What does a senior development scientist do?
The job of a senior development scientist revolves around product development, ensuring that the product will pass every stage of the process from design to delivery. You will oversee and guide the product development team in designing and testing new products and collecting and analyzing data needed for product release. As the senior product development scientist, you are expected to uphold all rules and regulations during production and development and ensure staff members adhere to safety protocols. You will also work closely with other departments, such as quality assurance and external consultants.
Senior development scientist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real senior development scientist resumes:
- Manage method validations and sample analysis for pre-clinical GLP studies.
- Lead solvates diversity study of API to understand the mechanism of rejecting impurities by crystallization.
- Manage formulating, packaging, distribution and QC of the PDAR, AoD and ABD product line in manufacturing environment.
- Lead development of ELISA microplate assay for Cardiolipin antibodies
- Work with quality department during production runs; assist QC with in-process HPLC.
- Prepare regulatory submission package (CMC section) including reference standard, drug substance characterization and impurity characterization.
- Design assays for QC of reagent kits and transfer them to manufacturing.
- Characterize impurities by HPLC, sub-visible particle analysis, and UV and fluorescence spectroscopy.
- Develop reagent compositions to stabilize proteins, DNA and RNA in circulating tumor cells.
- Provide technical support to contract manufacturers of GMP material as required, including site visits when necessary.
- Create method for quantification of certain carbohydrates express on surface of whole mammalian cells (ELISA).
- Supply technical review and resolution of GMP process relate problems (IR/ER reports) as encountered by manufacturing personnel.
- Clarify harvests from cell culture and bacterial fermentation groups via flow-through centrifuge, bottle centrifugation, and depth filtration.
- Provide product information, data summaries and other require documentation to support regulatory submission (CE marking and FDA).
- Provide CMC documentation supporting generic product filings.
Senior development scientist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 8% of Senior Development Scientists are proficient in GMP, Data Analysis, and Technical Reports.
We break down the percentage of Senior Development Scientists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- GMP, 8%
Supplied technical review and resolution of GMP process related problems (IR/ER reports) as encountered by manufacturing personnel.
- Data Analysis, 8%
Provided programming support for developing data analysis tools.
- Technical Reports, 5%
Authored executive level reports, manufacturing and in-process protocols, and technical report summaries.
- Analytical Methods, 5%
Performed characterization studies and developed and validated analytical methods.
- Method Development, 4%
Investigated problems in method development and routine analysis.
- Assay Development, 3%
Assay Development including project management and internal client relations.
Common skills that a senior development scientist uses to do their job include "gmp," "data analysis," and "technical reports." You can find details on the most important senior development scientist responsibilities below.
Communication skills. The most essential soft skill for a senior development scientist to carry out their responsibilities is communication skills. This skill is important for the role because "medical scientists must be able to explain their research in nontechnical ways." Additionally, a senior development scientist resume shows how their duties depend on communication skills: "participated in method transfers of new products with akzo nobel served as qc representative on employee communication committee"
Observation skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling senior development scientist duties is observation skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "medical scientists conduct experiments that require monitoring samples and other health-related data." According to a senior development scientist resume, here's how senior development scientists can utilize observation skills in their job responsibilities: "communicated detailed observations and intermediate data analysis to study director and management. "
The three companies that hire the most senior development scientists are:
- Bristol-Myers Squibb15 senior development scientists jobs
- Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.15 senior development scientists jobs
- AbbVie8 senior development scientists jobs
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Compare different senior development scientists
Senior development scientist vs. Laboratory analyst
A Laboratory Analyst helps conduct experiments, run laboratory tests, and analyze results. They compile and record data for the documentation needed for testing and report preparation.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, senior development scientist responsibilities require skills like "technical reports," "assay development," "cmc," and "qc." Meanwhile a typical laboratory analyst has skills in areas such as "lab equipment," "lims," "laboratory procedures," and "sample preparation." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Laboratory analysts earn the highest salaries when working in the pharmaceutical industry, with an average yearly salary of $47,806. On the other hand, senior development scientists are paid more in the pharmaceutical industry with an average salary of $100,462.The education levels that laboratory analysts earn slightly differ from senior development scientists. In particular, laboratory analysts are 10.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a senior development scientist. Additionally, they're 24.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Senior development 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.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real senior development scientist resumes. While senior development scientist responsibilities can utilize skills like "gmp," "technical reports," "analytical methods," and "method development," research fellows use skills like "patients," "research projects," "cell culture," and "immunology."
Research fellows may earn a lower salary than senior development scientists, but research fellows earn the most pay in the non profits industry with an average salary of $57,261. On the other hand, senior development scientists receive higher pay in the pharmaceutical industry, where they earn an average salary of $100,462.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Research fellows tend to reach similar levels of education than senior development scientists. In fact, they're 1.6% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 24.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for senior development scientists in the next 3-5 years?
Scott Johnson
Professor and Director, University of Maine
Senior development scientist vs. Postdoctoral associate
A postdoctoral associate is responsible for researching to support scientific claims and theories by collecting evidence and information to answer scientific questions. Postdoctoral associates must have excellent communication skills, both oral and written, to interact with people and document investigation findings. They also utilize laboratory tools and equipment for scientific researches, conduct field investigations, and interview participants. A postdoctoral associate designs comprehensive research models to discuss results with the panel and the team efficiently and accurately.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from senior development scientist resumes include skills like "gmp," "technical reports," "analytical methods," and "method development," whereas a postdoctoral associate is more likely to list skills in "patients," "tip," "biomedical," and "crispr. "
Postdoctoral associates make a very good living in the education industry with an average annual salary of $53,445. On the other hand, senior development scientists are paid the highest salary in the pharmaceutical industry, with average annual pay of $100,462.When it comes to education, postdoctoral associates tend to earn similar degree levels compared to senior development scientists. In fact, they're 2.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 22.8% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Senior development 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 senior development scientist
Updated January 8, 2025
