Principal Scientist – Toxicology (Small Molecule Early Safety Assessment)
Location: Lexington, Massachusetts, United States
Function: Research & Development
Facility: Research
Company: Novo Nordisk
Compensation Range: USD 148,290 – 259,510 (base) + bonus eligibility + long-term incentives
Role Overview
Novo Nordisk is seeking a Principal Scientist – Toxicology to lead early-stage safety strategy for its growing small molecule pipeline. This senior-level R&D role focuses on exploratory toxicology, early safety assessment, and non-clinical risk evaluation to support lead optimization and candidate selection in drug discovery.
The position requires deep subject matter expertise in small molecule toxicology, strong experience in in vitro, in vivo, and in silico safety screening, and the ability to guide cross-functional project teams in safety-driven decision-making. The selected candidate will work closely with global toxicology teams, medicinal chemists, ADME scientists, and regulatory stakeholders across the development continuum.
This opportunity is based in Lexington, MA, within Novo Nordisk’s Greater Boston R&D hub.
About the Boston R&D Hub
Novo Nordisk’s Greater Boston Research & Development network spans Lexington, Watertown, and Cambridge. The hub integrates early discovery, translational science, and late-stage clinical development, combining biotech agility with global pharmaceutical scale.
The Boston-based toxicology team collaborates globally with colleagues in Denmark and across international R&D functions to advance innovative therapies in diabetes, obesity, MASH, and other chronic diseases.
Key Responsibilities
Early Safety Strategy & Scientific Leadership
Pioneer and implement Novo Nordisk’s small molecule exploratory toxicology strategy.
Lead early safety evaluation using in vitro, in vivo, and in silico toxicology data.
Guide lead optimization and candidate selection through data-driven safety assessments.
Analyze, interpret, and contextualize toxicity findings to inform strategic project decisions.
CRO & External Collaboration Management
Design and oversee exploratory toxicology studies conducted at contract research organizations (CROs).
Supervise execution of toxicology screening programs and ensure data quality.
Propose and manage external partnerships to support innovative toxicology methodologies, including New Approach Methodologies (NAMs).
Cross-Functional Integration
Collaborate with chemists, biologists, ADME scientists, regulatory toxicologists, and project managers.
Align exploratory toxicology strategy with broader drug discovery and development plans.
Support due diligence activities by assessing safety data for potential pipeline assets.
Regulatory & Industry Alignment
Ensure compliance with GxP standards and relevant regulatory frameworks.
Maintain awareness of ICH guidelines and evolving industry best practices.
Monitor advancements in predictive toxicology tools and emerging technologies.
Advisory & Mentorship
Provide expert guidance on non-clinical safety matters across global R&D.
Mentor scientists and foster organizational capability in exploratory toxicology.
Solve complex safety challenges using innovative, scientifically grounded approaches.
Required Experience
PhD with 8+ years of relevant industry experience in small molecule toxicology
OR
Master’s degree with 12+ years of relevant experience.
Demonstrated expertise in small molecule exploratory toxicology and early safety evaluation.
Proven track record of advancing clinical candidates through cross-disciplinary lead optimization.
Experience overseeing toxicology studies at CROs and managing external research collaborations.
Strong background in in vitro assays and in silico toxicology analysis.
Experience with predictive toxicity SAR tools such as DEREK is advantageous.
Understanding of regulatory toxicology and ICH guidelines is preferred.
Proven ability to communicate complex safety findings to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Technical & Scientific Competencies
Deep knowledge of small molecule drug discovery and development processes.
Expertise in safety risk assessment, mechanistic toxicology, and non-clinical evaluation.
Strong understanding of medicinal chemistry to assess inherent molecular toxicity risks.
Experience implementing innovative non-clinical safety methodologies.
Ability to integrate computational toxicology with experimental data.
Compensation & Benefits
The base salary range for this position is USD 148,290 to 259,510, determined by experience, expertise, and internal equity considerations. The role is eligible for performance-based bonuses and may include long-term incentive compensation.
