Senior Principal Process Engineer - Lead Pharma Systems

BioSpace; North Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

AbbVie is seeking a senior engineer to lead cross-functional technical workstreams in pharmaceutical manufacturing. The role focuses on developing actionable methods, collaborating with partners, and advising on complex technical decisions to ensure compliant, high-quality production across multiple therapies.

You will design site-level processes, lead trial coordination with production, and document results with clear rationale.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Chemical engineering.
• 8+ years in the pharmaceutical industry formulation.
• Knowledge of engineering standards.
• Demonstrated leadership and team building skills.
• Strong problem-solving abilities.
• Proven track record of managing projects through to completion.
• Excellent communication with layers of management.

Responsibilities

• Leads technical workstreams and advises on complex technical decisions.
• Designs site-level processes and improvements with defined operating ranges and acceptance criteria.
• Leads process improvement and optimization and coordinates trial execution with production.
• Conducts process validation and troubleshooting, analyzes data, and drafts corrective actions.
• Establishes technical standards for process documentation and change control.
• Guides engineers through decisions by documenting logic and tracking actions.
• Delivers high-quality technical outputs and communicates progress and mitigations to stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership

Problem solving

Project management

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Team building

Technical advisory

Education

Engineering degree (Mechanical, Electrical, or Chemical)

Job description

AbbVie is seeking a senior engineer to lead cross-functional technical workstreams in pharmaceutical manufacturing. The role focuses on developing actionable methods, collaborating with partners, and advising on complex technical decisions to ensure compliant, high-quality production across multiple therapies.

You will design site-level processes, lead trial coordination with production, and document results with clear rationale.