Principal Research Scientist I, Genetic Medicine

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. 

AbbVie is a global, research-based biopharmaceutical company committed to developing innovative therapies for serious health conditions. In our growing Genetic Medicine group at Abbvie South San Fransisco, we are seeking a Principal Research Scientist to lead to apply cutting-edge technologies to deliver innovative new therapies. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in molecular and cellular biology, a track record of successful project leadership, and a passion for advancing genetic medicine. As one of the key team members, this individual will work with the manager and scientists across different functional groups to discover and develop next generation non-viral genetic medicine. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the design and development of fusion proteins for therapeutic purposes suitable for mRNA delivery by nanoparticles.
• Characterize expressed protein by biochemical or flow-based techniques and evaluate function by plate-based or cell-based assays.
• Closely collaborate with antibody discovery/production team to bridge between Biotherapeutics and Genetic Medicine.
• Co-lead project with Therapeutic Area to identify and optimize therapeutic candidates and take accountability for project deliverables.  
• Analyze experimental data, interpret results, and present findings to internal and external stakeholders. Prepare publication-quality reports and contribute to scientific manuscripts and patents as a lead scientist.
• Mentor research associates on experimental design, troubleshooting, assay optimization and data interpretation. Foster a collaborative and innovative research environment.

• Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology, Biochemistry, or a related field with a minimum of 6 years of relevant industry experience.
• Experience in engineering mAb, dAb, VHH or non-antibody scaffold into multi-domain fusion proteins guided by structural models.
• Up-to-date knowledge in Molecular Biology including translation regulation and hands-on experience with nucleic acid characterization required for mRNA delivery by nanoparticles.
• Demonstrated ability for assay development and analyze complex data sets to draw conclusions. Familiarity with bioinformatics tools and statistical analysis software.
• Basic understanding of immunology and cancer biology.
• Experience with various RNA modalities and viral delivery is a plus.
• Experience with Cell therapy is a plus.
• A good understanding of the basic pharmacology principles of nucleic acid therapies in terms of their efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity.
• Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals.

Key Leadership Competencies:

• Team player with a collaborative mindset. Experience working in cross-functional teams.
• Proven track record of leading research projects and teams. Excellent project management skills and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Creates a learning environment, open to suggestions and experimentation for improvement.
• Embraces the ideas of others, nurtures innovation and manages innovation to reality.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with proven ability to work within a team environment.

Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law: ​

• ​This is an on-site opportunity based out of AbbVie's South San Francisco offices. 
• 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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