Benefits include:
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Life and disability insurance
401(k) savings plan
Flexible spending accounts
Employee assistance programs
Tuition reimbursement
Paid time off and flexible vacation policy
Parental leave
Additional voluntary benefits including legal, identity protection, pet, and home/auto insurance
About Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk is a global leader in chronic disease treatment with over 100 years of scientific innovation. The company is committed to defeating serious conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and metabolic diseases through advanced research, responsible innovation, and global collaboration.
With more than 63,000 employees worldwide, Novo Nordisk combines scientific excellence with long-term healthcare impact, continuously advancing solutions that improve patient outcomes globally.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Novo Nordisk is an equal opportunity employer committed to inclusive hiring practices and equal employment opportunity for all qualified applicants.
Apply through ThePharmaDaily.com to join a global leader in small molecule toxicology, non-clinical safety strategy, and innovative drug discovery.
Uttar Pradesh :
Agra | Gajraula | Gautam buddha Nagar | Ghaziabad | Gorakhpur | Greater Noida | Jhansi | kanpur | Lucknow | Mathura | Noida | Park City | Prayagraj | Satyamev | Varanasi |Gujarat :
Ahmedabad | Ankleshwar | Baroda | Bharuch | Gandhinagar | Gujarat | Halol | Jhagadia | Mehsana | surat | Tarasadi | Vadodara | Vapi |Maharashtra :
Airoli | Ambernath | Amravati | Aurangabad | Dhule | Dombivali | Jalgaon | Kolhapur | Kurkumbh | Kurla | Madhapur | Mumbai | Nagpur | Nashik | Navi Mumbai | parel | Pune | Pune city | Shirpur | Tandalja | Tarapur | Thane | Vikhroli | Yerawada |Haryana :
Ambala | Gurugram | Haryana | Hisar | Kurukshetra | Panchkula | Rohtak | Shivalik |Punjab :
amritsar | Bathinda | Bela | Chandigarh | ludhiana | Moga | Mohali | Patiala | Phagwara | Rajpura |Andra Pradesh :
Anakapali | Anantapur | Bhimavaram | Chittoor | Guntur | Gurgaon | Kakinada | Mangalagiri | Nellore | Pydibimavaram | Tirupathi | Vijayawada | Visakhapatnam |Tamil Nadu :
Annamalainagar | Chennai | Coimbatore | Erode | Madurai | Nagercoil | Ooty | Pudupakkam | Srivilliputtur | Tamil nadu | Tiruchirappalli | tiruppur | Trichy | Vellore | Yogyakarta |Himachal Pradesh :
Baddi | Solan |Rajasthan :
Banasthali | Bhiwadi | Jaipur | Pilani | Udaipur |Karnataka :
Bangalore | Belgaum | Bengaluru | B.G Nagara | Bommasandra | Colorado | Czech Republic | Karnataka | Mangaluru | Mysore | Udupi |Madhya Pradesh :
Bhopal | Dewas | Gwalior | Indore | Khandwa | Khargone | Pithampur | Ujjain |Odisha :
Bhubaneswar | Rourkela |Chhattisgarh :
Bilaspur | Eot Municipality | Raipur |Uttarakhand :
Dehradun | Halifax | Nainital | Rishikesh | Roorkee |Delhi :
Delhi | India | New Delhi | PAN-India |Assam :
Dibrugarh | Diburghar | Guwahati |West Bengal :
Digha | Kolkata | Mukundapur |Goa :
Goa | Panaji | Verna |Bihar :
Hajipur | Patna |Kerala :
Kannur | Kochi | Malappuram | Thiruvananthapuram | Trivandrum |Pondicherry (Puducherry) :
Pondicherry (Puducherry) |Jharkhand :
Ranchi |Sikkim :
Rangpo |India :
Siliguri |Illinois :
