1

Cell Culture Scientist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Our greatest scientific solution is talented people working together, devising ideas that help businesses to help people. We are looking for a talented Cell Culture Process Engineer to join our R&D ...

Our greatest scientific solution is talented people working together, devising ideas that help businesses to help people. We are looking for a talented Cell Culture Process Engineer to join our R&D ...

Are you passionate about precision, problem-solving, and pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery? Join our cell culture research team as a Research Associate II, where you'll perform advanced ...

Showing results 41-60

Cell Culture Scientist information

See salary details

$50.5K

$111.3K

$137.5K

How much do cell culture scientist jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 22, 2026, the average yearly pay for cell culture scientist in the United States is $111,343.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $94,500.00 and $137,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a cell culture scientist?

A Cell Culture Scientist is responsible for growing and maintaining cell lines used in biological research, drug development, and biotechnology applications. They follow strict protocols to ensure the viability and purity of cell cultures while optimizing conditions for cell growth. Key responsibilities include media preparation, contamination prevention, data analysis, and troubleshooting issues related to cell health. These scientists often work in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or academic research settings to support experiments in areas such as cancer research, vaccine development, and regenerative medicine. Strong attention to detail, aseptic techniques, and a solid understanding of cell biology are essential for success in this role.

What are the typical daily responsibilities of a cell culture scientist?

As a Cell Culture Scientist, your daily responsibilities commonly include maintaining and monitoring various cell lines, preparing culture media, performing experiments to assess cell growth and viability, and meticulously documenting data. You’ll regularly collaborate with other scientists and research staff to support larger project objectives, troubleshoot technical issues, and analyze results. Maintaining sterility and quality control is a critical part of the role, along with staying up to date on best laboratory practices. This work is often conducted in a team-oriented setting where initiative and reliability are highly valued.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a cell culture scientist?

To thrive as a Cell Culture Scientist, you need a strong background in cell biology, aseptic technique, and experimental design, often supported by a degree in biological sciences or related fields. Familiarity with biosafety cabinets, CO2 incubators, flow cytometry, and data analysis software such as GraphPad Prism is important, and certifications like GLP or GMP may be desirable. Strong attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication are valuable soft skills for collaborating in a multidisciplinary environment. These competencies are essential for ensuring reproducible results, maintaining safety standards, and advancing research or production goals.

More about Cell Culture Scientist jobs

What cities are hiring for Cell Culture Scientist jobs?

Cities with the most Cell Culture Scientist job openings:

What are the most commonly searched types of Cell Culture Scientist jobs?

The most popular types of Cell Culture Scientist jobs are:

Who are the top companies hiring for Cell Culture Scientist jobs?

The top employers for Cell Culture Scientist jobs are:

What states have the most Cell Culture Scientist jobs?

States with the most job openings for Cell Culture Scientist jobs include:

Infographic showing various Cell Culture Scientist job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 81% Full Time, 16% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $111,343 per year, or $53.5 per hour.

Principal Scientist - Molecular Biology, Cell Culture Upstream Process Development

Initial Therapeutics, Inc.

Indianapolis, IN • On-site

$65.25 - $169.40/hr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 4 days ago


Job description

At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world.

Overview

At Lilly, we serve an extraordinary purpose. We make a difference for people around the globe by discovering, developing and delivering medicines that help them live longer, healthier, more active lives. Not only do we deliver breakthrough medications, but you also can count on us to develop creative solutions to support communities through philanthropy and volunteerism.

Position Summary

The Bioproduct Research and Development (BR&D) organization strives to deliver innovative medicines to patients through the development and commercialization of monoclonal antibodies, novel therapeutic proteins, peptides, bioconjugates, cell therapies, gene therapies, and other genetic medicines etc. This organization is a multidisciplinary group that works collaboratively with our discovery, manufacturing and quality, business units.

The Principal Scientist/Sr. Principal Scientist is responsible for upstream process development activities related to the production of bioproduct active pharmaceutical ingredients including cell line development, cell culture process definition and optimization, process robustness studies, process transfers to pilot plant and manufacturing sites and authorship of upstream process development sections of Regulatory submissions. The position will interact closely with other scientists in BR&D as well as Discovery, Technical services for Manufacturing, and Manufacturing scientists. They are expected to be an integral participant on multidisciplinary CMC project teams that support bioproduct process and product development activities.

Responsibilities
  • Design and execute appropriate upstream development experiments for generation of bioproduct active pharmaceutical ingredient including protein intermediates for bioconjugation.
  • Provide hands‑on support for troubleshooting technical issues and driving innovation projects with novel ideas and technologies.
  • Participate in cross‑functional process development teams and effectively collaborate with other groups in BR&D, Discovery, Technical services for Manufacturing and Manufacturing.
  • Support transfer of upstream processes to pilot plant and manufacturing sites.
  • Author technical reports and regulatory documents.
  • Work effectively with external parties on development projects, research collaborations and outsourcing efforts.
  • Support organizational initiatives as needed to achieve short‑term and long‑term departmental goals.
  • Keep current of relevant scientific literature, new technologies/capabilities and regulatory initiatives/requirements and support their implementation, as appropriate.
  • Ensure work is aligned with all relevant Development Quality, Regulatory, HSE, GLP and GMP requirements.
Basic Requirements
  • BS/MS in Microbiology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Biology, Chemical Engineer, or related field
  • BS with 6+ or MS with 3+ years of relevant industrial experience
  • PhD will not be considered at this job level
  • Ability to work well in a team environment incorporating a variety of functional relationships and desire to be a point of accountability.
  • Effective oral and written communication skills, self‑management, task planning and organization.
  • Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full‑time basis. Lilly will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role, including but not limited to F-1 CPT, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, J-1, H-1B, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, or L-1.
Additional Skills and Preferences
  • Experience with designing experiments, generating data, interpreting results, and documenting the work, independently.
  • Data science and/or AI/ML experience
  • Knowledge of cell biology, cell culture, molecular biology with an emphasis on recombinant protein expression
  • Hands‑on experience with cell line generation, cell culture bioreactor operation skills
  • General knowledge and understanding of issues associated with scaling of upstream processes, and use of statistics for data analysis
  • Capable of solving problems with minimal supervision
  • Work productively in an interdisciplinary team environment.
Additional InformationPhysical Demands/Travel

The physical demands of this job are consistent with a lab environment.

The physical demands here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Work Environment

This position’s work environment is in a laboratory environment.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

*To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the role and responsibilities satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.

Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and are open to all employees. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia Network, Black Employees at Lilly, Chinese Culture Network, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), PRIDE (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN), Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL), enAble (for people with disabilities). Learn more about all of our groups.

Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $65,250 - $169,400. Full‑time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company‑sponsored 401(k); pension; vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and well‑being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities). Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees.

#WeAreLilly

#J-18808-Ljbffr