How to hire a senior clinical research scientist

How to hire a senior clinical research scientist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior clinical research scientist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a senior clinical research scientist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior clinical research scientist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a senior clinical research scientist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the senior clinical research scientist you need to hire. Certain senior clinical research scientist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A senior clinical research scientist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, senior clinical research scientists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of senior clinical research scientists and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Senior Clinical Research Scientist	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Clinical Research Scientist	Natural sciences managers supervise the work of scientists, including chemists, physicists, and biologists. They direct activities related to research and development, and coordinate activities such as testing, quality control, and production.	$32-76
   Study Director	Technically, a study director carries out scientific responsibilities for protocol design or study plan and approval. Study directors supervise the gathering, analysis, interpretation, documentation, and reporting of data results... Show more	$26-56
   Study Coordinator	Study coordinators oversee the entire process of clinical research from its inception to its completion. The coordinators make certain that human subjects are safe and well-protected... Show more	$16-31

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Clinical Operations
   • Informed Consent
   • Clinical Development
   • Clinical Trials
   • Clinical Data
   • Consent Forms
   • Data Management
   • FDA
   • Data Review
   • Drug Safety
   • IND
   • Study Protocols
   • Regulatory Submissions
   • Data Analysis

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Supervise and manage planning, implementation, conduct and reporting of assign early phase international clinical studies in oncology.
   • Contribute to the development of templates for protocols and clinical study reports following FDA, GCP and ICH guidelines.
   • Authore and review abstracts, manuscripts, slide decks and posters in collaboration with internal and external (CRO) stakeholders.
   • Lead feasibility and identification of CRO selection for pediatric program.
   • Recruit investigators perform pre-study visits, negotiate budgets, initiate and monitor studies and verify data for accuracy and completeness.
   • Manage clinical monitors in successful completion of large international hypertension study.

   More senior clinical research scientist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the senior clinical research scientist job description is a good way to get more applicants. A senior clinical research scientist salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a senior clinical research scientist in Georgia may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level senior clinical research scientist. Additionally, a senior clinical research scientist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average senior clinical research scientist salary

   $103,836yearly

   $49.92 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior clinical research scientist salary

   $67,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average senior clinical research scientist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$133,520	$64
   2	Massachusetts	$105,363	$51
   3	New York	$99,836	$48
   4	Washington	$97,718	$47
   5	Minnesota	$95,833	$46
   6	Ohio	$79,556	$38
   7	Maryland	$78,325	$38

   Average senior clinical research scientist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Abiomed	$122,739	$59.01
   2	Gilead Sciences	$113,938	$54.78	104
   3	TransMedics	$104,955	$50.46	13
   4	Abbott	$104,020	$50.01	225
   5	AstraZeneca	$102,459	$49.26	32
   6	Randstad North America, Inc.	$98,071	$47.15	1
   7	Johnson & Johnson	$97,613	$46.93	162
   8	Siemens Healthineers	$97,053	$46.66
   9	Eisai	$96,014	$46.16	2
   10	Alere	$94,600	$45.48
   11	Siemens	$88,511	$42.55	18

4. Writing a senior clinical research scientist job description

   A good senior clinical research scientist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a senior clinical research scientist job description:

