Senior Scientist II, Biotransformation and Disposition

Actox; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

AbbVie Biotransformation and Disposition seeks a Senior Scientist II to drive in vitro and in vivo biotransformation and ADME studies. You will apply mass spectrometry, LC-MS/MS, and structure elucidation to answer key questions and guide project strategy across discovery and development.

You will collaborate across DMPK, toxicology, chemistry, and clinical teams, mentor colleagues, and contribute to regulatory submissions while advancing compounds through the pipeline.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent in a relevant field with substantial drug metabolism experience.
• Expertise in mass spectrometry, LC-MS/MS, and structural elucidation.
• Strong DMPK fundamentals, including analytical method development and metabolite profiling.
• Proven ability to lead projects and mentor colleagues across teams.

Responsibilities

• Design, conduct, and interpret in vitro and in vivo biotransformation studies.
• Identify metabolites, pathways, and clearance mechanisms to guide decisions.
• Develop and troubleshoot chromatographic and MS methods for drug studies.
• Integrate metabolite data with pharmacokinetics, toxicology, and chemistry findings.
• Present findings to project teams and regulators with clear communication.
• Mentor colleagues and foster a culture of scientific innovation.

Skills

Mass spectrometry

LC-MS/MS

Structure elucidation

DMPK

Biotransformation

Metabolite profiling

Leadership mentoring

Education

PhD in Chemistry/Life Sciences

Master's degree with 8+ years

Bachelor's degree with 10+ years

Job description

ICompany Description

About AbbVie

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. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

Job Description

The Biotransformation and Disposition team within AbbVie's Quantitative Translational and ADME Sciences organization is seeking a driven Senior Scientist II to support AbbVie's drug discovery and development programs through the design, execution, interpretation, and communication of in vitro and in vivo biotransformation and ADME studies. The successful candidate will apply expertise in drug metabolism, metabolite profiling, mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography, and structure elucidation to answer key scientific questions, guide project strategy, and advance compounds across the pipeline. This role requires strong scientific judgment, hands-on laboratory capabilities, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to translate complex analytical data into clear conclusions for project teams, management, and regulatory submissions. Duties will be focused on laboratory work, and the applicant will collaborate across various disciplines within AbbVie. Additional expertise in peptide chemistry, structural elucidation, and mass spectrometry is preferred.

Key responsibilities and desired skills include:

• Design, conduct, interpret, and report in vitro and in vivo biotransformation studies to identify metabolites, metabolic pathways, and clearance mechanisms.
• Perform metabolite profiling and structural elucidation using LC-MS/MS, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and complementary analytical techniques.
• Develop, optimize, maintain, and troubleshoot chromatographic and mass spectrometric methods, including assays involving radiolabeled compounds where applicable.
• Integrate metabolite data with broader DMPK, ADME, pharmacokinetic, toxicology, chemistry, and clinical findings to support compound selection and development decisions.
• Represent Biotransformation and Disposition on cross-functional project teams and communicate scientific findings through presentations, technical reports, publications, and regulatory documents.
• Evaluate and implement emerging technologies, study designs, automation approaches, and analytical methods to improve data quality, sensitivity, throughput, and scientific impact.
• Collaborate effectively with internal and external partners while maintaining rigorous documentation, data integrity, regulatory compliance, and laboratory safety standards.
• Contribute to a collaborative learning environment by mentoring colleagues, sharing technical expertise, encouraging innovation, and supporting continuous improvement.

Additional preferred skills:

• Design and interpret peptide biotransformation experiments to identify enzymatic cleavage sites, metabolic pathways, and structural modifications across relevant in vitro and in vivo systems.
• Apply expertise in peptide mass spectrometry, including LC-MS/MS and high-resolution MS, to characterize intact peptides, metabolites, and degradation products in biotransformation studies.
• Specific hands-on expertise in handling high-end high-resolution Thermo and Sciex mass spectrometers and software are desired.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Life Sciences or a related field with 4+ years; alternatively, a Master's degree with 8+ years or a Bachelor's degree with 10+ years of relevant academic or industry research experience in small-molecule drug development.
• Demonstrated expertise in mass spectrometry, liquid chromatography, structure elucidation, core DMPK processes, including analytical method development, metabolite profiling, and biotransformation.
• Strong written (peer reviewed publications), verbal, presentation, interpersonal, and collaborative skills, with the proven ability to work independently and effectively across multidisciplinary teams.
• Proven leadership capabilities, including mentoring others, fostering a learning environment, driving innovation, building strong cross-functional relationships, and continuously raising scientific and performance standards.

Additional Information

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

• 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 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 and serving our community. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled.

US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html

US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more:

https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html