Explore Senior Researcher Jobs

Senior researchers lead and advance research programs, turning complex questions into rigorous studies and actionable insights. Browse vetted senior researcher opportunities on Ladders, including roles with salaries of $100,000 or more across industries such as technology, healthcare, finance, academia, and life sciences.

What Senior Researchers Do

Responsibilities vary by discipline, but senior researchers commonly shape research agendas, design methodologies, analyze and interpret data, and communicate findings to technical and executive audiences. They may mentor research teams, manage projects and budgets, publish or present results, and partner with product, clinical, policy, or business teams to apply discoveries.

Skills and Qualifications

Employers often seek deep subject-matter expertise, strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, and a record of conducting high-quality research. Depending on the role, qualifications may include an advanced degree, experience with statistical analysis or specialized laboratory methods, proficiency with relevant research tools, and a history of publications, patents, or successful research programs. Clear writing, collaboration, project leadership, and ethical research practices are valuable across fields.

Senior Researcher Salary and Career Outlook

Compensation depends on industry, location, specialization, education, and scope of responsibility. Senior researcher roles can offer competitive salaries, particularly in sectors where advanced technical knowledge and research leadership are in demand. Ladders focuses on vetted professional jobs paying $100,000 or more, helping experienced candidates explore opportunities aligned with their expertise.

Find Senior Researcher Roles on Ladders

Search senior researcher jobs by specialty, location, and employer to identify roles that fit your career goals. Review each listing for its responsibilities and requirements, then tailor your application to highlight relevant research outcomes, leadership experience, and measurable impact.

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$150K - $180K *

Drive impactful healthcare research by leading evaluations and business development for CMS initiatives. Collaborate with a diverse team to enhance quality, access, and cost-effectiveness in health se...

2 weeks ago

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

$150K - $180K *

Lead the charge in advancing healthcare research by managing complex evaluations, fostering client relationships, and driving strategic growth initiatives within a collaborative team of experts dedica...

2 weeks ago

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

$110K - $130K *

Unlock potential by driving innovative immunology research through experimental design and data analysis. Collaborate across teams to identify and validate therapeutic targets for autoimmune diseases...

5 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$150K - $180K *

Join a team that's revolutionizing healthcare by building scalable AI infrastructure that powers advanced healthcare solutions while ensuring top-tier reliability and performance in critical environme...

Reposted 6 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$110K - $130K *

Lead innovative product development for nutritional bars from concept to commercialization, collaborating with cross-functional teams to meet quality, safety, and consumer expectations while mentoring...

2 weeks ago

  •   8 - 10 years exp.  •   Food & Beverages

$150K - $350K *

Join a dynamic team to develop cutting-edge reinforcement learning algorithms and frameworks. Collaborate on scaling research and training systems, focusing on your strengths to enhance AI capabilitie...

San Francisco, CARemote

1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$126K - $234K *

Innovate in computational science by leveraging human genetics and genomic data to drive therapeutic target discovery and enhance patient selection strategies in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases...

5 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$110K - $130K *

Drive innovation in computer vision and multimodal AI solutions, tackling complex challenges across a global marketplace. Collaborate on diverse projects, from research to production, while mentoring...

Toronto, ONIn-Person

5 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Retail & Consumer Goods

$175K - $210K *

Lead the charge in developing innovative T-cell engagers for prostate cancer treatment. Oversee a cross-disciplinary team, driving scientific excellence and collaboration to pioneer next-generation th...

1 week ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$175K - $210K *

Help us lead innovative oncology research by developing cutting-edge T-cell engagers and small molecule therapeutics. Drive scientific excellence and collaboration to create impactful cancer treatment...

1 week ago

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$147K - $171K *

Unlock potential by developing scalable APIs and backend solutions using Python. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support mission-critical applications that utilize complex medical data and...

Toronto, ONIn-Person

4 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$147K - $170K *

Shape the future of healthcare technology by developing high-performance APIs and services. Join a dynamic team to optimize backend systems that enhance data-driven decision-making for life insurance...

