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Drug Development Jobs in Madison, WI (NOW HIRING)

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Drug Development information

See Madison, WI salary details

$33.3K

$78K

$134K

How much do drug development jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 6, 2026, the average yearly pay for drug development in Madison, WI is $78,029.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $58,900.00 and $91,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is drug development?

Drug development is the process of bringing a new pharmaceutical drug to market. It involves several stages, including drug discovery, preclinical research, clinical trials, and regulatory approval. Each stage is designed to ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of the drug before it can be made available to patients. The entire process can take several years and requires collaboration between scientists, clinicians, regulatory agencies, and pharmaceutical companies.

What are the typical stages of collaboration between different teams in a drug development role?

In drug development, professionals regularly collaborate across multidisciplinary teams, including research scientists, clinical trial coordinators, regulatory affairs specialists, and manufacturing experts. Early stages involve close work with research and discovery teams to identify promising compounds, followed by coordination with clinical teams during trial phases, and finally with regulatory and production teams as the drug moves toward approval and commercialization. Effective communication and cross-functional teamwork are essential, as each stage relies on timely data sharing and joint problem-solving to navigate complex challenges.

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

To thrive in Drug Development, you need a strong background in pharmaceutical sciences, biology, or chemistry, often supported by an advanced degree (e.g., PhD, PharmD, or MSc). Familiarity with regulatory compliance, clinical trial management systems, and data analysis software such as SAS or R is typically required. Excellent problem-solving, project management, and cross-functional communication skills help professionals excel in this multidisciplinary field. These competencies ensure that new drugs are developed safely, efficiently, and in accordance with regulatory standards.

What is the difference between Drug Development vs Pharmacologist?

AspectDrug DevelopmentPharmacologist
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, or related fields; often requires experience in clinical trialsDegree in Pharmacology, Pharmacy, or related fields; may require licensing or certification for clinical practice
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, pharmaceutical companies, clinical trial sitesResearch labs, hospitals, academic institutions, regulatory agencies
Industry UsageDeveloping new drugs, overseeing clinical trials, regulatory submissionsStudying drug effects, mechanisms, safety, and efficacy; advising on drug use

While both roles are integral to the pharmaceutical industry, Drug Development focuses on creating and bringing new drugs to market through research, testing, and regulatory processes. Pharmacologists primarily study how drugs interact with biological systems, often working in research or clinical settings to understand drug effects and safety. The two roles often collaborate but differ in their core responsibilities and career focus.

How much do drug development professionals make?

Drug development professionals, including roles such as research scientists and clinical trial managers, typically earn salaries ranging from $70,000 to over $130,000 annually, depending on experience, education, and location. Senior positions or those with specialized skills and certifications can earn higher salaries, especially in biotech and pharmaceutical companies.

Is drug development a good career?

Drug development is a challenging and rewarding career that involves research, clinical trials, and regulatory processes to bring new medications to market. It requires strong scientific knowledge, attention to detail, and often collaboration across multidisciplinary teams. The field offers opportunities for growth, innovation, and contributing to public health, but can also involve long hours and high responsibility.

What career develops drugs?

A career in drug development typically involves roles such as pharmacologist, medicinal chemist, clinical researcher, or regulatory affairs specialist. These professionals work in laboratories, research facilities, or pharmaceutical companies to discover, test, and bring new drugs to market, often requiring knowledge of biology, chemistry, and regulatory processes.

What are popular job titles related to Drug Development jobs in Madison, WI?

For Drug Development jobs in Madison, WI, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Drug Development jobs in Madison, WI look for?

The top searched job categories for Drug Development jobs in Madison, WI are:

What cities near Madison, WI are hiring for Drug Development jobs?

Cities near Madison, WI with the most Drug Development job openings:

Drug Development jobs near you
Infographic showing various Drug Development job openings in Madison, WI as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 78% Full Time, 17% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 85% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 13% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $78,041 per year, or $37.5 per hour.

Scientist - Process Development, Drug Substance Lifecycle

Catalent Pharma Solutions

Madison, WI • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 28 days ago

Key responsibilities

  • Lead process characterization activities for development, validation, and commercial-stage biologics programs.

  • Support process validation, continued process verification, comparability assessments, and lifecycle change management.

  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure successful technology transfer and support for commercial manufacturing.

Catalent rating

7.6

Company rating: 7.6 out of 10

Based on 55 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

62nd of 86 rated pharmaceutical

Job description

Scientist - Process Development, Drug Substance Lifecycle

Catalent is seeking a Scientist - Process Development, Drug Substance Lifecycle to join our team in Madison, Wisconsin. In this role, you will provide technical expertise and lifecycle support for biologics programs as they progress through development, validation, commercialization, and post-approval manufacturing. You'll collaborate across Manufacturing, Quality, MS&T, Regulatory, Project Management, and client teams to drive successful program execution and continuous process improvement.

