Principal Research Scientist I, Engineering

AbbVie North Chicago, us Full-time Updated 24 August 2026
Pharma

Job 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&#xa0; www.abbvie.com . Follow @abbvie on&#xa0; LinkedIn, &#xa0; Facebook ,&#xa0; Instagram ,&#xa0; X &#xa0;and&#xa0; YouTube. Process&#xa0;engineers support API and natural products projects through all phases of late-stage development, commercialization,&#xa0;and&#xa0;product life cycle.&#xa0;This position&#xa0;is responsible for&#xa0;assessing key unit operations (e.g., reactions, crystallizations) for process robustness, scientific understanding, and potential scale-up risks&#xa0;from the lab to a manufacturing environment.&#xa0;Effective cross-functional interactions with&#xa0;other&#xa0;functions (e.g.,&#xa0;technical,&#xa0;quality, regulatory)&#xa0;and on-site manufacturing personnel&#xa0;are&#xa0;key&#xa0;for&#xa0;successful job performance.&#xa0;&#xa0; Purpose Lead research and/or project activities with a group of scientists within the individual’s area of expertise by effectively mentoring,&#xa0;guiding&#xa0;and/or supervising scientific personnel. Oversee the design, implementation, and optimization of processes&#xa0;for key modalities (e.g., small molecule APIs, antibody drug conjugates, peptides, and natural products)&#xa0;from development to commercialization.&#xa0; Independently conceive,&#xa0;execute&#xa0;and communicate novel multi-disciplinary research or development strategies that achieve project and area goals. Serve as a lead scientist on his/her own project and contribute scientific insights into multiple other projects.&#xa0; Responsibilities Leverage&#xa0;core chemical engineering principles&#xa0;(chemical&#xa0;kinetics,&#xa0;transport phenomena, thermodynamics, mathematical modeling)&#xa0;in experimental&#xa0;design, thought process&#xa0;in problem-solving, and data analysis.&#xa0; Understand&#xa0;and adhere to corporate standards&#xa0;regarding&#xa0;code of conduct, safety,&#xa0;appropriate handling&#xa0;of materials, controlled&#xa0;drug&#xa0;and radioactive compounds, and&#xa0;GxP&#xa0;compliance.&#xa0; Effectively function as a principal&#xa0;investigator, generating original technical ideas and research or development strategies.&#xa0; Demonstrate creative 'out of the box' thinking to solve difficult problems and champion&#xa0;new technologies&#xa0;to achieve project goals.&#xa0; Independently responsible for project science within his/her area of expertise on one or more project teams.&#xa0; Make significant contributions to project&#xa0;team&#xa0;through lab-based, or other work environments, activities.&#xa0; Generate new scientific proposals and lead those efforts. Anticipate and critically evaluate scientific or regulatory advances or competitive threats and respond with&#xa0;appropriate new&#xa0;strategies.&#xa0; Recognized and sought out as an expert in his/her discipline within the company and&#xa0;possibly externally.&#xa0; Primary author of publications, presentations, regulatory&#xa0;documents&#xa0;and/or primary inventor of patents.&#xa0;Present at leading scientific conferences.&#xa0; Mentor/supervise a team of one or more and evaluate the performance of those individuals; is accountable for the effective performance of the team/individuals.&#xa0; BS, MS, or PhD in chemical engineering or a related field and&#xa0;14+ (BS),&#xa0;12+ (MS), or&#xa0;6+ (PhD) years of relevant industrial experience.&#xa0; Possess&#xa0;excellent written and oral communication skills.&#xa0; Possess&#xa0;thorough theoretical and practical understanding of&#xa0;own&#xa0;scientific discipline.&#xa0; Demonstrated ability to function as a principal&#xa0;investigator, generating original technical ideas and research or development strategies.&#xa0; Recognized and sought out as an expert in his/her discipline within the company and&#xa0;possibly externally.&#xa0; Experienced and&#xa0;demonstrated&#xa0;success as primary author of publications, presentations, regulatory&#xa0;documents&#xa0;and/or primary inventor of patents.&#xa0; Demonstrated scientific communication and presentation skills by presenting at leading scientific conferences.&#xa0; Key Leadership Competencies:&#xa0; Builds&#xa0;strong relationships with peers and cross-functionally with partners outside of&#xa0;team.&#xa0;&#xa0; Learns&#xa0;fast,&#xa0;understands&#xa0;key&#xa0;objectives, and can change&#xa0;course&#xa0;quickly where&#xa0;indicated.&#xa0;&#xa0; Raises the bar and is never satisfied with the status quo.&#xa0;&#xa0; Creates a learning environment, open to suggestions and experimentation for improvement.&#xa0; Embraces the ideas of others, nurtures innovation.&#xa0; Demonstrates excellent&#xa0;technical and&#xa0;personal mentorship&#xa0;of others.&#xa0; Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or&#xa0;local law:&#xa0;​ The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company&#xa0;believes in&#xa0;good faith it will pay for this role at the time&#xa0;of this posting based on the job grade for this position.&#xa0;Individual&#xa0;compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and&#xa0;we&#xa0;may&#xa0;ultimately&#xa0;pay&#xa0;more or less than the posted range. This range may be&#xa0;modified&#xa0;in the&#xa0;future.&#xa0;​ We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick),&#xa0;medical/dental/vision&#xa0;insurance and 401(k) to eligible&#xa0;employees.​ This job is eligible to&#xa0;participate&#xa0;in our long-term incentive&#xa0;programs.&#xa0;​ Note: No amount of pay&#xa0;is considered to be&#xa0;wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and&#xa0;determinable.&#xa0;The amount and availability of any bonus,&#xa0;commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of&#xa0;compensation and benefits&#xa0;that are allocable to a particular employee&#xa0;remains&#xa0;in the Company's sole and&#xa0;absolute&#xa0;discretion unless and until paid and&#xa0;may be&#xa0;modified&#xa0;at the Company’s sole and absolute discretion, consistent with&#xa0;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.&#xa0; US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit&#xa0; https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more: <a href="https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.h

Stand out for this role

NoxPharm tailors your CV to this exact job description — matching the keywords recruiters and ATS systems screen for. Built for pharma & life sciences.

Tailor my CV now — free to try