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Work Schedule
Standard (Mon\-Fri)Environmental Conditions
Laboratory Setting, Some degree of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) required (safety glasses, gowning, gloves, lab coat, ear plugs etc.)Job Description
Research Scientist/Sr Research Scientist – Large or Small Molecule
Shift: Full\-Time; Monday – Friday; 8am\-5pm EST
Discover Impactful Work:
As a Research Scientist or Sr Research Scientist, you will oversee complex analytical development and/or specialty technologies projects to create new analytical methods, enhance existing methods, and transfer client\-provided methods using multiple instrumentation techniques (HPLC, GC, UPLC, ICP\-MS, LC/MS, GC/MS etc.) and multiple detection techniques (UV, FL, CAD, ELSD, IC etc.). Provide technical and regulatory consulting to internal groups and clients about their programs. Provide technical guidance and mentorship to senior staff members in performing laboratory activities. Routinely act as the technical project leader for multiple projects, interacts with clients to provide technical project updates, reviews and evaluates data, writes reports and protocols.
What You'll Do:
- Independently plans the best scientific approach to develop analytical methods
and/or other specialty technologies studies that meet client requirements.
Acts as on\-site Subject Matter Expert (SME) for instrumentation / technique /
technology.
- Evaluates available technical options to obtain desired quality of analytical
results, economics, ease of introduction into a production environment, and
robustness in analytical applications.
- Demonstrates viability of in\-house developed methods and methods transferred
from clients by designing appropriate validation experiments or other appropriate
aspects of specialty methodology or technology.
- Ability to lead client discussions regarding project definitions, technical
information exchanges and discussions of project status. Provides
recommendations to clients on technical and regulatory issues.
- Reviews protocols, project status reports, final study reports and other project related technical documents.
- Assists business development group in technical sales and marketing, and in
preparation of technical marketing materials, and presents posters and makes
podium presentations at conferences.
- Leads in preparation and implementation of SOPs and quality systems, as well as
developing innovative technology and in evaluating and implementing new
capabilities.
- Reviews, interprets, and analyzes data for technical, quality and compliance to
protocols, methods, SOPs, client criteria and Good Manufacturing Practices
(GMP) or Good Laboratory Practices (GLP). Performs self and peer review of the
data for accuracy and compliance with reporting requirements prior to
submission to QA and issuance to customers
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor's degree in lab sciences such as Chemistry, Biochemistry, Material Science, Immunology, Biology, Molecular Biology or similar
- RS: · Previous experience that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job (comparable to 8\-10\+ years’)
- OR Masters degree and previous experience that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job (comparable 6\-8\+ years’)
- OR PhD and previous experience that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job (comparable 4\-6\+ years’)
In some cases, an equivalency, consisting of a combination of appropriate education, training and/or directly related experience, will be considered sufficient for an individual to meet the requirements of the role.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Solid understanding and knowledge of general chemistry and separation science
- Demonstrated knowledge of multiple applicable techniques such as: HPLC, ELISA, GC, MS, Dissolution Testing, Inhalation Testing, Biopharmaceutical Testing, Karl Fischer, UV\-Vis, FT\-IR, TOC
- Effective written and oral communication skills as well as presentation skills
- Knowledge and application of industry best practices not yet represented by global regulatory
requirements
- Full theoretical and hands\-on understanding and knowledge of general chemistry and separation
science
- Demonstrated ability of integrating changing regulatory or industry standards and comprehension of
technical limitations
- Full understanding of laboratory requirements, SOPs, ICH guidelines, USP requirements and FDA
guidance
- Ability to independently review and understand project proposals/plans
- Proven ability in technical writing skills
- Ability to work in a collaborative work environment with a team
- Proven problem solving and troubleshooting abilities
- Ability to independently optimize analytical methods
- Time management and project management skills
Benefits
We offer competitive remuneration, annual incentive plan bonus, healthcare, and a range of employee benefits. Thermo Fisher Scientific offers employment with an innovative, forward\-thinking organization, and outstanding career and development prospects. We offer an exciting company culture that stands for integrity, intensity, involvement, and innovation!
Working Conditions and Environment:
Thermo Fisher Scientific values the health and wellbeing of our employees. We support and encourage individuals to create a healthy and balanced environment where they can thrive. Below is listed the working environment/requirements for this role:
- Able to communicate, receive, and understand information and ideas with diverse groups of people in a comprehensible and reasonable manner.
- Able to work upright and stationary and/or standing for typical working hours.
