Principal Research Scientist I, Peptide Engineer

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 across our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at . Follow @abbvie on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Job Description

Chemical Engineers support API projects through all the phases of late‑stage development and commercialization. This position will be responsible for ensuring processes can be run safely, addressing scale‑up issues, and developing and implementing robust API process steps from the lab to a manufacturing environment. Once commercialized, the process engineer is responsible for continuous improvement activities, technical transfer to manufacturing sites, and resolution of technical manufacturing issues in a commercial setting.

Purpose

Lead research and/or project activities with a group of scientists within the individual’s area of expertise by effectively mentoring, guiding, and supervising scientific personnel. Independently conceive, execute, and communicate novel multidisciplinary research or development strategies that achieve project and area goals. Serve as a lead scientist on one’s own project and contribute scientific insights into multiple other projects. Oversee the design, implementation, and optimization of peptide synthesis processes from development to commercialization.

Major Responsibilities

• Conceptualize and implement approaches using combinations of engineering scientific principles.
• Act as a principal investigator, generating original technical ideas and research or development strategies.
• Utilize knowledge of engineering, literature, and experience to guide decisions for complex situations.
• Be independently responsible for project science within the area of expertise on one or more project teams.
• Make significant contributions to the project team through laboratory or other work environments.
• Generate new scientific proposals and lead those efforts, anticipating and critically evaluating scientific or regulatory advances or competitive threats and responding with appropriate new strategies.
• Be recognized and sought out as an expert in the discipline within the company and possibly externally.
• Apply extensive, advanced scientific knowledge to multidisciplinary projects.
• Assure experimental quality through sound experimental design and provide advice on experimental design.
• Implement new technical alternatives for research from literature review, industry knowledge, and development experience.
• Apply computer skills (including word processing, spreadsheets, instrumentation, and advanced technical software) and author advanced techniques or models (e.g., programming and control algorithms or simulations).
• Apply advanced technical writing skills to produce reports and documents; write independently and evaluate the writing of others.
• Anticipate, recognize, and resolve problems; act as an expert in technical/functional areas.

Level of Leadership Activities

• Lead resolution of compliance quality issues and documents drafting.
• Present results of projects internally and externally.
• Review and critique presentations for others.
• Establish project operation criteria and technical standards for excellence; generate new product ideas.
• Prepare and align impact goals with department/divisional goals.
• Actively participate in cross‑functional technology transfer teams including team members from development and manufacturing.

Level of Interpersonal Skill

• Function as a technical role model and resource/consultant to others.
• Interact and lead cross‑functional teams and share information; demonstrate technical leadership in a multidisciplinary environment.
• Exhibit strong verbal, written, and presentation skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent education, typically 15+ years of experience.
• Master’s Degree or equivalent education, typically 12+ years of experience.
• Ph.D. or equivalent education, typically 6+ years of experience.
• Possess thorough theoretical and practical understanding of the scientific discipline.

Desired Skills

• Conceive, design, conduct research and development for major process to be commercialized.
• Lead the development of processes and programs to optimize or achieve plant efficiency, product quality, cost control, customer specification, or product design changes.
• Lead technical investigative troubleshooting of product failures and recommend remediation direction.
• Primary author of publications, presentations, regulatory documents, and/or primary inventor of patents.
• Experience and/or education with API and/or natural product processes in pharmaceuticals.
• Peptide development and/or manufacturing experience.

Benefits

• Comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance, and 401(k) for eligible employees.
• Eligible participation in short‑term incentive programs.
• Eligible participation in long‑term incentive programs.

Equal Opportunity

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 AbbVie Equal Employment Opportunity .