Abbott Park | Bloomingdale | Champaign | Chicago | Deerfield | Glenview | Lake Forest | Lombard | Naperville | Norridge | Park RIdge | Round Lake |Maryland :
Aberdeen | Baltimore | Bel Air | Cheverly | Columbia | Elkridge | Gaithersburg | Largo | Linthicum | Rockville | Towson | Upper Marlboro | White Plains |Texas :
Abilene | Arlington | Austin | Boerne | Brenham | Bulverde | Carrollton | Cedar Hill | Corpus Christi | Corsicana | Dallas | Denton | El Paso | Fort Worth | Garland | Houston | Lakeway | Longview | Mcallen | North Richland Hills | Plano | Richardson | San Antonio | Seguin | Tyler | Waco |California :
Adelanto | Alameda | Albion | Arcata | Atherton | Berkeley | Brisbane | Burlingame | Burney | California | Carlsbad | Crescent City | Davis | Downey | El Monte | El Segundo | Emeryville | Eureka | Fortuna | Foster City | Fremont | Glendale | Hayward | Hoopa | Irvine | La Jolla | Los Angeles | Martinez | McKinleyville | Menlo Park | Millbrae | Milpitas | Morgan Hill | Mountain View | Nevada | Novato | Oakland | Orange | Pacheco | Palo Alto | Pasadena | Pleasanton | Pomona | Redding | Redwood City | Riverside | Roseville | Sacramento | San Bernardino | San Carlos | San Diego | San Francisco | San Gabriel | San Jose | San Mateo | San Rafael | Santa Clara | Santa Cruz | Santa Monica | Simi Valley | Soledad | South San Francisco | Stanford | Stanton | St. Helena | Stockton | Sunnyvale | Temecula | Thousand Oaks | Valencia | Vallejo | West Sacramento | West Valley City | Whittier | Willits |New York :
Albany | Biddle | Brooklyn | Buffalo | Hauppauge | Hawthorne | Hicksville | Ithaca | Middleburgh | Morningside Heights | New York | Pearl River | Poughkeepsie | Rensselaer | Rhinebeck | Syracuse | Utica | Watertown |New Mexico :
Albuquerque | Farmington | Santa Fe | Tucumcari |Pennsylvania :
Ambler | Bethlehem | Collegeville | Harrisburg | Lancaster | Marietta | Middletown | Philadelphia | Pittsburgh | Plymouth Meeting | Pottstown | Radnor | Sellersville | Southampton | Spring House | West Chester | Wyomissing |Alaska :
Anchorage | Barrow | Bethel | Juneau | Sitka | Wrangell |Massachusetts :
Andover | Billerica | Boston | Cambridge | Devens | Lexington | Massachusetts | Medford and Somerville | Rockland |Wisconsin :
Appleton | Kenosha | Pleasant Prairie | Portage | Waukesha |United states :
Arizona | Buffalo Grove | Clayton | Downers Grove | fairmont | Georgia | Keene | Michigan | Mt. Pleasant | New Jersy | OH | Piedmont | Salisbury | United States | Whitesboro | Winston-Salem |Georgia :
Atlanta | Augusta | Rome |Maine :
Bangor | Brewer |New Jersey :
Basking Ridge | Bloomfield | Branchburg Township | Bridgewater | Brunswick | Burlington | Charlotte | Clark | Cranbury | Dunellen | East Brunswick | Edison | Fairfield | Far Hills | Flemington | Hackensack | Hopewell | Indianapolis | Jersey City | Linden | Livingston | Lyndhurst | Mahwah | Monmouth Junction | Montville | Mount Arlington | Newark | New Brunswick | Nutley | Paramus | Parsippany | Passaic | Paterson | Peapack-Gladstone | Pine Brook | Piscataway Township | Plainsboro | Princeton Junction | Rahway | Raritan | Somerset | Somerville | South Plainfield | Sparta | Summit | Titusville | Trenton | Warren Grove | Westfield | West Orange | Wharton | Whippany |Ohio :
