overviews GMP analytical testing of clinical supplies by CSPs

Facilitates and leads investigations for out of specification and out of trend results

Prepares of the analytical sections of regulatory documents, protocols and reports

Provides training and/or supervision to junior staff, as needed

Other duties as assigned

Requirements:

BS/BA degree in chemistry or closely related field AND 5+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, focusing on analytical chemistry. Extensive hands-on experience in pharmaceutical analysis, methods development/validation for various active ingredients and/or dosage forms. Previous supervisory and/or project management experience is preferred. OR

MS/MA degree in chemistry or closely related field AND 3+ years of similar experience noted above OR

PhD or equivalent in chemistry or closely related field AND some relevant experience; may include postdoc experience

Must be able to build excellent working relationships & maintain confidentiality regarding intellectual property and proprietary endeavors of the company

Ability to creatively solve complex problems in a team environment

Demonstration of cross-functional understanding related to drug development

Effectively see projects to completion

Understands how to effectively negotiate, persuade, and influence

Extensive knowledge of pharmaceutical analysis, methods development/validation for various active ingredients and/or dosage forms

A working knowledge of regulatory requirements for drug product commercialization, NDA preparation and cGMP, including knowledge of quality assurance/ quality control practices and issues

Must have working knowledge of ICH and FDA guidance for analytical method validation, stability, and CTD

Demonstrates solid level of understanding project / group goals and methods

Consistently recognizes anomalous and inconsistent results and interprets experimental outcomes

Able to explain the process behind the data and implications of the results

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

Strong knowledge of scientific principles, methods and techniques

Strong knowledge and demonstrated ability working with a variety of laboratory equipment/tools

Ability to work as part of a team; may train lower levels

Ability to leading teams

Excellent computer skills

Strong communications, problem-solving, analytical thinking skills

Detail oriented yet can see broader picture of scientific impact on team

Ability to meet multiple deadlines, with a high degree of accuracy and efficiency

Strong project management skills

Effective report writing and oral presentations skills are required

Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required

#LI-LS1

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.

_

The annual base salary we reasonably expect to pay is $110,800.00-$151,000.00. 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 20% 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.

Job details

Seniority
Not listed
Function
Manufacturing & CMC
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
US CA San Diego, United States
Employment type
Full time

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Manufacturing & CMC role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 2544 comparable Manufacturing & CMC roles across 167 biopharma companies.

2544Comparable roles tracked
2284Currently active
167Companies hiring similar roles
59Countries represented

Salary context

682 of 2544 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function. This posting doesn't list a seniority level, so peers aren't narrowed by seniority either -- the range below may span more levels than usual.

This roleSubject $110,800/yr – $151,000/yr
Lowest disclosed · Sr Manufacturing Technician · Genz. Therap Product LP $2,400/yr – $3,200/yr
Highest disclosed · Technical Operator, Packaging - 2nd Shift · Mylan Technologies, Inc. $37,000/yr – $800,000/yr
Peer group range $2,800 – $418,500 (median $123,425)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 2544 comparable roles

United States1216
Germany152
India145
Ireland88
Netherlands87
France86

+ 53 more countries

Seniority mix

1090 of 2544 peers have a known seniority level

Senior334
Manager279
Associate121
Associate Director99
Principal96
Director86
Senior Director39
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc28
Executive/VP8

Therapeutic area mix

7 of 2544 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Vaccines & Infectious Disease4
Rare Disease2
Respiratory1

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The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.

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How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

40%
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Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.