Senior Scientist Pharma

Overview

The Senior Scientist – Pharma helps provides scientific leadership across the Pharma Program within the LCMS business segment. This role shapes analytical strategy, leads complex experimental initiatives, and delivers high‑impact scientific outputs that support Waters’ growth objectives and new product development priorities. 

As a recognized technical expert, the Senior Scientist applies deep expertise in small and large molecule bioanalysis to develop differentiated, customer‑relevant LCMS workflows that address evolving pharmaceutical modalities, regulatory expectations, and laboratory needs. 

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities 

Scientific Leadership & Innovation 

• Acts as a senior technical authority, leading complex scientific workstreams across multiple initiatives with minimal guidance. 

• Defines experimental strategy and independently designs, executes, and interprets advanced LCMS studies. 

• Ensures scientific rigor, robustness, and reproducibility of data generated across the program. 

• Evaluates emerging technologies, new modalities, and regulatory developments to guide workflow innovation and technical direction. 

• Identifies scientific gaps and proposes novel methodologies that enable differentiated product and workflow positioning. 

 

Cross‑Functional Influence & Mentorship 

 

• Serves as a key scientific partner to Product Management, R&D, and Marketing in defining pharma‑relevant product requirements. 

• Represents the scientific perspective in cross‑functional planning, ensuring customer workflows are accurately translated into development priorities. 

• Helps mento and coach scientists at earlier career stages, contributing to capability development and scientific standards across the team. 

• Builds strong relationships across the organization to enable effective collaboration and program success. 

 

External Engagement & Thought Leadership 

 

• Authors and leads the development of high‑quality scientific content including application notes, workflow documents, white papers, and technical presentations. 

• Engages directly with key customers, collaborators, and thought leaders through technical discussions, workshops, and joint evaluations. 

• Represents Waters at conferences, webinars, and technical forums, communicating scientific value, innovation, and emerging insights. 

• Contributes to Waters’ external scientific reputation through visible, credible technical leadership. 

 

Program & Project Execution 

 

• Manages scientific activities across multiple concurrent projects, balancing priorities and ensuring timely, high‑quality delivery. 

• Provides data‑driven recommendations that influence program strategy, product decisions, and investment priorities. 

• Ensures alignment of scientific work with relevant regulatory expectations for pharmaceutical bioanalysis. 

• Supports evaluation, verification, and validation of new product features against real‑world pharma laboratory requirements. 

Qualifications

Qualifications 

 

• PhD in life sciences, chemical sciences, physical sciences, or a related discipline strongly preferred; or BSc or MSc with significant relevant experience considered. 

Experience 

 

• Typically 3+ years of applied LCMS experience in the pharmaceutical industry or a closely related field. 

• Demonstrated expertise in both small and large molecule bioanalysis across discovery, development, and/or regulated environments. 

• Strong understanding of pharma market drivers, regulatory expectations, and emerging modalities (e.g., Protacs, peptides, oligonucleotides, ADCs). 

• Proven track record of scientific authorship, workflow development, and customer‑facing technical contributions. 

• Experience with complementary bioanalytical techniques (e.g., flow cytometry) is desirable. 

Skills & Capabilities 

• Advanced scientific communication and influencing skills, with the ability to tailor messages for technical, commercial, and customer audiences. 

• Strong cross‑functional collaboration skills and credibility with internal and external stakeholders. 

• Strategic scientific thinker with high curiosity and ability to translate insight into actionable direction. 

• Excellent planning, prioritization, and execution skills across complex, multi‑project environments. 

• Analytical mindset with advanced problem‑solving and experimental design capability. 

• Effective contributor within globally distributed and cross‑cultural teams. 

• Fluent in English; additional languages are an advantage 

 

Travel Requirement: 

•  Willingness to travel up to 20% of the time for customer visits, industry events, and team meetings. 

Reporting Line: 

• Reports directly to the Pharma Program lead within the LCMS Business Segment in the Analytical Sciences Division