AbbVie Posted October 13, 2026

Scientist, Biologics Purification

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

Join AbbVie’s Biologics Discovery Sciences group and make a tangible impact in advancing innovative biologic therapies. As a scientist specializing in Biologics Purification, you will play a pivotal role in driving drug discovery, collaborating within a dynamic team dedicated to supporting transformative science that improves patient lives worldwide. You will leverage your expertise to deliver high-purity multi-specific antibody-based biologic candidates with suitable purity/characteristics to support the advancement of vital  in vitro  (i.e. drug-like property assays, binding, cell-based assays, etc.) and  in vivo  studies (i.e. efficacy, non-GLP NHP PK, DRF, etc.).

Key Responsibilities: 

Lead end-to-end purification campaigns at production-based scales for delivery of high-quality multi-specific antibody biologics to support critical research efforts and program decisions

Design and optimize downstream purification strategies using advanced chromatography techniques to remove process impurities, mitigate product liabilities, and achieve target quality attributes

Apply deep analytical expertise to characterize molecules, process intermediates, impurities, and final drug candidates, enabling data-driven process decisions

Drive scientific innovation and continuous process improvement by identifying and implementing novel approaches that enhance downstream biologics development workflows

Partner across multidisciplinary teams, translating process insights into functional results to accelerate the advancement of therapeutic candidates

Communicate scientific findings with clarity and influence, presenting technical information to diverse audiences to support project progression and knowledge sharing

Qualifications

BS or MS in Biochemistry, Biophysics, Biomedical, Chemical Engineering, or a related field, with typically 5-7 years (BS) or 2-5 years (MS) of experience

Demonstrated expertise in preparative-scale column chromatography techniques (i.e. affinity, IEX, HIC, multimodal) for antibody-based biologics purification

Hands-on experience operating AKTA chromatography systems and Unicorn software

Strong foundation in analytical characterization techniques, including HPLC, gel electrophoresis, ELISA, mass spectrometry, and related methods

Knowledge of biologics manufacturing or process development is a plus

Solid understanding of protein structure, molecular attributes and post-translational modifications impacting biologic quality and performance

Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate complex scientific concepts to diverse audiences

Track record of scientific curiosity, innovation, and continuous learning

Collaborative mindset with a passion for teamwork, scientific rigor, and delivering impactful solutions

Position will be filled at level commensurate with extent of education, experience, and accomplishment, Scientist I or Scientist II

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
Not listed
Function
Manufacturing & CMC
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
North Chicago, IL
Employment type
Full-time

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Manufacturing & CMC role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 3753 comparable Manufacturing & CMC roles across 173 biopharma companies.

3753Comparable roles tracked
3372Currently active
173Companies hiring similar roles
64Countries represented

Salary context

920 of 3753 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.

This roleSubject $84,500/yr – $162,000/yr
Lowest disclosed · Biologics Support Operator I (3rd Shift) · AbbVie $14/hr – $26/hr (≈ $29,099–$54,122/yr)
Highest disclosed · Head of Analytical Development · ModernaTX, Inc. $272,200/yr – $490,100/yr
Peer group range $41,610 – $381,150 (median $125,550)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 3753 comparable roles

United States1738
Germany251
India166
France146
Ireland137
China123

+ 58 more countries

Seniority mix

1670 of 3753 peers have a known seniority level

Senior431
Manager381
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc259
Associate162
Principal138
Associate Director119
Director115
Senior Director57
Executive/VP8

Therapeutic area mix

24 of 3753 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Vaccines & Infectious Disease15
Rare Disease3
Oncology3
Respiratory1
Dermatology & Aesthetics1
Immunology1

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.

40%similar
AstraZeneca New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
Same function Same country
40%similar
40%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Director
Same function Same country
40%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Director
Same function Same country
40%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Same function Same country
40%similar
Lilly Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Same function Same country

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.

Or follow a whole field: get every new Manufacturing & CMC job in the United States, and choose locations and companies.

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.

40%
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AstraZeneca · New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America · Seniority not listed
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Director - Analytical Chemistry
Lilly · Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
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Lilly · Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
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Analytical R&D Fellowship – Formulation and Solubility Studies (Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellow)
Merck · West Point, Pennsylvania, United States · Intern/Fellow/Postdoc
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
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.