About Catalent Madison: Catalent's Madison, Wisconsin facility is a state-of-the-art biologics development and manufacturing site supporting customers from research through early- and mid-stage clinical production. Located at 726 Heartland Trail, the 102,700-square-foot GMP facility specializes in mammalian cell line engineering, drug substance manufacturing, and biopharmaceutical process development.

The site is home to Catalent's proprietary GPEx and GPEx Lightning technologies, enabling the generation of high-producing mammalian cell lines for biologic therapies. With production capabilities ranging from 50L to 4,000L and a recent $45 million expansion, the Madison campus continues to play a critical role in Catalent's global biologics network while supporting Wisconsin's growing life sciences industry.

Location: 100% Onsite at our facility in Madison, Wisconsin
Shift: Monday - Friday, First Shift

Key Responsibilities:

  • Lead process characterization activities for development, validation, and commercial-stage biologics programs.

  • Support process validation, continued process verification, comparability assessments, and lifecycle change management.

  • Analyze process performance data, identify improvement opportunities, and drive risk reduction initiatives.

  • Serve as a technical subject matter expert for assigned programs and client interactions.

  • Author and review technical protocols, reports, validation documents, and regulatory support documentation.

  • Support investigations, CAPAs, change controls, and quality system activities in a cGMP environment.

  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure successful technology transfer and commercial manufacturing support.

  • Other responsibilities as needed.

Required Qualifications:

  • PhD in a STEM discipline or Master's degree with a minimum of 3 years of relevant industry experience; or Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 6 years of relevant industry experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience supporting biologics development, characterization, validation, or commercial manufacturing.

  • Knowledge of process characterization, PPQ, lifecycle management, and validation principles.

  • Experience working within cGMP environments.

  • Familiarity with statistical analysis tools such as JMP, Minitab, or Excel.

  • Experience supporting cross-functional technical projects and client-facing activities.

Why you should join Catalent:

  • Opportunity to play a key role in driving growth within a global CDMO leader.

  • Competitive compensation package, including incentive opportunity.

  • Day-one medical, dental, and vision coverage.

  • 401(k) with company match.

  • Tuition reimbursement and professional development opportunities.

  • Generous paid time off and holiday schedule (152 hours + 8 holidays)

  • Collaborative, mission-driven culture focused on improving patient outcomes worldwide.

Catalent offers rewarding opportunities to further your career! Join the global drug development and delivery leader and help us bring over 7,000 life-saving and life-enhancing products to patients around the world. Catalent is an exciting and growing international company where employees work directly with pharma, biopharma and consumer health companies of all sizes to advance new medicines from early development to clinical trials and to the market. Catalent produces more than 70 billion doses per year, and each one will be used by someone who is counting on us. Join us in making a difference.

personal initiative. dynamic pace. meaningful work.

Visit Catalent Careers to explore career opportunities.

Catalent is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and veterans.

If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process due to a disability, you may submit your request by sending an email, and confirming your request for an accommodation and include the job number, title and location to DisabilityAccommodations@catalent.com. This option is reserved for individuals who require accommodation due to a disability. Information received will be processed by a U.S. Catalent employee and then routed to a local recruiter who will provide assistance to ensure appropriate consideration in the application or hiring process.

Notice to Agency and Search Firm Representatives: Catalent Pharma Solutions (Catalent) is not accepting unsolicited resumes from agencies and/or search firms for this job posting. Resumes submitted to any Catalent employee by a third party agency and/or search firm without a valid written & signed search agreement, will become the sole property of Catalent. No fee will be paid if a candidate is hired for this position as a result of an unsolicited agency or search firm referral. Thank you.

Important Security Notice to U.S. Job Seekers:

Catalent NEVER asks candidates to provide any type of payment, bank details, photocopies of identification, social security number or other highly sensitive personal information during the offer process, and we NEVER do so via email or social media. If you receive any such request, DO NOT respond- it is a fraudulent request. Please forward such requests to spam@catalent.com for us to investigate with local authorities.

California Job Seekers can find our California Job Applicant Notice HERE.

What Catalent employees say

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About Catalent

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Catalent is an exciting and growing international company where employees work directly with pharma, biopharma and consumer health companies of all sizes to advance new medicines from early development to clinical trials and to the market. Catalent produces more than 70 billion doses per year, and each one will be used by someone who is counting on us. Join us in making a difference.Catalent is committed to the health and safety of its employees, visitors and the customers and patients we serve.

Industry

Pharmaceutical product wholesalers

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Somerset, NJ, US

Year founded

2007

Social media

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