What does a Principal Scientist do?
A Principal Scientist is focused on leading scientific teams and conducting research. They ensure that their teams have the resources to properly perform research tasks.
Principal scientist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real principal scientist resumes:
- Manage pediatric dose development project, technology transfer project and alternate API supplier qualification project on budget and on schedule
- Provide development of and line support for assign immunoassay reagents, calibrators and controls.
- Transfer controls to manufacturing for product launch and include all require studies, testing and documentation under GMP guidelines.
- Maintain several lab documents for ISO certification.
- Understand drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics and design stable molecules.
- Image visualization and manipulation of background plates for animation and post-processing.
- Design and develop experimental HIV vaccine vector using negative-strand non-segment RNA viruses.
- Direct the optimization and characterization of product designs and manufacturing processes for submission to FDA.
- Contribute to business development of diagnostics and biomarkers for cancer, cardiovascular disease and autoimmune disease.
- Contribute technical and regulatory expertise to CMC development project teams, specification review and stability committees.
- Initiate transition to JMP statistical software and advocate increased statistical rigor for 'data driven' decision making.
- Mentore junior scientists in understanding GMP compliance during process development and scale-up execution and defining optimal design of experiments.
- Design and synthesize novel small molecule inhibitors of PTP1B, using solution phase parallel synthesis and traditional synthesis techniques.
- Conduct research and analyze data to identify potential biomarkers and provide input for selection of candidates for non-clinical studies development.
- Design key targets and supervise one chemistry associate resulting in the synthesis of additional compounds, some with excellent biological activity.
Principal scientist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 7% of Principal Scientists are proficient in Oncology, Data Analysis, and Drug Discovery.
We break down the percentage of Principal Scientists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Oncology, 7%
Created and managed intellectual property to submit 6 patent applications for method and composition of small molecules for Oncology.
- Data Analysis, 6%
Performed extensive data analysis functions, while directing the creation and implementation of new measurement systems at various manufacturing sites.
- Drug Discovery, 5%
Provided solution and LC-NMR support to Drug Discovery and Chemical Development to obtain structural information on organic synthesis intermediates/products.
- GMP, 3%
Mentored junior scientists in understanding GMP compliance during process development and scale-up execution and defining optimal design of experiments.
- Experimental Design, 3%
Linked experimental design and analysis to economic modeling.
- Clinical Trials, 3%
Designed and led the project aimed at development of bio-tracers for non-invasive monitoring of pathological process in clinical trials and diagnostics.
"oncology," "data analysis," and "drug discovery" are among the most common skills that principal scientists use at work. You can find even more principal scientist responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a principal scientist to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "medical scientists must be able to explain their research in nontechnical ways." Principal scientists often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "created an alliance with kennesaw state university to ensure effective communication and co-operation over research projects and grants. "
Observation skills. Another essential skill to perform principal scientist duties is observation skills. Principal scientists responsibilities require that "medical scientists conduct experiments that require monitoring samples and other health-related data." Principal scientists also use observation skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "address internal and external audit concerns within the laboratory and ensure laboratory compliance to produce minimal safety and gmp regulation observations. "
The three companies that hire the most principal scientists are:
- Bristol-Myers Squibb111 principal scientists jobs
- Johnson & Johnson69 principal scientists jobs
- Merck64 principal scientists jobs
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Compare different principal scientists
Principal scientist vs. Research fellow
A research fellow is an academic researcher who conducts research and analysis of comprehensive literature, data, and results and provides literature reviews. He/She supervises research assistants and recruits study participants to interview them for a particular study. To become a research fellow, a candidate should have a doctorate in a relevant discipline and publish peer-reviewed papers. Also, a research fellow can be an independent investigator or be supervised by a principal investigator.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a principal scientist are more likely to require skills like "oncology," "drug discovery," "gmp," and "ind." On the other hand, a job as a research fellow requires skills like "patients," "cell culture," "immunology," and "cell biology." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Research fellows earn the highest salaries when working in the non profits industry, with an average yearly salary of $57,261. On the other hand, principal scientists are paid more in the finance industry with an average salary of $117,637.research fellows tend to reach similar levels of education than principal scientists. In fact, research fellows are 4.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.8% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Principal scientist vs. Senior research fellow
Senior Research Fellows are reputable researchers employed in an academic institution or a research facility. The nature of their employment in the institution is related to their research work or field of interest. Senior Research Fellows lead a team of researchers on big projects that require more team members. They manage the team's budget, set timelines, and guide the researchers. They spearhead the analysis of the data gathered. They also set the tone for the presentation materials. Senior Research Fellows should be passionate about their field, should have a thirst for knowledge, and should be able to lead teams.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, principal scientist responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "oncology," "drug discovery," "gmp," and "experimental design." Meanwhile, a senior research fellow has duties that require skills in areas such as "python," "research findings," "data collection," and "statistical analysis." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Senior research fellows tend to reach higher levels of education than principal scientists. In fact, they're 11.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Principal Scientists in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Betsy Smith
Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Elmira College
Principal scientist vs. Senior research assistant
A senior research assistant is responsible for monitoring the research methods and supporting the junior staff in gathering data to support research claims and studies. Senior research assistants implement research protocols according to business requirements and specifications. They conduct data and statistical analysis to generate accurate and comprehensive reports for discussion with the research supervisors. A senior research assistant must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in verifying the accuracy and authenticity of information before public release.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a principal scientist is likely to be skilled in "oncology," "drug discovery," "gmp," and "experimental design," while a typical senior research assistant is skilled in "patients," "data collection," "cell culture," and "laboratory equipment."
Senior research assistants earn the best pay in the health care industry, where they command an average salary of $58,031. Principal scientists earn the highest pay from the finance industry, with an average salary of $117,637.senior research assistants typically earn higher educational levels compared to principal scientists. Specifically, they're 5.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 27.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Principal scientist vs. Chemist
Chemists are generally responsible for observing and investigating chemical substances to create new and safe compounds essential for practical applications. They are often grouped depending on a particular area of specialization to focus and understand the complexities of the matter. A chemist usually takes time performing research and conducting experiments to test and further improve the quality and usage of a specific chemical substance. Chemists are expected to write on their observations and findings to establish scientific results.
Types of principal scientist
Updated January 8, 2025
