AbbVie Posted November 9, 2026

Senior Scientist I, Lentiviral Engineering & In Vitro Assay Development

South San Francisco, CA 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

AbbVie is looking for a Senior Scientist to join our Genetic Medicine in vivo CAR-T group within the Biotherapeutics and Genetic Medicine (BGM) department. This role will involve designing and executing innovative experimental approaches to address key scientific challenges related to in vivo lentiviral delivery platforms. The successful candidate will drive scientific innovation, identify and implement new methods and techniques, and collaborate cross-functionally to advance our pipeline of novel in vivo CAR-T therapies.

Responsibilities:

Lead research efforts, design and execute  in vitro  studies (multi-color flow cytometry, ELISA, luciferase, ddPCR, etc.) and collaborate with in vivo pharmacology group for  in vivo  studies to advance lentiviral-based delivery platform development.

Design and engineer lentiviral vectors and fusion protein receptors, and oversee lentiviral production by leveraging internal capabilities and external CRO partnerships.

Partner with cross-functional and therapeutic area teams to advance lentiviral-based in vivo CAR-T pipeline programs from early discovery through translational development.

Uphold company culture, teamwork, and safety standards, including appropriate handling of materials in a BSL-2 environment.

Work independently with minimal supervision while maintaining a high level of productivity, efficiency, and scientific rigor.

Maintain comprehensive and well-documented records in an Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN).

Analyze and interpret multidisciplinary data to generate actionable conclusions, identify key risks, and guide future experimental directions.

Collaborate and effectively communicate results with key stakeholders and cross-functional teams throughout the organization.

Contribute as a primary author to scientific publications, presentations, and/or as a primary inventor of patent applications.

Demonstrate a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset and take ownership of additional responsibilities as needed.

Mentor and support junior scientists within the team.

Qualifications

BS, MS, or PhD in immunology, oncology, cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, or related field with typically 10+ (BS), 8+ (MS), or 0-3+ (PhD) years of experience.

Expertise in mammalian primary cell and cell line culture (primary T cells, PBMCs, whole blood, suspension and adherent cell lines), multi-color flow cytometry (panel design, acquisition, and analysis), and immunological assays (e.g., ELISA, Luminex, cytotoxicity assays) is required.

Experience in cell-based  in vitro  assay development and semi-automated liquid handling systems for high-throughput workflows is highly preferred.

Experience with lentiviral vector design, production, and analytical characterization (e.g., titering, copy number analysis, transduction efficiency assessment) is highly preferred.

Experience in evaluating vector biodistribution, transduction specificity, or safety-related parameters is a plus.

Experience in CAR-T cell therapy and/or  in vivo  targeted delivery is a plus.

Proven ability to develop, troubleshoot and refine assays to enhance sensitivity, reproducibility, and throughput.

Highly self-motivated and capable of thriving in a fast-paced, collaborative team environment.

Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience contributing to technical reports, publications, or regulatory documentation.

Detail-oriented with a passion for delivering high-quality results.

Why AbbVie?

AbbVie is a global biopharmaceutical company committed to bringing innovative medicines to patients in need. We offer a collaborative work environment, opportunities for professional growth, and the ability to make an impact on the future of healthcare. Join us and be part of a team that is transforming the landscape of genetic medicine.

How to Apply:

If you are passionate about advancing in vivo CAR-T therapeutics and have a track record of success in cell and molecular biology, we encourage you to apply! Please submit your resume outlining your relevant experience and why you would be a great fit for this position.

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
Senior
Function
Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
South San Francisco, CA
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 396 comparable Senior Drug Discovery & Preclinical Research roles across 55 biopharma companies.

396Comparable roles tracked
375Currently active
55Companies hiring similar roles
21Countries represented

Salary context

182 of 396 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 $96,500/yr – $183,500/yr
Lowest disclosed · Senior Primate Behavior Specialist · Labcorp $70,000/yr – $80,000/yr
Highest disclosed · Toxicology Senior Research Fellow · Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (US) $232,000/yr – $348,000/yr
Peer group range $75,000 – $290,000 (median $159,125)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 396 comparable roles

United States304
China14
India13
United Kingdom9
Switzerland8
Germany7

+ 15 more countries

Seniority mix

396 of 396 peers have a known seniority level

Senior215
Principal149
Associate Director32

Therapeutic area mix

40 of 396 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Oncology16
Immunology10
Neuroscience9
Cardiovascular / CVRM4
Vaccines & Infectious Disease1

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
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Same function Same seniority Same country
60%similar
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60%similar
AbbVie North Chicago, IL Senior
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60%similar
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Notify me about similar jobs

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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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Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
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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.