Senior Scientist I, Drug Delivery Sciences and Engineering

Senior Scientist I

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.

We are seeking a highly motivated Senior Scientist I to join the Drug Delivery Sciences and Engineering team in Irvine, California. In this laboratory-based role, you will independently design and execute studies to develop and characterize innovative drug delivery systems for small molecules and biologic modalities, including peptides and proteins. You will apply expertise in chemistry, formulation, polymer and protein science, and pharmaceutical characterization while partnering across discovery and development functions to advance programs. The ideal candidate combines strong scientific judgment, hands-on experimental capability, and clear and concise communication with a collaborative, results-oriented approach.

Key Responsibilities:

• Independently design, execute, analyze, and document laboratory studies supporting novel drug delivery systems and enabling formulations.
• Develop and optimize delivery approaches for small molecules and biologics, including proteins and peptides, with emphasis on sustained, controlled, or targeted delivery.
• Apply principles of formulation, protein, polymer, and colloid science to address stability, compatibility, manufacturability, and performance challenges.
• Characterize formulations and delivery systems using relevant analytical and biophysical methods, which may include HPLC, ELISA, DSC, FTIR, GPC/SEC, MALS/DLS, rheology, spectroscopy, particle-size analysis, and in vitro release testing.
• Interpret complex data, identify technical risks, develop hypotheses, and recommend practical experimental strategies and mitigation plans.
• Represent Drug Delivery Sciences and Engineering on cross-functional project teams and clearly communicate study plans, results, risks, and recommendations.
• Maintain complete, timely, and compliant experimental records and prepare technical reports, presentations, development documentation, publications, and invention disclosures, as appropriate.
• Monitor advances in drug delivery technologies and identify opportunities to introduce new capabilities, platforms, or more efficient workflows.
• Collaborate with internal partners and external laboratories or vendors to execute studies, transfer methods, and meet project objectives.
• Contribute to a safe, inclusive, and high-performing laboratory environment and provide technical guidance or training to colleagues, interns, or junior scientists, as needed.

  Qualifications:

  • Ph.D. in chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering, pharmaceutical sciences or a related discipline with 0–4 years of relevant experience; M.S. with at least 8+ years of relevant experience or Bachelor Degree with 10+ years of experience.
  • Strong scientific foundation in chemistry, drug delivery, formulation science, protein science, polymer science, biomaterials, or a closely related field.
  • Demonstrated ability to independently design experiments, troubleshoot technical challenges, critically analyze data, and draw scientifically sound conclusions.
  • Hands-on experience with pharmaceutical formulation and relevant analytical or biophysical characterization methods.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex scientific information clearly to multidisciplinary audiences.
  • Demonstrated effectiveness in cross-functional collaboration and the ability to build productive working relationships.
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities, adapt to changing program needs, and deliver high-quality results in a fast-paced research environment.

    Preferred Qualifications:

    • Experience developing sustained-release, controlled-release, targeted, polymer-based, particulate, conjugate, hydrogel, or other advanced delivery systems.
    • Experience with biologic modalities such as proteins, peptides, or nucleic acids.
    • Experience with bioconjugation chemistry and synthetic methods.
    • Knowledge of formulation stability, degradation mechanisms, drug–excipient interactions, and in vitro release or performance testing.
    • Experience using Design of Experiments, multivariate analysis, or related statistical approaches for formulation or process optimization.

      Where We Work:

      Role is exclusively performed at a site or office and onsite presence is required. Employees who are site/office-based and can occasionally perform their role virtually work both in the office and remotely*, following the policies and regulations in place at their location. US Employees must be in the office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday with flexibility to work remotely on Mondays and Fridays. Three days in the office is the minimum; some individuals or teams may require more in-office days due to meetings, business/project needs or their role.