   Senior clinical research scientist job description example

   • Support assigned study level activities for one or more clinical studies.
   • Develop thorough understanding of assigned protocol and protocol requirements
   • Support study start-up/conduct/close-out activities as applicable:
   • • Preparation, storage, maintenance of clinical documents (TMF)
     • Participate in the protocol development process; including writing, reviewing, adjudication/resolution of cross functional comments, ensuring high quality final document
     • Thorough understanding of assigned protocol and protocol requirements
     • Perform medical monitoring duties, with moderate supervision provided by the medical director
     • Participate in review and validation of clinical study reports (CSRs)
     • Contribute to review of Regulatory Documents (e.g., IB, Briefing Books) in collaboration with medical writers with minimal to moderate supervision
     • Review/Edit Informed Consent Forms (ICF); review/edit regional and site ICFs as needed; ensure alignment with protocol
     • Active contributor to study committee (e.g., DMC) activities such as charters, meetings, presentation preparation
     • Active contributor to Investigator Meeting and Site Initiation Visit presentation preparation
     • Active contributor to activities related to data generation and validation, including CRF creation, clinical data review, data cleaning, communication as needed to resolve data queries, contribute to development of data review plans, support medical director and pharmacovigilance physicians in data review (generation of reports, action plans, trend identification), etc.)
   • May support clinical development planning (assist with analysis of data and review of literature to support future planning)
   • Collaborate with study team members (Clinical Operations, Data Management, Statistics, Drug Safety, IMSC, Regulatory Affairs, Translational Medicine and Project Management) to ensure that key milestones are met on time and with high quality
   • Provide guidance and scientific expertise within team, across department, and across functions
   • Identify, escalate current/active/future issues; propose and enact solutions
   • Strong presentation skills, including ability to prepare and deliver comprehensive presentations to both internal and external audiences

   Qualifications

   • Degree in Life Sciences (PharmD, MS, RN, PA, NP)

   • 5+ years of pharmaceutical/biotech clinical research experience

   • Prior Management experience is a plus
   • Comprehensive knowledge of oncology drug development process preferred.
   • Proficient knowledge of GCP/ICH, study design, statistics, clinical operations within the oncology therapeutic space.
   • Excellent verbal, written, communication and interpersonal skills. Must be able to effectively communicate and collaborate across functions and job levels.
   • Strong sense of teamwork; ability to lead team activities
   • Proficient knowledge and skills to support program specific data review, trend identification, data interpretation
   • Proficient in Medical Terminology and medical writing skills
   • Proficient critical thinking, problem solving, decision making skills
   • Understanding of functional and cross-functional relationships
   • Adaptable / Flexible (willing and able to adjust to multiple demands and shifting priorities; ability to meet day-to-day challenges with confidence and professionalism)
   • Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Electronic Data Capture (e.g., RAVE), or similar data reporting tools

   Overview

   Our Karyopharmers live and demonstrate our ICARE Values every day!

   #ThisIsWhyKPTI

   Karyopharmers are passionately driven in our mission to positively impact patients' lives and defeat cancer! This is personal, and we approach every challenge fiercely and tenaciously, but with enthusiasm, empathy, and passion. The work we do is both inspiring and life-changing. It requires the most diverse, the most unique, and the most authentic team in the industry. We are 400+ cancer driven conquerors, across the globe, with a strong sense of our values and our purpose. We are innovators, disrupters, and collaborators, and we challenge the norm and do things differently. At Karyopharm you will have the opportunity to do well by doing good, while learning and growing along the way. We invite you to join us and make your own personal contribution to our mission!

   What We Offer:

   In addition to our exciting, supportive, and intellectually challenging global workspaces(s), Karyopharmers enjoy a comprehensive and generous benefits package (active on day one) that makes them more productive and contributes directly to the development of their professional skills.

   • A fun, collaborative, work environment
   • A culture of employee engagement, diversity, and inclusion
   • Competitive salary, bonus, and generous equity offerings (Stock options and RSU's-at time of offer and annual awards) - we are partners in prosperity!
   • Peace of mind through best in class medical (deductible paid by KPTI), dental, vision, disability, and life insurance, parental leave, a matching 401k program (immediate vesting), and tuition reimbursement.
   • Generous PTO and Holidays - we encourage you to recharge and spend time with family and friends.
   • Ample opportunities to learn and take on new responsibilities in a fast-paced, and patient focused company. (tuition reimbursement, management development programs, and a variety of reward and recognition programs)
   • Cell phone allowance

   *Karyopharm requires all employees to be fully vaccinated against the Covid19 virus at the time of employment

   * This position is eligible for remote/hybrid working arrangement (may work from home/virtually; may also work hybrid on-site-virtual as required/approved by hiring manager.

   ABOUT KARYOPHARM

   WE ARE COMMITTED TO DE&I

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find senior clinical research scientists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior clinical research scientist job on Zippia to find and recruit senior clinical research scientist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit senior clinical research scientists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new senior clinical research scientist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the senior clinical research scientist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new senior clinical research scientist. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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