Senior Scientist II, Rheumatology

AbbVie; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Health insurance

401(k) plan

Long-term incentives

Job summary

AbbVie's Discovery Immunology R&D team at the Cambridge Research Center is seeking a Senior Scientist II to advance preclinical programs in rheumatology with a focus on RA and PsA. The role emphasizes mechanism-of-action studies, translational research, and in vivo model development.

The ideal candidate will bring deep immunology expertise, strong preclinical pharmacology experience, and a track record of leading scientific initiatives within cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• Proven expertise in in vitro and preclinical in vivo model systems.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams across locations.

Responsibilities

• Set Rheumatology strategy for pipeline programs and contribute to target evaluation and model development.
• Drive in vitro and in vivo pharmacology for drug candidates, including PK/PD relationships and assay development.
• Develop acute and chronic murine inflammation models to support preclinical development.
• Apply immunological techniques such as flow cytometry, gene expression analysis, protein quantification and histopathology.
• Design experiments, analyze data, and present findings at AbbVie forums and external conferences.
• Author and review technical reports and protocols.

Skills

Immunology

In vivo pharmacology

Preclinical pharmacology

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

Bachelor’s Degree with 12 years experience

Master’s Degree with 10 years experience

PhD with 4 years experience

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

AbbVie’s Discovery Immunology R&D organization is seeking a highly motivated and innovative Senior Scientist II to join the Rheumatology team at the Cambridge Research Center (CRC). This individual will support preclinical drug discovery programs in rheumatology, with focus on Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA). The role emphasizes target validation, mechanism-of-action studies, translational research, and advancement of novel therapeutic strategies. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in immunology and inflammation biology, strong preclinical pharmacology experience, and hands‑on knowledge of in vivo disease models. Success in this role requires the ability to integrate human disease biology with preclinical approaches, generate high-quality data packages, collaborate cross‑functionally, independently drive scientific initiatives, and contribute to program strategy.

Key responsibilities include

• Serve as a functional representative responsible for setting Rheumatology strategy for pipeline programs and contributing to target evaluation and model development.
• Drive in vitro and in vivo pharmacology for drug candidates, including establishing PK/PD relationships, developing, and optimizing screening assays, designing and executing mechanism-of-action studies, and evaluating candidate efficacy.
• Develop acute and/or chronic murine models of inflammation to support preclinical development of candidates for rheumatological and other autoimmune diseases.
• Apply immunological techniques such as flow cytometry, PCR/gene expression analysis, protein and cytokine quantification, histopathology, and other relevant functional readouts.
• Design experiments, analyze data, and present findings at AbbVie scientific forums and external conferences.
• Author and review technical reports, protocols, and other key scientific documents.
• Adhere to corporate standards related to code of conduct, documentation, safety, proper handling of materials, and humane treatment of laboratory animals.
  

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree with 12 years of experience, Master’s Degree with 10 years of experience, PhD with 4 years of experience.
• Proven expertise in in vitro and preclinical in vivo model systems
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills
• Ability to work effectively in a highly collaborative environment, including cross‑functional teams and colleagues across multiple locations to support team and company goals.
• Prior experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry is preferred.
  

Key Leadership Competencies:

• Builds strong relationships with peers and cross functionally with partners outside of the immediate team to enable higher performance.
• Learns fast, grasps the “essence” and can change course quickly as needed.
• Creates a learning environment, open to suggestions and experiments to drive science in the field of interest.
• Embraces the ideas of others, nurtures innovation and manages innovation to reality
  

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 thisposting 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 anduntil 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.

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