Senior Scientist II, CMC BioProcess Purification Development

BioSpace; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO & holidays

Medical/Dental/Vision insurance

401(k) and LTIP

Job summary

AbbVie’s Biologics CMC Purification Development team in South San Francisco advances complex biologics through development to licensure. You will design robust purification processes for GMP production, own deliverables, and guide cross-functional teams with data-driven decisions.

Successful candidates will apply deep downstream process knowledge, manage technology transfers, and mentor junior scientists in a fast-paced lab setting while ensuring regulatory compliance and high-quality

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of downstream bioprocess unit operations including affinity, ion-exchange and hydrophobic-interaction chromatography.
• Experience with virus filtration and tangential-flow filtration.
• Formulation or bulk drug substance handling skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize purification processes for monoclonal antibodies and other complex biologics across early and late-stage development.
• Lead technology transfer to GMP manufacturing sites and support facility readiness.
• Develop viral clearance strategy and manage studies with contract labs; interpret data and approve reports.
• Enhance purification platforms via mechanistic modeling and data analytics; perform targeted wet-lab studies.
• Mentor junior scientists and ensure cross-functional collaboration to meet project timelines.

Skills

Downstream bioprocess

Virus filtration

Tangential-flow filtration

Formulation

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Master's degree or equivalent

PhD

Job 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.

Company 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 Biologics CMC Development team at AbbVie in the Bay Area has a long and rich history of biologics development. Located in a state of the art facility in South San Francisco, the team leverages its comprehensive end-to-end CMC capabilities to work collaboratively through all phases of CMC development with a primary focus on advancing complex biologic therapies, such as multi-specifics, and novel modalities, to human clinical studies and eventual licensure.

This role is within a team of highly experienced scientists and managers who have directly enabled the development/IND submissions of 20+ novel biologics and successfully filed two BLAs.

As a member of the CMC Purification Development group, you will apply strong downstream process-development expertise to design robust, phase-appropriate drug substance purification processes for GMP production, clinical studies, and eventual licensure. You will own purification deliverables for assigned programs, help define drug substance development strategy as a functional lead on cross-functional CMC teams, and communicate data-driven recommendations, risks, and tradeoffs to key stakeholders.

This position is an onsite role in a lab-based function. To be successful candidates must enjoy and thrive in a fast-paced and highly collaborative lab environment with daily face-to-face cross-functional interactions between scientists.

Responsibilities

• Develop, optimize, characterize, and scale up purification processes for monoclonal antibodies, multispecifics, antibody-like molecules, and other complex biologic candidates across early- and late-stage drug substance process development
• Lead technology transfer to internal or external GMP manufacturing sites; author transfer packages, support facility fit and readiness, and provide technical troubleshooting during clinical manufacturing
• Develop viral clearance strategy and oversee studies with contract laboratories, including protocol development, technical review, data interpretation, and report approval
• Optimize purification platforms and deepen process understanding through mechanistic modeling, statistical design of experiments, data analytics, and targeted wet-lab studies
• Conceive and evaluate novel, advanced bioprocess technologies that are in line with the groups strategy
• Maintain current scientific knowledge by critically reviewing peer-reviewed literature, regulatory guidance, patents, and emerging industry trends, and translate relevant advances into program strategy, experimental design, and platform development. Seize opportunities to pursue project relevant leads that are in line with the groups strategy
• Write technical publications, reports, presentations, and regulatory filings including publishing research in peer-reviewed journals and presenting work at scientific conferences
• Work efficiently, collaboratively, and cross-functionally to meet project deliverables and timelines
• Understand and adhere to corporate standards regarding code of conduct, safety, appropriate handling of materials, and GxP compliance, where applicable
• Mentor and train junior scientists

Qualifications

• Bachelors Degree or equivalent education and typically 12+ years of experience, Masters Degree or equivalent education and typically 10+ years of experience, PhD and typically 4+ years of experience.
• Demonstrated understanding of downstream bioprocess unit operations, including affinity, ion-exchange, and hydrophobic-interaction chromatography; depth and virus filtration; tangential-flow filtration; and formulation or bulk drug substance handling.
• Demonstrated depth of scientific knowledge in protein biochemistry, separation science, and/or bioprocess engineering, with the ability to critically evaluate scientific literature and apply relevant findings to hypothesis-driven experimental design, data interpretation, and technical decision-making.
• Able to independently design, execute, use and reference literature publications, and interpret laboratory experiments to answer scientific questions.

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 employer remains in the Company's sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Companys 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