Principal Scientist

Principal Scientist
Date: 1 Jun 2026
Department: GRD Discovery &
Early Research
Business Area: R&
D, Pharmacovigilance &
Regulatory Affairs
Job Type: Direct Employee
Contract Type: Permanent
Location: Solna, SE
This is what you will do
Do you want to shape the future of rare disease medicine? Join us as a drug discovery leader! We are seeking a Principal Scientist to join the Discovery &
Early Research team at Chiesi Global Rare Diseases. This is a unique opportunity to take on scientific leadership in a cutting-edge therapeutics program, driving early research strategy and contributing directly to the GRD pipeline.
The Principal Scientist will act as the non-clinical representative to global project core teams, leading nonclinical strategy across candidate research and development stages. You will work closely with clinical, CMC, and business development functions, supervise research teams, and help define Chiesi GRD’s pipeline direction. You will also be expected to expand external scientific networks, lead partnerships, and represent the company at key conferences and stakeholder meetings.

Key responsibilities include:
Act as the Non-Clinical representative to the global project Core Team, driving nonclinical project strategy and leading activities in the early research and candidate development stage
Drive strategic research directions and influence pipeline decisions as a core member of a Therapeutic Area Global Pipeline Strategy Team, supporting the prioritization and development of the GRD R&
D research pipeline
Lead cross-functional teams and collaborate with diverse functions – including clinical, CMC and business development – to integrate early research with development objectives
Supervise multiple research teams and activities within a Strategic Area, driving innovative research through the implementation of state-of-the-art techniques and technologies
Contribute to business development and competitive evaluations by leveraging broad knowledge of diseases, modalities, and products within a given Strategic Area
You will need to have

About you
To be successful in this role, you hold a PhD or Master of Science degree in a relevant field, combined with at least five years of industrial experience. You bring strong and broad knowledge within biologics drug development, including ATMPs. It is a plus if you have a broad experience across a variety of treatment modalities also including small molecules. You have a solid foundation in general biochemistry as well as molecular and cellular biology, and hands-on experience in animal disease model generation, biopharmaceutical candidate production, analysis, and characterisation.
You have significant experience leading non-clinical research project teams and have been exposed to strategic decision-making at Global Core or Project Team level. You are skilled at synthesising scientific information into technically sound and actionable recommendations.
As a person, you are a dynamic individual who thrives in a scientific environment – someone who spots opportunities where others see obstacles. You are an excellent collaborator and communicator, with strong networking skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities with clarity and purpose.
Location
Solna, Sweden