Principal Research Scientist I, In Vitro Preclinical Development at AbbVie — San Diego, CA

AbbVie is seeking a driven Principal Research Scientist I, In Vitro Preclinical, to join the mRNA-tLNP group. The Principal Research Scientist I, In Vitro Preclinical, will lead the design and development of innovative CAR T-cell therapies that advance mRNA-tLNP pipeline programs from early discovery through IND-enabling studies, with an emphasis on applications in oncology and autoimmune diseases.

Responsibilities

• Effectively function as a Principal Investigator within the In Vitro Preclinical Team, developing and implementing original research and development strategies for innovative in vivo CAR T-cell therapies.
• Demonstrate creative 'out of the box' thinking to solve difficult problems and champion new technologies to achieve project goals.
• Collaborate with Biotherapeutics and Genetic Medicine stakeholders to address key CAR-T therapeutic challenges in mRNA-tLNPs through preclinical composition design.
• Serves as the organizational SME in next-generation cell therapy engineering, with deep command of synthetic receptor architecture and functional signaling biology, and the ability to rapidly synthesize the evolving scientific and intellectual property landscape into high-impact therapeutic programs.
• Oversee CAR-T project execution from inception through preclinical stages, ensuring alignment with therapeutic hypotheses, available datasets, and the competitive landscape.
• Generate new scientific proposals and lead those efforts. Anticipate and critically evaluate scientific or regulatory advances or competitive threats and respond with appropriate new strategies.
• Represent project teams by communicating scientific strategy, progress, and risk assessment to stakeholders.
• Primary author of publications, presentations, regulatory documents and/or primary inventor of patents.
• Present at leading scientific conferences. Enhance AbbVie’s reputation by presenting research findings and innovative ideas to stakeholders and collaborators.
• 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.
• BS or equivalent education and extensive with typically 14+ years of experience; MS or equivalent education with typically 12+ years of experience; PhD with typically 6+ years of experience in CAR T-cell or immunotherapeutic field
• Deep subject matter expertise in CAR-T biology, including genetic medicine approaches, novel biological systems, and assay development for candidate generation and assessment.
• Demonstrated ability to function as a principal investigator, generating original technical ideas and research or development strategies.
• Demonstrate creative 'out of the box' thinking to solve difficult technical problems and champion new technologies to achieve project goals.
• Experienced and demonstrated success as primary author of publications, presentations, regulatory documents and/or primary inventor of patents.
• Demonstrated scientific communication and presentation skills by presenting at leading scientific conferences.
• Exceptional project management and multitasking skills; adept at setting and managing timelines for self and team.
• Proactive ownership of challenges, commitment to finding innovative solutions, and a drive to go beyond the status quo.
• Extensive experience in assay development and leading preclinical cell therapy research teams, preferably experienced with in situ/in vivo delivery platforms for CAR-T therapies.
• Demonstrated proficiency in T cell biology, immuno-oncology, flow cytometry, and functional assay design

• 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 thisposting 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.