Principal Scientist
Houston, TXFull-time$111–166K/yrPosted 5 days agoStill listed 4 days ago
Most applications go out cold — see where you stand first. No sign-up to start.
Watch jobs like this. New roles like this one near Houston, TX, by email.
Don't just apply. Show up ready.
Olive works from this exact posting.
At a glance
Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.
Requirements
Credentials this posting asks for.
Job overview
The Principal Scientist supports scientific projects for biopharmaceutical clients, designing and developing qualified and validated molecular assays. The role provides technical expertise, performs hands-on laboratory work, and trains and mentors scientific staff. It also oversees assay procedures, technical reports, client communications, and laboratory quality while ensuring work follows client requirements and applicable regulations.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Benefits
Full job description
Position Summary: The Principal Scientist will be instrumental in helping Precision achieve its goals of delivering exceptional services to Precision’s diverse, innovative, and global biopharmaceutical clients. Working closely with the assigned manager, the Principal Scientist will help support key scientific projects ensuring best practices are implemented to support timely delivery of client projects. Key components will be focused on the design and development of innovative qualified and validated molecular assays including, but not limited to, ddPCR, qPCR, Next Gen Sequencing, Nanostring, and FISH assays. The successful candidate will assist and be a resource for scientist team members to design experimental plans and timelines, that match client specifications/requirements. The candidate should be able to communicate project plans and progress to the client, along with executing and reporting the work according to agreed timelines and under the appropriate regulations (GLP, CAP, CLIA etc.). A significant aspect of this role is the training and mentoring of junior scientists and team members in both laboratory techniques and in the analysis and presentation of data. This role will provide technical expertise to the laboratory and perform “hands on” experiments as needed for training and mentoring purposes. Essential functions of the job include but are not limited to:
- Designs, implements, and troubleshoots molecular assays with the scientific team to meet client requirements
- Oversees the scientists writing and implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs) to perform assays to meet client requirements and the level of regulatory compliance needed
- Oversees the generation of technical reports and other communications required to present data to clients
- Helps support the generation of posters and papers for submission to conference organizers and peer reviewed journals when applicable and approved by senior management
- Reviews and edit client proposals, contract/proposals as needed
- Trains and mentors scientific staff in the review and presentation of client data; supports client calls as the leading expert for the team
- Trains and mentors technical staff on how to perform laboratory procedures. Devises and performs training and competency assessments to ensure staff can perform tasks independently
- Maintains and supports safe lab practices and environment
- Tracks and trends laboratory efficiency and quality
- Performs duties with a high degree of independence, quality, and efficiency
- Acts as internal expert on technical advances to anticipate and act as a thought leader to management on all matters related to their scope of work.
- Initiates and/or recommends appropriate courses of action and identifies matters requiring policy interpretation or revision
- Ensures scope of work and change orders are followed by technical team, and minimizes scope creep
- Helps support the scheduling of work with the team, to ensure financial targets are being met by the lab staff
Qualifications: Minimum Required:
- Must have a Ph.D. in life sciences or relevant field (e.g. Molecular Biology)
- At least 8 years related full-time laboratory experience
Other Required:
- Strong bench scientist skills around molecular assays. Hands on sequencing, ddPCR, and qPCR experience is required.
- Experience in validation/qualification of assays to CAP/CLIA/GLP or ISO guidelines
- Strong organizational skills
- Strong communication skills
- Experienced technical report generation
- The ability to see and differentiate between colors on the full color spectrum
- Ability to lift and carry between 1-15 lbs.; Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. overhead with assistance; frequently required to sit, grasp, and use right/left finger dexterity; May be exposed to a cold freezer environment (Freezer temperatures range between -20ºC -196ºC)
- Must be able to read, write, speak fluently, and comprehend the English language
Preferred:
- 10-15+ years’ experience as a molecular laboratorian in a leadership role with direct reports
- Experience supervising or mentoring scientists or technical personnel
- Industrial experience and/or management of outside collaborations is desirable
- A solid understanding of current GxP or CAP/CLIA/ISO standards
- Previous work experience in GLP or GCLP or CLIA regulatory compliance
Precision is required by law in some states or cities to include a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. This compensation range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to: skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. At Precision, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. This role is also eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, health insurance, retirement savings benefits, life insurance and disability benefits, parental leave, and paid time off for sick leave and vacation, among other benefits. Reasonable estimate of the current range $110,700—$166,100 USD
Any data provided as a part of this application will be stored in accordance with our Privacy Policy. For CA applicants, please also refer to our CA Privacy Notice. Precision Medicine Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process or are limited in the ability or unable to access or use this online application process and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact Precision Medicine Group at [email protected]. Recruitment Fraud Warning: Please be aware that fraudulent individuals and websites may impersonate Precision Medicine Group or its affiliates and attempt to obtain personal, financial, or banking information through fake job postings or employment offers. Precision Medicine Group will never request payment, banking details, or other sensitive financial information as part of the recruitment process. If you believe you have been targeted by a recruitment scam, we encourage you to report the incident to your local law enforcement authorities, consumer protection agency, or relevant cybercrime reporting organization in your country. Please also notify us at [email protected] so we can investigate and take appropriate action. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the country of employment without employer sponsorship.
How this job compares
Set against the 2,042 open Scientist jobs on Olive Jobs, counted October 29, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$111–166K/yr
- US median$103–160K/yr1,102 salary ranges
This range's midpoint, $138K, is 10% above the US median midpoint ($126K) — in the middle half of Scientist salary ranges across the US.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 81 open Scientist jobs in Texas and 2,042 across the US. Under 1% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in Texas
- UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN16 open
- Jacobs9 open
- HNTB8 open
- Experience
- This posting asks for at least 8 years of experience — more than three in four Scientist postings that state a minimum ask for (median 3 years, across 1,463 postings).
- Education
- This posting asks for a doctorate or professional degree; 406 of the 2,042 open Scientist jobs (20%) ask for a doctorate or professional degree.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on October 29, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.
You've read the whole posting — now see how you match it.