Principal Research Scientist II

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

The Cell Culture Development organization within Operations leads process development and tech transfer for cell culture processes supporting clinical manufacturing and commercialization of therapeutic proteins across AbbVie’s pipeline. The team also provides subject matter expertise and experimental support for the manufacture of commercial biologics.

The role is responsible for managing a team of scientists and engineers to solve complex challenges across AbbVie’s  diverse biologics pipeline. The successful candidate will collaborate with cell culture scientists to develop and implement strategies for pre-clinical, early-stage, and late-stage cell culture development, and will lead cell culture media development efforts. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage a group of 2+ scientists and engineers (BS/MS and PhDs) focused on systems biology applied to bioprocess improvement, including cell culture media development and process optimization.
• Lead cell culture process development for monoclonal antibodies, bi-specifics, ADCs, fusion proteins and other molecular formats for early- and late-stage clinical assets.
• Lead PPQ enabling cell culture process characterization activities.
• Participate in cross-functional CMC teams and review relevant sections of regulatory submissions (e.g. IND, BLA, MAA, etc…).
• Mentor and develop staff to foster a high-performance culture that achieves business and scientific objectives.
• Build strong relationships with other process and analytical development, Manufacturing Sciences and Technology, R&D, Manufacturing, Quality and Regulatory teams to improve efficiency, productivity, robustness and product quality.
• Advance technical expertise within the cell culture development field by tracking emerging trends and technologies within the field through internal and external sources, and proactively sharing knowledge with the team, peers and management.
• Represent the organization as a scientific thought leader through conference presentations, publications, and broader engagement in the external and internal scientific community.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Biology, Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, Data Science, or a related discipline, with 16+ years of experience for BS holders, 14+ years for MS holders, or 8+ years for PhD holders; highly qualified candidates with fewer years of experience may also be considered.
• Demonstrated executive presence with exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, strong scientific curiosity, and a proven ability to solve complex problems and drive optimization.
• Self-directed and highly organized, with strong attention to detail, outstanding planning and troubleshooting capabilities, and the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Deep understanding of cell culture processes, including cell and molecular biology, process development, scale-up and scale-down, recombinant protein production, and protein characterization.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated proficiency in bench scale bioreactor and other high-throughput cell culture systems for the optimization of cell culture processes.
• Experience with or ability to lead a team with focus on cell culture media development, including the application of complex statistics and systems biology.

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 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 and serving our community.  Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled. 

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