Scientist I, In Vitro Technologies - Discovery Biotherapeutics
About this opportunity
Company Description
About AbbVie
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas including immunology, oncology and neuroscience - and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com . Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook , Instagram , X and YouTube.
Job Description
Discovery Biotherapeutics and Genetic Medicine at AbbVie is seeking a highly motivated research scientist to join a dynamic team supporting biologics drug discovery and engineering. The successful candidate will be responsible for the design and execution of in vitro display technologies for lead antibody identification and optimization, and will collaborate to generate stage-gate appropriate in vitro, cellular, and in vivo data packages supporting proof-of-concept (PoC). This role leverages scientific expertise to develop and implement research supporting the discovery, optimization, and mechanistic understanding of the molecular pharmacology of therapeutic molecules across Therapeutic Areas. The ideal candidate should be able to analyze, document, and report data effectively, and possess excellent communication skills with comfort presenting in group settings.
Qualifications
Education: BS or MS in Biology or a related field with typically 5+ years of experience (BS) or 2+ years of experience (MS) in a pharmaceutical and/or relevant research environment.
Required Skills & Experience
Strong molecular biology skills (e.g., molecular cloning)
Familiarity with sequence analysis tools (e.g., Geneious, Genedata, PipeBio)
Experience with biologics, antibodies, antibody fragments, and mimetics
Experience with bacterial cell culture
Solid understanding of protein structure and function
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Ability to engage internal and external scientific leaders in collaborative research
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
Team player who thrives in a fast-paced, multi-disciplinary environment
Ability to adapt to rapid changes in project priorities and timelines
Proficiency with MS Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)
Preferred Skills & Experience
Hands-on experience with in vitro antibody discovery display technologies (e.g., phage display, yeast display)
Direct experience with binding assays (e.g., ELISA, flow cytometry)
Experience in antibody engineering and optimization (e.g., affinity modulation, liability engineering, humanization)
Experience with antibody library design and construction
Experience in mammalian cell culture
Experience with automation of biologics discovery processes
Proficiency with Prism, Geneious, Sequencher, and/or Genedata
Familiarity with computational approaches and an ability to work independently and in partnership with AI/ML and Digital Transformation teams to amplify in vitro technology workflows and contribute to AbbVie's AI/ML infrastructure
Additional Information
Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law:
The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.
We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.
This job is eligible to participate in our short-term incentive programs.
Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole and absolute discretion, consistent with applicable law.
AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled.
US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html
US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more:
https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html
Job details
How this role compares
Computed from every other active Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research role in our database, not just this employer's listings.
We currently track 383 comparable Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research roles across 47 biopharma companies.
Salary context
136 of 383 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)
Peers share this role's job function. This posting doesn't list a seniority level, so peers aren't narrowed by seniority either -- the range below may span more levels than usual.
Where these roles are based
Top locations among the 383 comparable roles
+ 10 more countries
Seniority mix
297 of 383 peers have a known seniority level
Therapeutic area mix
54 of 383 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden
Similar opportunities
The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.
How we calculate "similar"
No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.
Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.
0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.