Explore Chief Scientist Jobs

Chief Scientists guide an organization’s scientific vision, research strategy, and technical innovation. These senior leaders help turn complex research into meaningful products, services, and discoveries while advising executives on scientific opportunities and risks. Explore vetted Chief Scientist opportunities paying $100,000 or more on Ladders.

What Does a Chief Scientist Do?

Responsibilities vary by organization and industry, but commonly include setting research priorities, leading multidisciplinary teams, overseeing experiments and development programs, evaluating emerging technologies, and communicating findings to business and government leaders. Chief Scientists may also shape research budgets, build partnerships with universities or laboratories, and ensure that work meets ethical, regulatory, and quality standards.

Common Skills and Qualifications

Employers often seek a strong record of scientific achievement, deep expertise in a relevant discipline, and experience leading research teams or complex programs. A doctoral degree is common in many fields, though requirements depend on the role. Strategic thinking, clear communication, collaboration, and the ability to connect scientific evidence with organizational goals are valuable across industries.

Industries and Career Opportunities

Chief Scientist roles are available in areas such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, artificial intelligence, aerospace, energy, government, and advanced manufacturing. Titles and reporting structures differ: some positions focus on fundamental research, while others lead applied science, product development, or enterprise-wide innovation.

Find Chief Scientist Roles on Ladders

Use Ladders to explore vetted professional opportunities with salaries of $100,000 or more. Review each listing’s responsibilities, qualifications, location, and compensation details to identify roles that fit your expertise and leadership goals.

Remote
caret down
Compensation
caret down
Position Level
caret down
Time Posted
caret down
Industries
caret down
More
1
caret down

$128K - $190K *

Shape the future of biotech by driving strategic sales and fostering key client relationships. Leverage your expertise to maximize revenue growth and enhance client satisfaction in a dynamic, fast-pac...

California, USRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$135K - $160K *

Join a team that's driving innovation in Oracle E-Business Suite solutions. Leverage your expertise to enhance customer engagements and support pre-sales initiatives while collaborating with cross-fun...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$88K - $121K *

Manage logistics for a complex federal program, ensuring timely, secure delivery of assets. Lead project activities, coordinate with stakeholders, and maintain compliance while building strategic rela...

Virginia, USRemote

3 days ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Telecommunications & Hardware

$170K - $270K *

Lead the charge in advancing machine learning evaluations through hands-on infrastructure and customer collaborations, shaping benchmarks for diverse models in a high-ownership role...

United StatesRemote

1 month ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Staffing

$145K - $170K *

Drive agile solutions for government agencies, enhancing efficiency and service delivery. Lead projects, mentor teams, and build client relationships while delivering technology solutions aligned with...

Washington, DCRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

$85K - $130K *

Grow and lead complex multidisciplinary projects from initiation to completion. Collaborate with diverse teams and clients to deliver high-quality results while managing budgets, schedules, and relati...

RemoteRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Energy & Utilities

$137K - $185K *

Lead enterprise AI engineering, driving impactful AI applications from concept to governed production. Empower teams with innovative AI solutions while ensuring quality, compliance, and operational ex...

RemoteRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Retail & Consumer Goods

$130K - $216K *

Join a dynamic team to lead technology consulting projects in biopharma, ensuring successful implementation of patient services solutions. Collaborate with clients and cross-functional teams to drive...

United StatesRemote

2 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Business Services

$147K - $220K *

Champion transformative health solutions by managing key client relationships, driving sales, and collaborating across teams to enhance Verily's impact in Life Sciences. Leverage expertise to unlock n...

RemoteRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$80K - $95K *

Analyze and lead evaluations for human-services and public programs, creating frameworks and performance measures. Collaborate with stakeholders to translate findings into actionable insights, ensurin...

United StatesRemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Education, Government & Non-Profit

$120K - $150K *

Drive complex federal platform initiatives, enhancing security, compliance, and infrastructure through innovative engineering solutions and cross-functional leadership...

United StatesRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$300K - $500K+*

Join a dynamic team to design and implement cutting-edge Machine Learning solutions that enhance content discovery and promotion strategies, driving member engagement and optimizing generated assets f...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Hospitality & Recreation

$320K - $405K *

Champion best-in-class hardware repairs across global data centers, ensuring efficient turnaround and quality standards. Drive scalable processes, manage vendor relationships, and analyze failure tren...

United StatesRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$109K - $179K *

Drive your career forward by translating complex scientific data into clear regulatory narratives, collaborating with cross-functional teams to support drug development and ensure consistent messaging...

United StatesRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$317K - $443K *

Transform the consumer experience by leading data science strategies that integrate measurement, experimentation, and machine learning. Drive multi-team collaboration to enhance relevance and optimize...

United StatesRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Media

$105K - $130K *

Join a dynamic team to lead multiple client engagements, driving innovative solutions and strategic direction. Foster cross-functional collaboration in a fast-paced environment with a focus on deliver...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$165K - $185K *

Lead the charge in transforming organizations through AI adoption. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to design and implement innovative solutions that enhance productivity and drive measurable o...

United StatesRemote

3 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$187K - $253K *

Advance your career by owning enterprise AI/ML architecture, crafting end-to-end machine-learning systems, and collaborating across teams to deliver innovative AI solutions securely and effectively...

United StatesRemote

4 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$134K - $199K *

Elevate your career as you design and operate large-scale cloud services for a cutting-edge scanning engine. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance performance and mentor engineers in a dy...

CanadaRemote

2 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$150K - $180K *

Explore your potential as you leverage cutting-edge methodologies in causal inference research within a dynamic finance-focused ML team, driving innovation and collaboration for impactful market predi...

New York, NYRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$150K - $180K *

Unlock potential by leading the development of data-driven cybersecurity solutions. Collaborate with experts to tackle complex security challenges, transforming analytical insights into actionable str...

New York, NYRemote

3 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$110K - $130K *

Play a key role in architecting and administering the HaloPSA platform, ensuring optimal design, integration, and reporting. Collaborate across teams to enhance workflows and drive efficiency while su...

United StatesRemote

Today

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$110K - $142K *

Help us deliver cutting-edge GenAI and HPC solutions by deploying and optimizing GPU-accelerated systems. Join a dynamic team to enhance performance and support enterprise customers across the U.S. in...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$122K - $158K *

Join a dynamic team as a GenAI & HPC Delivery Engineer, driving cutting-edge GPU solutions and optimizing performance for AI and HPC infrastructures. Engage directly with customers, ensuring successfu...

Austin, TXRemote

Reposted 4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$122K - $158K *

Join us to elevate cutting-edge HPC and GenAI solutions through hands-on deployment, configuration, and optimization of GPU-accelerated systems, while collaborating with enterprise customers across th...

RemoteRemote

Reposted 4 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • What does a Chief Scientist do?question toggle

    A Chief Scientist leads or advises an organization’s research and scientific strategy. The role may include setting priorities, managing research teams, evaluating new technologies, overseeing development programs, and communicating scientific findings to senior leaders.

  • What qualifications are typically required for Chief Scientist jobs?question toggle

    Requirements depend on the field and employer. Many positions call for advanced expertise, a strong record of research or innovation, and experience leading teams or programs. A Ph.D. is common in some scientific disciplines, while other roles may value equivalent industry experience.

  • Which industries hire Chief Scientists?question toggle

    Chief Scientists work in fields including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, artificial intelligence, aerospace, energy, government, and advanced manufacturing.

  • How much do Chief Scientists earn?question toggle

    Compensation varies by industry, location, organization, and scope of responsibility. Ladders focuses on vetted professional jobs paying $100,000 or more; check individual listings for available salary information.

  • How can I find Chief Scientist jobs paying $100,000 or more?question toggle

    Browse Chief Scientist listings on Ladders and review each role’s salary information, responsibilities, location, and qualifications to find opportunities suited to your background.