Postdoctoral Fellow, Biopharmaceutics

BioSpace; North Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Paid time off

401(k)

Participation in short-term incentive programs

Job summary

A leading biopharmaceutical company in North Chicago is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow to engage in innovative drug product development. The role involves generating research strategies, collaborating with experts, and publishing findings. Candidates with a PhD and strong project management skills will thrive in this dynamic environment, contributing to advancements in drug formulation and biopharmacy.

Qualifications

• Record of scientific initiative and creativity in research.
• Ability to independently design experiments and interpret data.
• Demonstrated scientific writing and strong communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Generate new research strategies for the project.
• Collaborate with functional and technical experts.
• Publish research in peer-reviewed journals.

Skills

Scientific initiative

Project management

Laboratory productivity

Verbal communication

Education

PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences or related field

Tools

HPLC

In vitro ADME screening tools

Job description

Overview

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. AbbVie aims to have a remarkable impact on people’s lives across immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care, including products and services in the Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit www.abbvie.com.

AbbVie’s Postdoctoral Program invites outstanding individuals to challenge themselves to find the best solutions for patients. Postdoctoral Fellows serve as technical experts who investigate, develop, and optimize new methods and techniques to address critical project or functional area needs. Participants improve existing or develop new laboratory methods, read and adapt literature, and should master a range of experimental techniques and data analysis specific to their area of expertise.

The program supports investigational and experimental research where publication is an important component. Participants will be mentored by industry scientists and collaborators at AbbVie and focus on advancements in Discovery, Development Sciences, and Aesthetics, including fields such as chemistry, biology, pharmaceutical science, and computational information sciences. It offers a balance of supervised investigation and work experience across the drug development process.

We are seeking scientists from U.S.-based academic institutions who can be matched to projects within their area of scientific expertise for this unique 2–3-year assignment. Applicants selected for a postdoctoral position will have the opportunity to build a solid career foundation in the pharmaceutical industry while contributing to AbbVie’s biopharmaceutical pipeline.

Role Overview

The Drug Product Design and Development (DPDD) function within Development Sciences is accountable for a broad range of deliverables across stages of developing clinical and commercial formulations for novel drug molecules. During drug product development, DPDD scientists rely on state-of-the-art in vitro and computational tools, supported by expertise in biopharmaceutics, drug delivery, and physical pharmacy to achieve target product quality and performance. Biopharmaceutics scientists collaborate with pharmaceutics, ADME, formulation, and clinical teams to guide drug product design. The postdoctoral fellow will be part of a dynamic, multidisciplinary environment including pharmaceutical scientists, engineers, and chemists.

The fellow will bridge gaps in the use of in vitro screening tools to enable rapid candidate selection or drug product development, applying knowledge of GI physiology, drug molecular attributes, and excipients. The candidate will participate in the Biopharmaceutics cross-functional team to design, develop, and implement novel high-throughput screening platforms, aiming to improve predictive capability for in vivo performance.

Responsibilities

• Generate new research strategies to address the needs of the postdoc project
• Collaborate with functional and technical experts to facilitate scientific achievement
• Maintain a high level of laboratory productivity
• Effectively write and communicate research materials
• Resolve research hurdles by utilizing available information and expertise
• Proactively seek new information from the literature and integrate it into projects and the overall program
• Publish research in peer‑reviewed journals and present work at scientific conferences aligned with business objectives
• Demonstrate scientific responsibility and safe laboratory practices

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemical Engineering, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Biomedical Engineering, or related field (summer and fall graduates welcome)
• Record of scientific initiative and creativity in research or development
• Ability to independently design and execute experiments, interpret data, and identify follow-up strategies
• Excellent project management skills and ability to multitask within timelines
• Ability to resolve key project hurdles using available information and technical expertise
• Demonstrated scientific writing and strong verbal communication skills
• Global mindset to thrive in a diverse culture and environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of biopharmaceutical principles and application to drug or formulation screening
• Experience handling and preparing excised biological tissues
• Familiarity with in vitro ADME screening tools
• Experience in cell staining techniques to characterize tissues
• Ability to analyze samples using HPLC and data processing
• Experience with computer-aided design and fabrication of custom parts

Key Leadership Competencies

• Builds strong relationships across functions to enable higher performance
• Learns quickly and adapts to changing circumstances
• Raises the bar and pursues continuous improvement
• Creates a learning environment open to suggestions and experimentation
• Encourages collaboration and innovation while being pragmatic

Candidates progressing to the final round may be asked to provide three letters of recommendation (including one from the Thesis Advisor) and a letter of intent to pursue the postdoctoral position.

Additional Information

Applicable to applicants in locations with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law:

• The compensation range is the range of possible base pay at the time of posting, based on the job grade. Individual compensation may vary by location and may be modified in the future.
• We offer a comprehensive benefits package including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, and 401(k) for eligible employees.
• This job is eligible to participate in short-term incentive programs.

Note: No amount of pay is considered wages or compensation until earned, vested, and determinable. The compensation and benefits described are at AbbVie’s sole discretion, subject to applicable law.

AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to integrity, innovation, transformation, and community service. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled.

US & Puerto Rico only – to learn more, visit https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html. Applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation can learn more at https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html