Batavia | Blue Ash | Cincinnati | Cleveland | Columbus, | Dayton | Erie | Evendale | Franklin | Hamilton | Huber Heights | Kings Mills | Macedonia | Mason | Milford | Montgomery | Norwood | Oregoina | oxford | Waynesville |LA :
Baton Rouge | Monroe | New Orleans |Washington :
Bellevue | Bothell | Friday Harbor | Goldendale | Mount Vernon | Pullman | Seattle | Sherwood | Tacoma | Vancouver |Oregon :
Bend | Coquille | Corvallis | Eugene | Florence | Grants Pass | John Day | Lake Oswego | Lakeview | Portland | Reedsport | Roseburg | Salem | Springfield | Woodburn |Wyoming :
Big Piney | Cokeville |Alabama :
Birmingham |Virginia :
Blacksburg | Charlottesville | Falls Church | Mechanicsville |Indiana :
Bloomington | West Lafayette |Florida :
Boca Raton | Brooksville | Clearwater | Cooper City | Coral Gables | Coral Springs | Daytona Beach | Florida | Gainesville | Hollywood | Jacksonville | Maitland | Marsa | Miami | Naples | North Miami Beach | Orlando | Pembroke Pines | Plantation | Port St. Lucie | Rueil-Malmaison | Saint Petersburg | Sarasota | Stuart | Tallahassee | Tampa | West Palm Beach | Winter Haven |Idaho :
Boise |Colorado :
Boulder | Denver | Westminster |Connecticut :
Bridgeport | Bristol | Enfield | Groton | Hartford | New Haven | Newtown | South Windsor | Stamford | Storrs | West Hartford |North Caroline :
Carolina Beach | Chapel Hills | Durham | Holly Springs | Morrisville | Philippines | Raleigh | Rocky Mount | Sanford | Scottsdale |Arizona :
Chandler | Kingman | Lake Havasu City | Mesa | Peridot | Phoenix | Surprise | Tempe | Tucson | Yuma |South Carolina :
Charleston |Kansas :
Chengdu | Garden city | Kansas City | Lawrence | McPherson |North Carolina :
Concord | Lumberton | North Carolina |Michigan :
Detroit | Houghton Lake | Macomb | Southfield |North Dakota :
Dickinson |Minnesota :
Duluth | Eden Prairie | Fridley | Hibbing | Maple Grove | Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. | Minnetonka | St.Paul |Kentucky :
Edgewood | Ft MItchell | Louisville | Shelbyville |Arkansas :
Fort Smith |Kington :
Frank Scottile Blvd |Missouri :
Fulton | Milan | St. Louis |United States :
Hawai | kentucky | Sylmar | Woonsocket |Nebraska :
Hebron | Nebraska City |Hawaii :
Hilo | Honolulu |Tennessee :
Knoxville | Memphis | Nashville |Louisiana :
Lake Charles | Shreveport |Nevada :
Las Vegas | Tonopah | Tonopsh | Virginia |New Hampshire :
Lebanon | Macon | Manchester |Portugal :
Lisbon | Oeiras | Portugal |WI :
Madison | Wausau |Republic of Mexico :
Mexico |northeastern :
New Hampshire |Oklahoma :
Oklahoma City |Puerto Rico :
San Juan |Albama :
Tuscaloosa |D.C :
Washington |Delaware :
Wilmington |North Rhine Westphalia :
Aachen | Bielefeld | Bochum | Bonn | Cologne | Dortmund | Duisburg | Dusseldorf | Munster |Munich :
Bavaria |Bavaria :
Bayreuth | Erlangen | Munich | Regensburg | Wurzburg |Brandenburg :
Berlin |Baden-Wurttemberg :
Biberach an der Riß | Freiburg | Grenzach | Heidelberg | Karlsruhe | Konstanz | Stuttgart | Tubingen | Ulm |Hesse :
Darmstadt | Marburg |Hessen :
Frankfurt | Harveysburg |Germany :
Germany | GErmany |Lower Saxony :
Gottingen | Hannover | Leipzig |Saxony Anhalt :
Halle |Rotherbaum :
Hamburg |Rhineland Palatinate :
Ingelheim am Rhein | Mainz |Schleswig Holstein :
Kiel |Berlin :
Mitte |Mecklenburg Vorpommern :
Rostock |Saarland :
Saarbrucken |Switzerland :
Basel | Zurich |Serbia :
