AbbVie Posted October 30, 2026

Postdoctoral Fellow, Materials Science & Characterization PPG Analytical

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

Purpose:

AbbVie is seeking a highly motivated, scientifically rigorous and collaborative postdoctoral fellow to join the Materials Science & Characterization Team in PDST / PPG Analytical to advance AI-enabled, multimodal characterization of targeted lipid nanoparticles (tLNPs). This position offers an opportunity to lead the generation, integration, and curation of an analytical dataset using experimental characterization data generated internally and data received predominantly from external laboratories and contract research organizations (CROs). During the first half of the appointment, the primary focus will be on analytical data generation, data quality assessment, standardization, and curation; during the second half, the fellow will increasingly apply feature extraction and interpretable statistical and machine-learning analyses to identify attributes associated with particle heterogeneity, stability, product quality, and functional performance in support of tLNP development.  The successful candidate will design and execute experiments, analyze and interpret data, collaborate with multidisciplinary partners, and contribute to scientific publications, presentations, and internal knowledge sharing. The goal of this position is to generate new insights, methods, or capabilities that advance Product Development Science & Technology priorities and support innovation of future commercial delivery approaches for Oncology and Immunology Therapies.

Responsibilities 

Own and execute fit-for-purpose tLNP analytical-data programs, incorporating internally generated data and analytical data received predominantly from external laboratories and CROs, in alignment with project objectives.

Design rigorous experiments and analytical workflows; define data-transfer, quality-assessment, and documentation requirements for internally and externally generated datasets; and establish consistent reporting standards to support high-quality tLNP development and decision-making.

Define and manage batch metadata, sampling strategies, sample-tracking requirements, and provenance for samples and data generated internally or received from external partners

Build, integrate curate, and maintain validated multimodal characterization datasets across analytical platforms, with an initial emphasis on data generation, quality assessment, harmonization, and curation.

Analyze and harmonize quantitative features related to particle size, morphology, aggregation, thermal behavior, spectroscopy, encapsulation, and accessibility.

Following establishment of a sufficiently curated analytical dataset, develop and apply interpretable statistical, computational, and machine-learning approaches to identify quality-relevant attributes, fingerprint batches, assess heterogeneity and stability risks, and evaluate structure–function relationships.

Troubleshoot technical challenges; assess the quality, completeness, and interpretability of internally and externally generated analytical data; recommend alternative approaches; and design targeted follow-up experiments or analyses.

Collaborate across multidisciplinary teams by communicating scientific plans, progress, results, and recommendations;

Contribute to publications, abstracts, presentations, patent filings, and other scientific communications;

Maintain awareness of relevant scientific literature, emerging technologies, and external developments in the field.

Ensure work is conducted in alignment with applicable safety, quality, compliance, and documentation expectations.

Qualifications

PhD in materials science, chemical engineering, biophysics, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry or related discipline.

Experience with tLNP formulation, manufacturing, characterization, and stress, stability, and comparative studies or a combination thereof.

Expertise in advanced analytical instrumentation and nanoparticle characterization, including Cryo-EM, SAXS, DLS, NTA, DSC, fluorescence, and or optical techniques.

Strong combination of hands-on experimental expertise, analytical data generation and curation experience, quantitative data analysis, multivariate statistics, and an interest in developing interpretable machine-learning approaches.

Ability to integrate complex formulation, process, stability, biophysical, bioanalytical, and functional datasets from internal and external sources; apply sound scientific judgment; and communicate insights clearly.

Record of scientific productivity, including publications, presentations, or demonstrated research accomplishments.

Excellent problem-solving skills, including critical thinking, data interpretation, and scientific judgment.

Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to present complex scientific concepts clearly.

Demonstrated ability to work independently while seeking input and feedback from peers and supervisors.

Ability to collaborate effectively in a multidisciplinary, diverse, and fast-paced environment.

Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and timelines.

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
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
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 131 comparable Intern/Fellow/Postdoc Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research roles across 33 biopharma companies.

131Comparable roles tracked
124Currently active
33Companies hiring similar roles
11Countries represented

Salary context

46 of 131 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 $75,000/yr – $142,500/yr
Lowest disclosed · Lab Associate Flow Cytometry · IQVIA $34,700/yr – $72,300/yr
Highest disclosed · Advisor, Bio Sample Operations - DMPK · Lilly $153,000/yr – $268,400/yr
Peer group range $53,500 – $210,700 (median $85,703)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 131 comparable roles

United States91
France16
Germany9
Switzerland3
Belgium3
United Kingdom2

+ 5 more countries

Seniority mix

131 of 131 peers have a known seniority level

Intern/Fellow/Postdoc72
Associate59

Therapeutic area mix

20 of 131 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Oncology9
Neuroscience5
Immunology5
Cardiovascular / CVRM1

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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
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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.

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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.