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How much do director preclinical development jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 21, 2026, the average yearly pay for director preclinical development in the United States is $92,386.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $70,000.00 and $108,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Director Preclinical Development job?

A Director of Preclinical Development oversees the early-stage research and testing of drug candidates before they enter clinical trials. They manage preclinical studies, ensuring regulatory compliance, safety, and efficacy assessments. This role involves coordinating with cross-functional teams, external partners, and regulatory agencies to advance promising compounds. Strong expertise in toxicology, pharmacology, and regulatory guidelines is essential. The director plays a key role in shaping the preclinical strategy to support successful drug development.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Director Preclinical Development position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Director Preclinical Development, you need deep expertise in pharmaceutical or biotechnology research, strong project management abilities, and an advanced degree (Ph.D., Pharm.D., or equivalent) in a life sciences field. Familiarity with regulatory guidelines (such as GLP), experience using data management and statistical analysis software, and prior leadership roles in preclinical studies are essential. Exceptional communication, problem-solving, and team leadership skills set candidates apart in managing multidisciplinary teams and collaborative projects. These competencies are crucial for successfully guiding drug candidates through preclinical stages while ensuring regulatory compliance and timely project delivery.

What are the typical responsibilities and team dynamics for a Director of Preclinical Development?

A Director of Preclinical Development is responsible for overseeing the planning, execution, and management of preclinical research programs, ensuring that studies meet scientific, regulatory, and project milestones. You will typically work with cross-functional teams including toxicologists, pharmacologists, regulatory affairs professionals, and external partners, fostering collaboration throughout the drug development process. The role often involves reviewing study designs and data, preparing regulatory submissions, and providing strategic direction to advance compounds toward clinical testing. Working closely with upper management, you'll play a key part in shaping research priorities and resource allocation. This position offers significant influence over drug development strategies and opportunities for advancement to higher executive or scientific leadership roles.

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Director Preclinical Development jobs near you
Infographic showing various Director Preclinical Development job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 33% As Needed, and 67% Part Time. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $92,386 per year, or $44.4 per hour.
Associate Director - Preclinical Development, Immunology

Associate Director - Preclinical Development, Immunology

Terray Therapeutics, Inc.

Monrovia, CA • On-site

$180K - $263K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement

Posted 16 days ago

Job description

Company Overview: Terray Therapeutics is a venture-backed biotechnology company led by pioneers and long-time leaders in artificial intelligence, synthetic chemistry, automation, and nanotechnology. We're generating chemical data purpose-built to propel drug discovery into the information age - and we're doing it on a larger scale and faster than has ever before been possible.
Our closed loop system generates precise chemical datasets at unrivaled scale that work seamlessly with AI to systematically map biochemical interactions between small molecules and causes of disease. Iterative cycles of virtual molecular design and experimentation power AI and machine learning models, which in turn guide the next cycle of design. With a chemistry engine that measures billions of interactions daily and becomes increasingly precise with every cycle, we can answer an unprecedented array of questions - deriving insights that enable us to predictably create drugs for patients in need.
Position Summary: Terray Therapeutics is seeking a highly motivated, creative, and experienced immunologist to join our biology team. This is a strategic role working closely with the CSO and other leads in the preclinical team and across the company to support our small-molecule pipeline. In this role, the Associate Director will lead the team responsible for all cell-based assay development and execution, including hit validation, structure-activity relationships, and lead optimization. The candidate will provide immunology expertise to evaluate new targets and expand our internal pipeline programs. They will be a pivotal collaborator within a multidisciplinary team. The successful candidate will have a strong background in assay development for inflammation targets in the context of small molecule drug discovery. This role will be full-time, onsite, and will report to the CSO.
The core responsibilities of this position are:
  • Lead a small, highly motivated team of assay scientists who develop and run cell assays in support of internal and partner pipeline programs
  • Work closely with scientists across the company in biology, chemistry, platform, screening, data, and computational teams to efficiently advance projects from hit validation through hit-to-lead and lead optimization to lead candidate selection
  • Develop cell-based assay funnels to support structure-activity optimization for our inflammation target portfolio as programs progress to hit-to-lead and lead optimization
    • Expert understanding of inflammatory pathways as they relate to the target and disease mechanism
    • Analyze and interpret experimental data and communicate results in project team meetings

Experience and Qualifications: Part of Terray's success is nurtured by a hands-on work environment where everyone is accountable, vested in a vision of excellence, and actively taking part in the success of the business. Terray supports a positive work environment where employees can feel engaged, recognized, and empowered to be creative. They will exhibit the ability to work well under pressure to provide results in a short timeframe. The company is looking for a highly responsive, goal-oriented individual who will bring significant energy and drive to solve complex technical problems and help us achieve our mission to advance human health.
Required Qualifications:
  • PhD in the small-moleculefield of immunology with 10+ years of small-molecule drug discovery industry experience
  • Deep expertise in immunology, with a strong understanding of immune signaling pathways, disease mechanisms, and immune modulation strategies
  • Extensive experience with small-molecule drug development from target validation through lead optimization
  • Expertise in evaluating novel targets for drug development, including developing a robust screening approach and desired target product profile
  • Strong leadership and mentorship skills with demonstrated experience managing a small team of highly motivated scientists
  • Demonstrated ability to collaborate in a multidisciplinary team and drive program progress; comfortable working on multiple projects in parallel and operating within a matrixed structure
  • Hands-on experience in developing and optimizing a range on immunological assays (Flow cytometry, cytokine profiling, ELISA, Luminescence/fluorescence-based, Western blot, immunoprecipitation, etc.) and measuring small molecule inhibition (IC50) is required
  • Demonstrated technical proficiency, attention to detail, ability to troubleshoot and solve problems, and to deliver high-quality data
  • Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills,s and can thrive in a highly collaborative research environment

Preferred Qualifications:
  • Hands-on experience with lab automation, high-throughput screening (384-well format), or liquid handling systems is preferred

Compensation Details: $180,000 - $263,000 (annually) depending on skill level; participation in the Company's option plan; 3% retirement safe harbor contribution; fully-paid medical, dental, vision, life, and disability benefits.

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