Senior Scientist

Senior Scientist Job Description

Provide scientific leadership and serve as a Study Director and Toxicology Subject Matter Expert (SME) for GLP and non-GLP preclinical toxicology studies, including model and assay development. Act as Principal Scientist/SME on commercial and government-sponsored contracts and grants. Lead all phases of Toxicology Investigational New Drug (IND) programs, including study design, regulatory strategy development, data interpretation, and preparation of regulatory submissions.

• Drive expansion of toxicology capabilities through assay and model development, validation activities, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Author, review, and provide expert guidance on scientific and technical scopes of work for internal R&D, government, and commercial proposals, ensuring alignment with strategic goals and sponsor requirements.
• Partner with Business Development, Project Management, and Proposal teams to support client engagement, proposal development, study execution, and delivery of contractual milestones.
• Resolve complex scientific challenges within defined policies and procedures, providing expert input and decision-making support.
• Support Business Development activities by serving as the Toxicology SME and interfacing with client scientific teams as appropriate.
• Develop and execute validation plans and contribute to troubleshooting during the conduct of toxicology studies.
• Review toxicology data and author or contribute to toxicology study reports and related documentation.
• Participate in proposal development and provide scientific and technical reviews of submitted proposals.
• Ensure strict adherence to Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) and applicable regulatory guidelines (e.g., OECD, ICH), including accurate documentation and verification of all experimental data and unanticipated findings.
• Comply with all biosafety, regulatory, and safety requirements, including adherence to SOPs, GLP regulations, and study protocols.
• Mentor, train, and support the development of preclinical team members.
• Contribute to revenue generation and financial performance of the Toxicology program.
• Support cross-functional initiatives and perform additional duties as needed to advance program and organizational objectives.
• Author and revise Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as appropriate.

• Experience directing studies and GLP regulatory experience.
• General/broad toxicology experience.
• Experience leading toxicology IND programs (Investigational New Drug).
• Proficiency with software such as Prism and Viva.
• Experience with assay development and vaccine efficacy.
• Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology (DABT) preferred or willingness to obtain within 12 months of hire.
• Strong track record of operating effectively in regulated environments (e.g., GLP, BMBL).
• Ability to work safely in Biosafety Level 2 and 3 laboratory environments.

• PhD in a life sciences discipline with 4+ years of relevant experience; or Master’s degree with 6+ years of experience; or Bachelor’s degree with 10+ years of experience.
• 2–4 years of experience in a Contract Research Organization (CRO) environment preferred.
• Prior experience in developmental and reproductive toxicology is a plus.

The role involves spending 75% of the time working at a desk, preparing studies, and speaking with clients. The remaining 25% of the time will be spent attending meetings around the campus. The opportunity offers growth into leadership within the department.

This is a Permanent position based out of Birmingham, AL.

The pay range for this position is $122000.00 - $132000.00/yr.

This is a fully onsite position in Birmingham,AL.

This position is anticipated to close on Feb 26, 2026.

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 30,000 consultants and more than 4,500 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing due to a disability, please email actalentaccom for other accommodation options.