- Able to lift and move objects up to 25 pounds.
- Able to work in non\-traditional work environments.
- Able to use and learn standard office equipment and technology with proficiency.
- May have exposure to potentially hazardous elements, including infectious agents, typically found in healthcare or laboratory environments.
- Able to perform successfully under pressure while prioritizing and handling multiple projects or activities.
- May have exposure to potentially hazardous elements, including infectious agents, typically found in healthcare or laboratory environments.
- Able to perform successfully under pressure while prioritizing and handling multiple projects or activities.
Why Join Us?
When you join Thermo Fisher Scientific, you become part of a global team that values passion, innovation, and a commitment to scientific excellence. You’ll work in an environment where collaboration and development are part of the everyday experience—and where your contributions truly make a difference.
Apply today to help us deliver tomorrow’s breakthroughs.
Thermo Fisher Scientific is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.
Accessibility/Disability Access
Job Seekers with a Disability: Thermo Fisher Scientific offers accessibility service for job seekers requiring accommodations in the job application process. For example, this may include individuals requiring assistance because of hearing, vision, mobility, or cognitive impairments. If you are a job seeker with a disability, or assisting a person with a disability, and require accessibility assistance or an accommodation to apply for one of our jobs, please submit a request by telephone at 1\-855\-471\-2255\*. Please include your contact information and specific details about your required accommodation to support you during the job application process.
This telephone line is reserved solely for job seekers with disabilities requiring accessibility assistance or an accommodation in the job application process. Messages
Role Details
About This Role
Research Scientists push the boundaries of what AI can do. They design experiments, develop novel architectures, publish papers, and translate research breakthroughs into production capabilities. This is where the fundamental advances happen, from attention mechanisms to diffusion models to reasoning chains.
The work is intellectually demanding and often ambiguous. You might spend months on an approach that doesn't pan out. The best research scientists combine deep mathematical intuition with engineering pragmatism. They know when to go deep on theory and when to run experiments. They read papers voraciously and can spot incremental contributions from genuine breakthroughs.
Across the 4,317 AI roles we're tracking, Research Scientist positions make up 4% of the market. At Thermo Fisher Scientific, this role fits into their broader AI and engineering organization.
Research Scientist roles are concentrated at major AI labs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, Meta FAIR) and well-funded AI startups. The competition is intense. PhD is effectively required for most positions, and publication track record matters. Compensation is among the highest in AI, reflecting both the scarcity of talent and the strategic importance of research breakthroughs.
What the Work Looks Like
A typical week includes: reading and discussing recent papers with your team, designing and running experiments on multi-GPU clusters, analyzing results and iterating on hypotheses, writing up findings for internal review or publication, and collaborating with engineering teams to productionize promising results. The ratio of thinking to coding is higher than in engineering roles.
Research Scientist roles are concentrated at major AI labs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, Meta FAIR) and well-funded AI startups. The competition is intense. PhD is effectively required for most positions, and publication track record matters. Compensation is among the highest in AI, reflecting both the scarcity of talent and the strategic importance of research breakthroughs.
Skills in Demand for This Role
PhD strongly preferred for most roles. Deep expertise in a specific area (NLP, computer vision, reinforcement learning, multimodal) is expected. PyTorch is the standard. Publication track record matters. Strong mathematical foundations in linear algebra, probability, optimization, and information theory are assumed.
Beyond the fundamentals, companies value experience with large-scale distributed training, novel architecture design, and the ability to bridge theory and practice. Understanding of current frontier topics (reasoning, multimodal, long-context, alignment) is essential. Code quality matters more than many researchers expect. Labs want researchers who can implement their ideas cleanly.
Strong research postings specify the research area, mention the team you'd join, and describe the problems they're working on. They often list recent publications from the team. Vague 'AI research' postings without specifics usually mean the company wants to sound impressive but doesn't have a real research agenda.
Compensation Benchmarks
Research Scientist roles pay a median of $222,200 based on 378 positions with disclosed compensation. Mid-level AI roles across all categories have a median of $194,400.
Across all AI roles, the market median is $215,000. Top-quartile compensation starts at $266,300. The 90th percentile reaches $320,790. For comparison, the highest-paying categories include AI Safety ($287,500) and Research Engineer ($272,100). By seniority level: Entry: $110,000; Mid: $194,400; Senior: $227,400; Director: $274,554; VP: $241,000.