Reposted today

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Finance & Insurance

$130K - $155K *

Lead the charge in shaping innovative Wi-Fi standards by collaborating with industry experts, developing cutting-edge concepts, and contributing to IEEE 802.11 and Wi-Fi Alliance initiatives to drive...

6 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Telecommunications & Hardware

$120K - $145K *

Drive innovation in infrastructure AI by experimenting, evaluating, and implementing intelligent systems that enhance agent capabilities and streamline operational responses, bridging research and pro...

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Enterprise Technology

$177K - $266K *

Shape the future of regulatory intelligence and AI governance by leading enterprise-wide initiatives that translate evolving regulations into actionable frameworks, ensuring compliance and proactive r...

Reposted yesterday

  •   11 - 15 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$150K - $180K *

Champion the future of healthcare by leading cutting-edge ML research in NLP and clinical AI. Collaborate with experts to translate innovative ideas into impactful solutions that enhance patient outco...

San Francisco, CARemote

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$160K - $190K *

Shape the future of healthcare by leading applied research in NLP and clinical AI. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate innovative research into impactful production systems that enhan...

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Healthcare

$224K - $431K *

Transform secure system design by leading AI-driven research initiatives. Collaborate across disciplines to develop innovative techniques for security verification, ensuring robust hardware and softwa...

3 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$224K - $431K *

Champion innovative AI techniques to design, analyze, and verify secure computer systems. Lead impactful research projects, collaborate across teams, and translate foundational advances into practical...

3 days ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Manufacturing & Automotive

$148K - $240K *

Shape the future of AI-driven scientific discovery by designing advanced models that tackle complex challenges and enhance multi-step reasoning across various domains...

Reposted 1 week ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$82K - $87K *

Join a team that's dedicated to advancing research through technology. Lead and mentor a talented group of professionals in delivering high-performance computing solutions that support innovative rese...

Indiana, USRemote

4 weeks ago

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

$126K - $215K *

Unlock potential by leading innovative in vitro strategies for cancer immunotherapy. Drive drug discovery projects, design assays, and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to develop next-generati...

1 week ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$80K - $95K *

Join us to lead analytical studies, conduct experiments, and drive method validation while ensuring compliance with quality and safety regulations. Play a key role in supporting R&D projects and colla...

4 weeks ago

  •   5 - 7 years exp.  •   Pharmaceuticals & Biotech

$135K - $160K *

Transform client challenges into innovative solutions while mentoring teammates and driving tech excellence. Collaborate in a dynamic, non-hierarchical environment to inspire and elevate product engin...

CanadaRemote

Reposted 3 weeks ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

$500K+*

Advance cutting-edge silicon design by leveraging your chip expertise to create RL environments, optimize physical design, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance model capabilities and...

6 days ago

  •   Less than 5 years exp.  •   Information Technology

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • What does a senior researcher do?question toggle

    A senior researcher plans and leads research, selects appropriate methods, analyzes evidence, and communicates findings. Many also mentor colleagues, manage projects, and collaborate with teams that use research results.

  • What qualifications are typically required for senior researcher jobs?question toggle

    Requirements depend on the field. Employers commonly look for substantial research experience, subject expertise, analytical skills, and sometimes a master's degree or PhD. Specialized methods, publications, or team leadership may also be required.

  • How much do senior researchers earn?question toggle

    Pay varies by discipline, employer, location, and experience. Ladders features vetted professional roles paying $100,000 or more, including senior researcher opportunities when available.

  • Which industries hire senior researchers?question toggle

    Senior researchers work in areas such as technology, life sciences, healthcare, finance, consulting, government, and academia. Specific job titles and responsibilities differ across industries.

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

    Browse senior researcher listings on Ladders and filter opportunities by relevant criteria such as location and specialty. Compare qualifications and responsibilities, and emphasize measurable research impact in your application.