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Cns Drug Discovery Jobs (NOW HIRING)

TCWGlobal

In Vitro Pharmacology Scientist

San Diego, CA · On-site

$54.48/hr

Experience with CNS-focused pharmacology or neuroscience drug discovery * Experience with GPCR-focused in vitro assays * Experience with electrophysiology-based assays * Experience with multi ...

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How much do cns drug discovery jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 3, 2026, the average yearly pay for cns drug discovery in the United States is $47,661.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $39,000.00 and $54,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is CNS drug discovery?

CNS drug discovery is the process of identifying and developing new medications that target the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the brain and spinal cord. This field focuses on finding treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, depression, and schizophrenia. The process involves understanding disease mechanisms, identifying potential drug targets, screening compounds, and conducting preclinical and clinical trials. CNS drug discovery is particularly challenging due to the complexity of the brain and the difficulty of getting drugs to cross the blood-brain barrier safely and effectively.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in CNS drug discovery, and why are they important?

To thrive in CNS Drug Discovery, you need a strong background in neuropharmacology, medicinal chemistry, and molecular biology, typically supported by an advanced degree (PhD or MS) in a related scientific field. Familiarity with high-throughput screening platforms, in vivo and in vitro assay development, and data analysis tools like GraphPad Prism or bioinformatics software is crucial. Outstanding problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills help drive innovation and effective teamwork across multidisciplinary research groups. These competencies are vital for efficiently identifying, validating, and advancing novel therapeutics targeting central nervous system disorders.

What are some common challenges faced by professionals working in CNS drug discovery?

Professionals in CNS drug discovery often encounter challenges such as the complexity of the blood-brain barrier, which makes drug delivery to the brain particularly difficult. Additionally, the heterogeneity of neurological disorders and the lack of robust biomarkers can complicate both target identification and clinical trial design. Collaboration with multidisciplinary teams—including medicinal chemists, pharmacologists, and clinicians—is essential to navigate these hurdles and to advance promising compounds through the pipeline. Staying updated on regulatory requirements and advances in neuroimaging or translational models also plays a key role in overcoming these challenges.

What is the difference between Cns Drug Discovery vs Cns Pharmacologist?

AspectCns Drug DiscoveryCns Pharmacologist
Primary FocusIdentifying and developing new CNS drugsStudying drug effects on the nervous system
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, pharmaceutical companiesResearch institutions, pharmaceutical companies
Required CredentialsPhD or advanced degree in pharmacology, neuroscience, or related fieldsPhD or MD with specialization in pharmacology or neuroscience
Industry UsageDrug discovery teams, R&D departmentsPharmacology research, clinical studies

While both roles involve CNS research, Cns Drug Discovery focuses on developing new drugs, whereas Cns Pharmacologists study how drugs affect the nervous system. The roles often overlap in skills and environment but differ in their primary objectives within the drug development process.

How to become a CNS drug discovery scientist?

A CNS drug discovery scientist typically holds a Ph.D. or master's degree in neuroscience, pharmacology, chemistry, or a related field. They gain experience through research, internships, or work in pharmaceutical or biotech companies, often developing skills in laboratory techniques, data analysis, and drug development processes. Familiarity with regulatory requirements and proficiency in scientific tools and software are also important for success in this role.
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Cns Drug Discovery jobs near you
Infographic showing various Cns Drug Discovery job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 77% Full Time, 19% Part Time, 2% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 96% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $47,661 per year, or $22.9 per hour.

Senior Director, DMPK Project Leader

Eli Lilly and Company

Remote

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted yesterday

New

Eli Lilly and Company rating

8.8

Company rating: 8.8 out of 10

Based on 63 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

11th of 86 rated pharmaceutical

Job description

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work-but it's work worth doing. If you're driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.


Centessa Pharmaceuticals, a wholly subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company is advancing a portfolio of high conviction programs with strong biological validation. Our asset-centric model offers a unique R&D logic that has been applied by single asset companies to improve productivity. This operating model has minimal centralized infrastructure, reduced hierarchy, and exclusive focus on data driven capital allocation.Our teams are uniquely incentivized to expeditiously interrogate key scientific hypotheses. We believe the asset-centric model can lead to improved success rates for programs with greater speed and modest costs.

Description of Role

Senior Director, DMPK Project Leader ensures delivery of all DMPK related activities working collaboratively as part of a cross-functional program team. These include nonclinical PK experiments, in vitro ADME, biotransformation studies,bioanalyticaland toxicokinetic analysis. This role supports understanding pharmacokinetic, toxicokinetic, and ADME principles to enable progression of drug candidates across the portfolio.A qualified candidate will havepreviousexperience in PK modeling ideally for CNS drug candidates and a basic understanding of vital ADME properties for CNS drug candidate progression. Furthermore, a qualified candidate will have end-to-end experience in drug discovery and development including NDA submission; will be able to partner with both discovery and development teams to enable the identification of lead candidates withoptimalDMPK properties for progression into nonclinical development and the progression of lead candidates into clinical development.

Key Responsibilities

  • Lead the filing of NDAs for DMPK

  • Deliver high-quality DMPK input and data to projects within established timelines

  • Utilize knowledge of DMPK to support/influence compound profiling, project progression and project strategy

  • Proactively calculate PK and toxicokinetic parameters, estimate safety margins and report results and interpretations to project teams and internal governance bodies

  • Lead, coordinate, and engage with DMPK colleagues, clinical pharmacologists, and toxicologists in project related activities

  • Prepare clear presentations related to the above for internal governance bodies

Qualifications

  • Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacology or a related field

  • Minimum of 10 years of industry experience in a biotech or pharmaceutical setting

  • Expert in DMPK sciences with knowledge of drug discovery and development processes

  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

  • Experience in DMPK project leadership

  • Previous work in the discovery and/or development of CNS drug candidates

  • Experience with regulatory submissions including NDAs for small molecules

  • Knowledge, experience, and proficiency in supporting GLP-compliant studies

  • Good knowledge of all DMPK assays including the use of in silico tools for PK prediction

  • Proficiency with Phoenix WinNonlin and other software for NCA and PK modeling in small molecule drug discovery and development

  • Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally and communicate scientific findings clearly and effectively

  • Collaborative mindset and operates with a sense of urgency

  • Strong, proactive communication skills

Work Location

The Senior Director, DMPK Project Lead role based in the US, with occasional travel.

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 (AMECA), Black Employees at Lilly (BE@Lilly), Chinese Culture Network (CCN), EnAble, Evolve, Lilly Indian Network (LIN), Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), Pride (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN) and Women's Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL).


Actual compensation will depend on a candidate's education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is

$177,000 - $338,800

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.

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About Eli Lilly

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Eli Lilly, based in Indianapolis, IN, US, is one of the pioneers in the pharmaceutical industry with a rich history dating back to 1876. This global pharmaceutical company focuses on discovering, developing, manufacturing and selling pharmaceutical products in approximately 120 countries. The company's product categories include endocrinology, oncology, cardiovascular, neuroscience, and immunology. Having invested over $9 billion in research and development in the past decade, Eli Lilly is also committed to creating high-quality medicines that meet real needs. As a recipient of several awards and recognitions, Eli Lilly is known for its focus on life-saving research and drug development. Their mission is to make medicines that help people live longer, healthier, and more active lives.

Industry

Pharmaceutical product wholesalers

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Indianapolis, IN, US

Year founded

1876

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