Belgrade | Serbia |Hungary :
Budapest |BULGARIA :
Bulgaria | Vedant |Denmark :
Copenhagen | Denmark |Europe :
Europe | France | Latvia | Lendava | Leuven | Poland | Slovenia | Spain |Finland :
Finland |Istanbul :
Istanbul | Turkey |Norway :
Norway | NOrway |Romania :
Romania |Belgium :
Wavre |Tipperary :
Ballydine |Cork :
Brinny | Ringaskiddy |Carlow :
Carlow |Republic of Ireland :
Cork | Dublin | Limerick | Waterford |Ulster :
Donegal |Meath :
Dunboyne |Dún Laoghaire :
Dún Laoghaire |Galway :
Galway |County Dublin :
Swords |Republic of China :
Beijing |China :
China | Quarry Bay |Liaoning :
Dalian |Zhejiang :
Hangzhou |Tokiyo :
Osaka | Tokyo |Shanghai Sai :
Shanghai Shi |Hubei :
Wuhan |Capital of Netherland :
Amsterdam |North Brabant :
Breda |Noord Holland :
Haarlem |South Holland :
Leiden |Netherlands :
Netherlands |Remote Australia :
Arkansas | Remote Australia |New South Wales :
Ballina | Sydney |Republic of Western Australia :
Nedlands |Queensland :
Queensland |Melbourne :
South Yarra |United Kingdom :
England | Harlow | Leeds | London | Maidenhead | Salt Lake City | Stevenage | Stirling | United Kingdom |North Yorkshire :
Harrogate |South Yorkshire :
Sheffield |Oxfordshire :
Witney |Ontario :
Renfrew | Uxbridge | Australia | Richmond Hill | Mississauga | North York |Canada :
Canada |Quebec :
Montreal |Brussels :
Brussels |Antwerp :
Heist op den Berg |Flemish Brabant :
Zaventem |South America :
Argentina | Peru |Brazil :
Sao paulo | Brazil |Attica :
Koropi | Athens |Greece :
Greece |North Island :
Auckland |New Zealand :
New Zealand |Austria :
Austria |Vienna :
Vienna |Catalonia :
Barcelona |Madrid :
Madrid |Cebu Province :
Cebu City |Philippines :
Manila |Croatia :
Croatia |Zagreb :
Zagreb |Estonia :
Estonia | Tartu |Harju County (Maakond) :
Tallinn |Hà Nội :
Hanoi | Hà Nội |Ho Chi Minh :
Ho Chi Minh City |Italy :
Italy |Lombardy :
Rho |Jakarta :
Jakarta |East Java :
Surabaya |Japan :
Saitama | Japan |Tokyo :
Otemachi |North Ostrobothnia :
Oulu |Southwest Finland (Varsinais-Suomi) :
Turku |Remote Korea :
Remote Korea |Republic of Korea :
Seoul |Kazakhstan :
Almaty |Republic of Thailand :
Bangkok |Israel :
Kfar Saba | Tel Aviv | Yavne | Netanya | Be'Er Sheva |Remote :
Springville | Remote | Nairobi | Remote, USA | Medan | McFarland | Regulatory Labeling Manager (NA and LATAM Only) | Switzerland | Lousiana | Remote - South America (Latin Americal) | Texas | Xzagreb | Remote - Africa | Riga | Melbourne | Minnesota | Belgium | Tulsa | Castlebar | Ireland | Hungary | Lenexa | French | Leinster | Green Way | Thailand | Bountiful | Faridabad | Zaragoza | Bishop | Remote - Europe | Manipal | Hammond | Blue Bell | Slovakia | Remote - Middle East | Victoria |Republic of Colombia :
Bogota |Williamson :
Brentwood |Bucharest :
Bucharest |Buenos Aires :
Buenos Aires |Republic of Egypt :
Cairo |Mexico :
Ciudad de México | New Mexico |Dubai :
Dubai |Makkah :
Riyadh | King Abdullah Economic City | Khulais | Jeddah | Rabigh | Najran |Kuala Lumpur :
Kuala Lumpur |Kyiv Oblast :
Kyiv |Lima Region :
Lima |France :
Lyon | Paris |South Africa :
South Africa | Midrand |Nišava District :
Niš |Bohemia :
Prague |Chile :
Santiago |Bosnia and Herzegovina :
Sarajevo |Singapore :
Singapore |Sofia City :
Sofia |Sweden :
Sweden |Taipei :
Taipei |Mazovia :
Warsaw |
Sign in with Google
