In Vivo Pharmacology Scientist

Job Title: In Vivo Pharmacology Scientist – III

Location: West Point, PA 19486

Duration: 12 Months

Pay Rate: $72/hr on W2

Work Arrangement: Onsite

Employment Type: Contract

Domain: Pharmaceuticals

Application Deadline: October 5th, 2026

Description:

In Vivo Pharmacology (Pain Models)

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 8 years or Master's degree with 5years and PHD with 2years in Neuroscience, Pharmacology, Biology, Physiology, or a related scientific discipline.

• Hands-on experience conducting rodent behavior pharmacology studies.

• Demonstrated experience with mouse pain models and related surgical procedures.

• Experience with rodent handling, dosing(nice to have), tissue collection(nice to have) and study execution(important).

• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to work independently.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative, fast-paced drug discovery environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with osteoarthritis, inflammatory pain, neuropathic pain, and/or neuroinflammation models.

• Knowledge of PK-PD study design and interpretation.

• Experience with biomarker collection and analysis.

• Familiarity with electronic data capture and statistical analysis software.

• Experience supporting antibody and small molecule discovery programs.

• Interest in learning and supporting in vivo electrophysiology studies.

Impact

• This position will help establish critical internal mouse pain-model capabilities while increasing overall in vivo pharmacology capacity for discovery programs.

• The role will accelerate data generation, improve study agility, reduce dependence on external timelines, and support advancement of multiple neuroscience portfolio projects through key pharmacology and translational milestones.

Note:

• Onsite

• 8:30-4:30pm EST-Monday-Friday

Job Description

The Neuroscience Department is seeking a highly motivated contractor to support the design, execution, and advancement of preclinical pain pharmacology studies.

• The successful candidate will play a key role in expanding the team's in vivo capabilities through the establishment and execution of mouse pain models while supporting ongoing rat behavioral pharmacology studies across multiple discovery-stage programs.

• This position will contribute directly to mechanism-of-action, PK-PD, and translational pharmacology studies supporting pain targets.

• The individual will work closely with scientists across biology, pharmacology, DMPK, chemistry, and translational sciences to generate high-quality data that informs project decisions.

Primary Responsibilities

• Establish, optimize, and execute mouse pain models and associated behavioral endpoints to support discovery and translational research programs.

• Perform surgical procedures required for rodent pain models.

• Conduct behavioral assessments including:

o Von Frey mechanical sensitivity testing

o Static weight-bearing (SWB) assessments

o Additional pain-related behavioral endpoints as needed

• Support pharmacology studies evaluating mechanism of action, target engagement, and PK-PD relationships.

• Assist with development and implementation of biomarker-enabled studies to support ROP and translational objectives.

• Perform rodent dosing, sample collection, and study monitoring activities.

• Maintain detailed study records and ensure accurate and timely data reporting.

• Analyze, interpret, and communicate experimental results to multidisciplinary project teams, as needed.

• Assist with study planning, protocol development, and assay optimization activities.

• Support expansion of internal in vivo capabilities while working collaboratively with external CRO partners.

Must-Have Technical Skills

• 8 years of hands-on rodent behavioral pharmacology experience

• Direct experience establishing, optimizing, and executing mouse pain models

• Experience performing surgical procedures for rodent pain models

• Strong hands-on capability in:

o Rodent handling and dosing

o Tissue and biological sample collection

o Study execution and monitoring

• Experience conducting pain-related behavioral assessments, particularly:

o Von Frey mechanical sensitivity testing

o Static weight-bearing (SWB) assessments

• Ability to maintain accurate study records, analyze experimental data, and communicate results

Highly Preferred Skills

• Experience with one or more of the following:

o Osteoarthritis models o Inflammatory pain models

o Neuropathic pain models

o Neuroinflammation models

• Understanding of mechanism-of-action, target engagement, and PK-PD studies

• Biomarker collection and analysis

• Protocol development and assay optimization

• Experience supporting small-molecule or antibody discovery programs

• Familiarity with electronic data-capture and statistical analysis tools

• Exposure to CRO collaboration and coordination with animal-care staff

• Interest in learning or supporting in vivo electrophysiology

BENEFITS

Medical | Dental | Vision | 401(k)

EEOC Compliance:

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.

DISCLAIMER

AI Usage Policy: Pacer Group uses AI to assist in screening applications. Final hiring decisions are made by human recruiters based on qualifications and experience.