Thermo Fisher Scientific AI Hiring
Thermo Fisher Scientific has 3 open AI roles right now. They're hiring across Data Scientist, Research Scientist. Positions span Grand Island, NY, US, Greenfield, IN, US, New Brunswick, NJ, US. Compensation range: $95K - $110K.
Location Context
Across all AI roles, 15% (635 positions) offer remote work, while 3,657 require on-site attendance. Top AI hiring metros: New York (1,650 roles, $220,000 median); San Francisco (1,335 roles, $265,000 median); Los Angeles (708 roles, $214,112 median).
Career Path
Common paths into Research Scientist roles include PhD Student, Research Engineer, Postdoc.
From here, career progression typically leads toward Research Lead, Distinguished Scientist, VP of Research.
The PhD is the entry point for most paths. Choose your advisor and research area carefully since they'll define your first industry position. Publish consistently, contribute to open-source projects in your area, and build relationships at conferences. Industry research offers better compensation and compute resources than academia, but the pressure to show product impact is real.
What to Expect in Interviews
Research interviews are multi-stage: a research talk (present your best paper), technical deep-dives on your methodology, and often a 'research proposal' exercise where you design an experiment to test a hypothesis. Coding rounds test implementation ability alongside theoretical knowledge. Be prepared to implement a paper from scratch and discuss the design choices the authors made. Strong candidates can critique papers constructively and identify gaps in experimental methodology.
When evaluating opportunities: Strong research postings specify the research area, mention the team you'd join, and describe the problems they're working on. They often list recent publications from the team. Vague 'AI research' postings without specifics usually mean the company wants to sound impressive but doesn't have a real research agenda.
AI Hiring Overview
The AI job market has 4,317 open positions tracked in our dataset. By seniority: 138 entry-level, 2,071 mid-level, 1,655 senior, and 453 leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level). Remote roles make up 15% of the market (635 positions). The remaining 3,657 roles require on-site or hybrid attendance.
The market median for AI roles is $215,000. Top-quartile compensation starts at $266,300. The 90th percentile reaches $320,790. Highest-paying categories: AI Safety ($287,500 median, 34 roles); Research Engineer ($272,100 median, 227 roles); AI Engineering Manager ($244,000 median, 23 roles).
Research Scientist roles are concentrated at major AI labs (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, Meta FAIR) and well-funded AI startups. The competition is intense. PhD is effectively required for most positions, and publication track record matters. Compensation is among the highest in AI, reflecting both the scarcity of talent and the strategic importance of research breakthroughs.
The AI Job Market Today
The AI job market spans 4,317 open positions across 15 role categories. The largest categories by volume: AI/ML Engineer (3,004), Data Scientist (345), AI Software Engineer (309). These three account for the majority of open positions, though smaller categories often have higher per-role compensation because of specialized skill requirements.
The seniority mix tells a story about where AI teams are in their maturity. Entry-level roles (138) are outnumbered by mid-level (2,071) and senior (1,655) positions, reflecting that most companies are past the 'build a team from scratch' phase and need experienced engineers who can ship production systems. Leadership roles (Director, VP, C-Level) total 453 positions, representing the bottleneck between technical execution and organizational strategy.
Remote work availability sits at 15% of all AI roles (635 positions), with 3,657 requiring on-site or hybrid attendance. The remote share has stabilized after the post-pandemic correction. Senior and specialized roles (Research Scientist, ML Architect) are more likely to be remote-eligible than entry-level positions, partly because experienced hires have more negotiating power and partly because these roles require less hands-on mentorship.
AI compensation is structured in clear tiers. The market median sits at $215,000. Top-quartile roles start at $266,300, and the 90th percentile reaches $320,790. These figures include base salary with disclosed compensation. Total compensation (including equity, bonuses, and sign-on) runs 20-40% higher at companies that offer those components.
Category matters for compensation. AI Safety roles lead at $287,500 median, while Prompt Engineer roles sit at $145,000. The spread between highest and lowest-paying categories reflects the premium on specialized technical skills versus broader analytical roles.
The most in-demand skills across all AI postings: Python (2,249 postings), Aws (1,224 postings), Azure (938 postings), Rag (915 postings), Gcp (660 postings), Pytorch (640 postings), Prompt Engineering (624 postings), Kubernetes (559 postings). Python dominates, appearing in the vast majority of role descriptions regardless of category. Cloud platform experience (AWS, GCP, Azure) is the second most common requirement. The newer entrants to the top skills list (RAG, vector databases, LLM APIs) reflect the shift from traditional ML toward generative AI applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
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