Director/Senior Principal Research Scientist

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 www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

The Immunology Discovery Research Department at AbbVie seeks an accomplished scientist to lead the Rheumatology team for the Transformational and Translational Immunology Discovery group. The Transformational and Translational Immunology Discovery group is committed to driving patient-based drug discovery for autoimmune diseases to increase the probability of success of therapies in the clinic.  The Senior Principal Research Scientist will lead a team performing in vitro pharmacological research to identify and validate new target concepts and drive projects into and through the discovery process.

She/He/They will be responsible for managing a diverse team of scientists to design and perform in vitro studies using existing assays and developing novel assays aimed at evaluating target hypotheses and disease biology for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) as well as potentially other rheumatological diseases. The team will develop strategies for the identification of new targets for underserved patient populations based on mechanisms and pathways identified through molecular profiling of patient bio-samples.  They will also identify and develop human-based assays that reflect disease biology and can be used to evaluate potential therapies.  

The candidate will have experience with project conception, strategic planning, and leading as well as contributing to cross-functional and matrixed teams. Additionally, the successful candidate will have a strong expertise in immunology and autoimmune disease biology as well as a demonstrated understanding of in vitro cellular assay development, with varied techniques, including flow cytometry, ELISA, cell-based assays, and molecular approaches.
The candidate will also co-lead the Rheumatology Discovery Disease Team to create, shape and drive execution of the discovery strategy in rheumatological disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. The ideal candidate will have a strong and established background in drug discovery and a proven track record of successfully leading diverse project teams and matrix teams to produce novel therapeutics. The candidate will be able to lead by influence in a matrix environment and maintain a productive, collaborative, and inclusive environment in compliance with regulatory and company expectations. Experience managing projects from early-stage research into development is also required.
A key role for the position is partnering with senior management to conceive and provide strategic direction and vision for the therapeutic area while leading a team responsible for executing the technical aspects of the plan. Strong communication skills are essential as the candidate must be able to tailor interactions with technical teams and represent the program and strategy to executive-level management.

Key responsibilities:
•    Drive performance by leading team members in designing and performing in vitro assays and analyzing results.
•    Develop and execute a strategy in alignment with functional goals and key scientific objectives in discovery immunology research.
•    Liaise with chemistry, biotherapeutics, genetic medicine, bioanalytical, clinical development, precision medicine colleagues, other therapeutic areas, and core support groups.
•    As programs advance, develop plans to address and reduce risks in collaboration with key stakeholders to help successfully drive towards the clinic. 
•    Manage project activities and professional development of a team of scientists through effective mentoring, guidance, and supervision.
•    Advance scientific expertise within the function and collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams to advance programs from research to development.
•    Ensure the quality and effectiveness of key project results through sound design, early risk assessments, and implementation of fallback strategies.
•    Provide expert advice and share knowledge with direct reports, peers, and senior management.
•    Provide guidance to develop both the skills and the careers of direct reports.
•    Train and mentor functional colleagues and assess current and emerging business challenges to achieve functional goals.
•    Identify and integrate emerging scientific trends from internal and external sources into functional objectives
•    Present program updates and research strategies to functional and non-functional leaders as well as potential and existing partners
•    Establish and manage external collaborations with leading research labs around the world. 
•    Maintain awareness of emerging literature and science in the field and author scientific disclosures/publications

Significant Work Activities -Continuous sitting for prolonged periods (more than 2 consecutive hours in an 8 hour day)

Job Qualifications (minimum requirements):
•    Extensive experience with in vitro immunological assays in an industrial research environment, with at least 10+ years of experience managing teams and advancing cross-functional projects.
•    Proven track record of driving early to late-stage discovery programs
•    Extensive knowledge and experience in immunology and autoimmune diseases
•    Highly organized and self-directed, capable of leading multiple complex research programs in parallel.
•    Excellent written and verbal communication is required as well as critical evaluation and data-driven decision making.
•    Highly collaborative, team-oriented, and considerate of the needs of others
•    Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate with diverse groups within the organization and external partners.
•    Experience evaluating internal and external research and development programs.
•    Proven team leadership and management abilities, including experience mentoring, guiding, supervising, and developing scientific personnel with various backgrounds and training levels.
•    Ability to create an inclusive environment where diverse ideas, viewpoints and backgrounds are valued; willingness and ability to lead inclusively and demonstrate a commitment to listen and consider all points of view.

Education & Experience:
PhD, MD or MD/PhD in Immunology, Biology, or equivalent field with 10+ years of related work experience in biotech or pharma

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 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.