Research & Development Rotational Program Associate
- United States - California - San Diego
- United States - Massachusetts - Cambridge
- United States - Washington – Bothell
- United States - New York - Pearl River
- United States - Connecticut - Groton
** When applying, please be sure to submit the required Personal Statement (see details below) along with your resume including your graduation date and GPA in order to be considered. **
What You Will Achieve
At Pfizer, we are changing lives. We discover, develop and deliver breakthrough medicines and vaccines to the world. Our colleagues are purpose-driven and united by a passion to transform patients’ lives.
Our scientists, clinicians and Research & Development (R&D) professionals are among the best in the industry with the resources and scale to solve some of the world’s most complex health challenges. So, it’s no wonder that they choose to pursue their life’s passion at Pfizer and deliver on our promise to society.
The goal of the Pfizer R&D Rotational Program is to grow Pfizer’s pipeline of R&D talent with promising science, technology and math (STEM) college graduates. This in-depth skills development and experiential program offers graduates the opportunity to gain experience and insight into drug discovery and development from leading scientists, clinicians, statisticians, epidemiologists and professionals, and to bridge from student to industry professional, or into an advanced-degree program.
The Pfizer R&D Rotational Program is a two-year program. Associates will be immersed into the pharmaceutical business through four 6-month job rotations in diverse R&D disciplines. Each rotation will involve meaningful assignments and projects, mentorship and coaching, and collaborative interactions to develop business acumen and technical expertise and set them on the path to a pharmaceutical career.
What We Offer:
Strong focus on all aspects of drug discovery and development, including early research, mid to late-stage clinical development and operations, regulatory planning, and business support.
Challenging projects and assignments.
Leadership, teamwork and networking skills.
Rotations aligned to an individual’s interests and career aspirations.
What Types of Experiences You Will Have:
Laboratory and non-laboratory experiences are dependent on background and interest. There is a wide range of opportunities for each 6-month rotation. Examples include:
Assay development and analysis to discover new targets and pathways in disease areas.
Organic, analytical and medicinal chemistry
Single cell and spatial transcriptomics for characterizing gene expression in human and animal disease tissue
Mid-to-late-stage clinical trial design and execution
Artificial intelligence, computational biology, and digital medicine
Clinical development operations including, project planning, regulatory operations, and data analytics, etc
Partnership with project teams working on early drug discovery to late-stage clinical trial work
What You Need to Apply:
Submit a brief personal statement (no more than 500 words)
Describe a time when you faced adversity in your STEM journey, and/or how you’ve supported others from different groups who may have encountered similar challenges.
In your response, you must include:
1. What made the situation challenging and how you approached it.
2. The impact of your actions on yourself or others.
3. How the experience influenced your growth, perspective, or approach to collaboration in STEM.
This statement must be the applicant’s original work and does not rely on, nor based on any work product that uses any form of Artificial Intelligence.
To be considered the personal statement must be attached before finalizing your application. You will not be able to edit your application afterwards.
Additionally, submit:
An updated resume with your graduation year and GPA clearly captured.
Basic Qualifications
Must-Have
Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences (Chemistry, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Biology, Computer Science or Data Science)
Strong academic performance (minimum 3.3 GPA)
No more than 2 years of continuous work experience after graduation
Willingness to make a 2-year commitment to the program
Commitment to participate in program activities
Preferred Qualifications
Nice-to-Have
Willingness to contribute fresh and innovative ideas
Technological aptitude; demonstrated experience to quickly learn new skills, adapt and change
Seizes accountability, self-starter
Team oriented
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Work Authorization
Must be immediately authorized to work in the U.S. on a permanent or indefinitely renewable duration without Pfizer’s sponsorship.
Other Job Details:
Colleagues will complete a minimum of 2 laboratory rotations that will vary based on skills and expertise.
Work Location Assignment: On Premise. On Premise colleagues work in a Pfizer site because it’s needed to connect and innovate with their team face-to-face. Colleagues will be expected to come into the office 5 days a week.
Relocation available-Early Talent Relo Package
Last Date to Apply for Job: September 11th, 2026
Relocation assistance may be available based on business needs and/or eligibility.

Candidates must be authorized to be employed in the U.S. by any employer.
U.S. work visa sponsorship (such as TN, O-1, H-1B, etc.) is not available for this role now or in the future.

