Senior Scientific Associate

About the role

As a Senior Scientific Associate, you will function as an independent Study Director responsible for leading pre-clinical toxicology and safety assessment studies of basic complexity. You will collaborate cross-functionally and communicate directly with our clients, serving as an important point of coordination throughout the study lifecycle. This position provides an opportunity to expand scientific, operational, and client-facing experience while building the skills necessary to lead increasingly complex toxicology studies and progress within the Research Scientist/Study Director career path.

Responsibilities

• Oversee preclinical toxicology and safety assessment studies of basic complexity.
• Oversee study conduct from protocol development through final reporting, ensuring studies are executed in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) standards.
• Design, review, and maintain study plans, amendments, schedules, and other study-related documentation.
• Coordinate study activities across scientific, veterinary, laboratory, and operational teams to ensure successful study execution.
• Interpret study data and contribute to the preparation, review, and delivery of scientific reports.
• Serve as a point of contact for clients, participating in study-related meetings, teleconferences, site visits, and ongoing communications.
• Develop a strong understanding of study management, study budgets, and the operational factors that influence successful study delivery.
• Collaborate with experienced Toxicology leaders to develop the scientific, operational, and client-facing skills required for increasingly complex Study Director responsibilities.
• Interact closely with Quality Assurance, veterinary, and technical teams while building expertise in regulatory compliance, animal welfare, and study oversight processes.
• Contribute to departmental initiatives, continuous improvement efforts, and the ongoing growth of the Toxicology organization.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Toxicology, Biology, Pharmacology, Animal Science, Veterinary Science, Life Sciences, or related scientific discipline.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience working in a regulated scientific, laboratory, research, or preclinical environment.
• Strong organizational, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively across functional teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (MS, PhD, DVM, PharmD, or related discipline).
• Experience supporting nonclinical safety assessment, toxicology, pathology, necropsy, clinical pathology, technical operations, or related scientific programs.
• Experience working directly with Study Directors or supporting regulated studies.
• Previous leadership, team lead, supervisory, or project coordination experience.
• Experience interacting with internal stakeholders and/or external clients.

Pay

The pay range for this position is $72,000–$88,000 annually. Salaries vary within the range based on factors including, but not limited to, experience, skills, education, certifications, and location.

About Safety Assessment

Charles River is committed to helping our partners expedite their preclinical drug development with exceptional safety assessment services, state-of-the-art facilities and expert regulatory guidance. From individual specialty toxicology and IND enabling studies to tailored packages and total laboratory support, our deeply experienced team can design and execute programs that anticipate challenges and avoid roadblocks for a smooth, efficient journey to market. Each year approximately 300 investigational new drug (IND) programs are conducted in our Safety Assessment facilities.

About Charles River

Charles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients’ clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market. With over 20,000 employees within 110 facilities in over 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client’s unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world. At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly worked on 80% of the drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past five years.