AbbVie Posted September 2, 2026

Associate Scientist II/Scientist I – Chemical Biology & Mass Spectrometry Technologies

North Chicago, IL Full-time
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AbbVie is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

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

This position requires a BSc / MSc level scientist to maximize the impact and productivity of the Chemical Biology and Mass Spectrometry and Technologies (CB&MST) team for generation of data to drive pipeline decisions. This scientist will work collaboratively with team members to transition routine, low throughput sample preparation procedures for target validation, target engagement, and off-target profiling into high precision / high throughput procedures with a focus in proteomics preparation methodologies and plate-based proteomics sample prep. The successful candidate will collaborate with teammates to optimize and perform automated sample preparation methodologies and conduct mass spectrometry-based proteomics experiments to enable this transformation.

Key Responsibilities: 

Work with team members to develop, validate, and implement automated sample preparation workflows for CB&MST activities, with an emphasis on plate-based proteomics sample preparation using cell lines, tissues and other biological matrices.

Develop methods to automate chemical biology sample prep using magnetic bead-based enrichments and liquid handling.

Collaborate with team members to establish, document, and maintain Standard Operating Procedures for routine workflows.

Operate, monitor, and assist with the maintenance and troubleshooting of LC-MS instrumentation and associated laboratory equipment.

Assist with data processing, quality assessment, and data interpretation.

Interface and collaborate with colleagues and project teams in therapeutic areas to determine appropriate samples and amounts required for studies.

Qualifications

Basic:  

Bachelors or Masters in chemistry, biochemistry, chemical biology or related field with typically 3-5+ (BS), or 0-2+ (MS) years of experience.

Hands-on bench skills for preparing samples for mass spectrometry, with a focus in proteomics sample preparation from cell lines and tissues.

Ability to generate proteomics samples in 96-well plates and run samples on LC-MS instrumentation.

Ability to work proficiently with laboratory equipment typically found in a chemical biology, biochemistry, or molecular biology laboratory.

Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot and diagnose problems with common laboratory equipment.

Preferred: 

Experience utilizing LC/MS for proteomics including current models of Thermo and Bruker mass spectrometers.

Experience with automation such as the Agilent Bravo, Thermofisher KingFisher, and Opentrons Flex.

Ability to conduct different types of proteomics experiments including whole proteomics, phosphoproteomics immunoprecipitation proteomics, and targeted MS, etc.

Experience in basic biochemistry and molecular biology techniques including plate-based assays, SDS-PAGE, western blotting, and mammalian tissue culture is desired.

Ability to conduct bead- and probe-based chemical biology experiments that utilize proteomics as a readout.

Ability to effectively use AI to increase personal and team productivity.

Key Competencies: 

Builds strong relationships with peers and cross functionally with partners outside of team to enable higher performance.

Learns fast, grasps the 'essence' and can change the course quickly where indicated.

Raises the bar and is never satisfied with the status quo.

Creates a learning environment, open to suggestions and experimentation for improvement.

Embraces the ideas of others, nurtures, and manages innovation to reality.

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

Seniority
Associate
Function
Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
North Chicago, IL
Employment type
Full-time

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 174 comparable Associate Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research roles across 39 biopharma companies.

174Comparable roles tracked
159Currently active
39Companies hiring similar roles
17Countries represented

Salary context

59 of 174 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function and a matching or adjacent seniority level -- not necessarily the same therapeutic area or country.

This roleSubject $58,656/yr – $110,500/yr
Lowest disclosed · Lab Associate Flow Cytometry · IQVIA $34,700/yr – $72,300/yr
Highest disclosed · Advisor - Isotopic Chemistry · Lilly $153,000/yr – $246,400/yr
Peer group range $53,500 – $199,700 (median $90,600)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 174 comparable roles

United States114
France13
Germany9
Belgium7
United Kingdom6
Switzerland5

+ 11 more countries

Seniority mix

174 of 174 peers have a known seniority level

Intern/Fellow/Postdoc83
Associate70
Manager21

Therapeutic area mix

17 of 174 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Oncology8
Neuroscience4
Immunology3
Cardiovascular / CVRM2

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.

60%similar
UCB Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States Associate
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
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Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Servier Boston, United States Associate
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
Amgen Inc. Thousand Oaks, United States Associate
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
AbbVie Worcester, MA Associate
Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
JuN - Seattle Dexter Seattle 400 Dexter, United States Associate
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Notify me about similar jobs

Get an email when we spot other openings like this one – same job function, comparable seniority, roles you'd actually want to see.

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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.

60%
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Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 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.