Principal Research Scientist I

Company Description

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 – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at .

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Job Description

We are seeking a highly motivated group leader (Principal Research Scientist I) for purification to join the Purification Process Development group within the Operations Product Development Science & Technology - Biologics organization. Our group is responsible for purification process development across early- and late-stage of therapeutic proteins at AbbVie Bioresearch Center in Worcester, MA. As one of the leaders in the Purification Development group, this is a dynamic role which will drive the development and transfer of robust and effective purification processes for IND and BLA-enabling programs. In addition, the ideal candidate will apply next generation technologies (i.e. automation, modeling, advanced data analysis) and outside-of-the-box thinking to drive efficiency of the purification lab, platforms, and strategies. The candidate will also coordinate and lead purification development activities within cross-functional CMC teams with a collaborative and progressive mindset.

This position is an onsite role in a lab-based function. To be successful candidates must enjoy and thrive in an onsite, highly collaborative lab environment with daily face-to-face cross-functional interactions between scientists.

Responsibilities:

• Effectively function as a principal investigator, generating original technical ideas and research or development strategies.
• Lead development, optimization, scale-up, and tech transfer of purification processes for biologics candidates to support early and late-stage development.
• Represent purification development team and actively influence development strategy on cross-functional CMC teams.
• Work efficiently, collaboratively, and cross-functionally toward project timelines and goals.
• Demonstrate creative 'out of the box' thinking to solve difficult problems and champion new technologies to achieve project goals. Proactively seek out new tools, techniques, and strategies to implement into the overall downstream platform.
• Be hands-on and execute lab operations in collaboration with direct reports and/or purification development team members to meet project deliverables.
• Transfer processes to pilot and GMP manufacturing.
• Work with contract labs and carry out viral clearance studies.
• Generate new scientific proposals and lead those efforts. Anticipate and critically evaluate scientific or regulatory advances or competitive threats and respond with appropriate new strategies.
• Write technical publications, reports, presentations, and regulatory filings including publishing research in peer-reviewed journals and presenting work at scientific conferences.
• Mentor/supervise a team and evaluate the performance of those individuals; is accountable for the effective performance of the team/individuals.

Qualifications

• Bachelors, Masters, or Doctorate (Ph.D.) degree in chemical engineering, bioengineering, biochemistry or a related field, with at least 14+(BS), 10+(MS), or 6+(PhD) years of experience in purification process development.
• Recognized and sought out as a downstream process development expert in his/her discipline within the company, and possibly externally, for purification of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) or other biologics modalities.
• Must have expertise in developing standard bioprocess unit operations such as chromatography separations (resin/membrane: affinity, CEX, AEX, HIC, MM) and/or filtration operations (depth filtration, virus filtration, sterile filtration, TFF).
• Direct experience in designing, planning and executing virus clearance studies.
• Direct experience leading tech transfer of downstream processes to GMP and/or pilot scale for mAb or other mAb-based biologics.
• Demonstrated ability to function as a principal investigator, generating original technical ideas and development strategies.
• Demonstrate creative 'out of the box' thinking to solve difficult technical problems and champion new technologies to achieve project goals.
• Interacts well with diverse groups within function and maintains strong working relationships with internal and external collaborators.
• Demonstrated ability to influence others across areas of scientific disciplines.
• Demonstrated scientific communication and presentation skills by presenting at leading scientific conferences.
• Must have excellent attention to detail and ability to keep detailed written records.
• Proven record of authoring publications, technical reports, regulatory documents, and presentations.
• Has strong communication skills including verbal, written, and scientific data presentation.
• Has proficiency with Microsoft Office software, ability to learn new software applications.

Preferred:

• Proficient in writing methods and operating AKTA chromatographic instruments (such as AKTA Avant, AKTA Purifier, AKTA Pure, AKTA Ready or similar).
• Experience with computational tools for protein structure analysis (Pymol, Schodinger BioLuminate, Molecular Operating Environment, etc.).
• Experience with AI/ML concepts and data analytics; applications to small molecule or biologics discovery or process development is a plus.

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.
• This job is eligible to participate in our long-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, serving our community and embracing diversity and inclusion. It is AbbVie’s policy to employ qualified persons of the greatest ability without discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected group status.

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