Sunshine Act
Pfizer reports payments and other transfers of value to health care providers as required by federal and state transparency laws and implementing regulations. These laws and regulations require Pfizer to provide government agencies with information such as a health care provider’s name, address and the type of payments or other value received, generally for public disclosure. Subject to further legal review and statutory or regulatory clarification, which Pfizer intends to pursue, reimbursement of recruiting expenses for licensed physicians may constitute a reportable transfer of value under the federal transparency law commonly known as the Sunshine Act. Therefore, if you are a licensed physician who incurs recruiting expenses as a result of interviewing with Pfizer that we pay or reimburse, your name, address and the amount of payments made currently will be reported to the government. If you have questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact your Talent Acquisition representative.
EEO & Employment Eligibility
Pfizer is committed to equal opportunity in the terms and conditions of employment for all employees and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability or veteran status. Pfizer also complies with all applicable national, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act and IRCA. Pfizer is an E-Verify employer. This position requires permanent work authorization in the United States.
Pfizer endeavors to make www.pfizer.com/careers accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process and/or interviewing, please email disabilityrecruitment@pfizer.com. This is to be used solely for accommodation requests with respect to the accessibility of our website, online application process and/or interviewing. Requests for any other reason will not be returned.
To learn more about acceptable and prohibited uses of AI during the recruitment process, please review our candidate AI-use guidelines available on Pfizer Careers.

Support Services
Breakthroughs that change patients’ lives
Research confirms what intuition tells us: that purpose-driven companies perform better, are more innovative, attract and retain the best people, and know how to unleash the power of those people. Pfizer’s purpose—Breakthroughs that change patients' lives—fuels everything we do and reflects our passion for building on our legacy as one of the greatest contributors of good to the world.
Each word in our purpose has meaning and reflects the value we strive to bring to patients and society:
“Breakthroughs” - These are the innovations, scientific and commercial, that we seek to deliver every day. All colleagues, regardless of role, level or location, strive for breakthroughs every day.
“Change” - We want to do more than simply improve patients’ medical conditions; we want to dramatically change their lives for the better.
“Patients’ lives” - We consider not only patients, but everyone they touch—including their families, caregivers, and friends—and everything they love to do. It’s an intentionally holistic view.
Our purpose ensures that patients remain at the center of all we do. We live our purpose by sourcing the best science in the world; partnering with others in the healthcare system to improve access to our medicines; using digital technologies to enhance our drug discovery and development, as well as patient outcomes; and leading the conversation to advocate for pro-innovation/pro-patient policies.
Every decision we make and every action we take is done with the patient in mind—and to nurture an environment where breakthroughs can thrive.
Pfizer Research & Development
Pfizer Research & Development serves as the beating heart of Pfizer's trailblazing product pipeline, the essence of our mission to bring life-changing medicines to the world.
With an unwavering commitment to innovation, we use a multidisciplinary approach that blends scientific expertise, cutting-edge technologies, and strategic collaborations, igniting a powerful engine that propels groundbreaking discoveries into life-saving treatments for patients in need.
Through our relentless pursuit of progress, we envision a future where cutting-edge medicines pave the way to healthier, happier lives worldwide.
Benefits at Pfizer
Pfizer offers competitive compensation and benefits programs designed to meet the diverse needs of our colleagues. Our Pay for Performance Philosophy and Practices reward colleagues based on the contributions they make to our business.
Our Competitive Benefits Programs help our colleagues by:
- Promoting Health and Wellness to help colleagues maintain and improve their physical and mental wellbeing. Pfizer offerings include health and disability insurance, preventative health programs, medical screenings, free or reduced-cost vaccinations, discounts on Pfizer products, mental health support, nutrition and fitness counseling and more.
- Strengthening Colleagues’ Financial Security by providing company contributions to retirement plans, life insurance and financial planning education to help colleagues achieve their financial goals.
- Providing Benefits and Time off for the Moments that Matter to ensure Pfizer colleagues have the time away from the office to recharge, recover and return to work as the best version of themselves. Vacation, Holiday time and Sick time are just the beginning, with a 12 week parental leave policy for both parents of a new born, 10 day of caregiver leave for those times when your family needs you whether it’s a child, spouse or parent, bereavement leave, and additional country-specific programs.
- And so much more, depending on your country and site, Pfizer offers childcare facilities or discount programs, on-site health and/or fitness centers, movement and mindfulness solutions, “Log in for your Day” work flexibility and so much more.
For U.S. based jobs, view an overview of Pfizer’s U.S. benefits program (opens in a new window)