Principal Research Scientist I, In Vivo CAR-T Biology

AbbVie•South San Francisco, CA

7d•$124,500 - $236,500

About The Position

AbbVie is seeking an accomplished in vitro preclinical scientist to join its in vivo CAR Biology group as a Principal Research Scientist I. The role integrates emerging platform capabilities with novel CAR-T designs and discovery projects to advance next-generation in vivo CAR T-cell therapies from concept through IND-enabling studies. The position functions as a Principal Investigator, defining original scientific hypotheses and research and development strategies, leading multidisciplinary project execution, and communicating scientific strategy, progress, decisions, and risks to stakeholders. It also mentors and supervises team members and contributes as a primary author or inventor on scientific and regulatory outputs.

Requirements

BS or equivalent education with typically 14+ years of experience; MS or equivalent education with typically 12+ years of experience; or PhD with typically 6+ years of experience in CAR-T discovery research, cell therapy, or immuno-oncology.
Expertise in designing, generating, and preclinically evaluating CAR-T candidates.
Expertise in synthetic biology, T-cell biology, and immuno-oncology applied to CAR design and next-generation in vivo CAR-T platform innovation.
Experience developing complex, semi-automated experimental and analytical workflows and functional screening assays to improve the throughput, reproducibility, and efficiency of CAR-T candidate discovery, characterization, and selection.
Ability to generate original technical ideas, define research or development strategies, and lead multidisciplinary teams through execution and scientific decision-making.
Exceptional project management and prioritization skills, including defining integrated research timelines, managing dependencies and competing priorities, establishing ownership, holding contributors accountable, and proactively communicating and mitigating delivery risks.
Demonstrated success as a primary author of publications, presentations, or regulatory documents and/or as a primary inventor on patents, with the ability to communicate complex scientific findings effectively to internal and external audiences.

Nice To Haves

Experience developing next-generation in vivo lentiviral CAR-T platforms is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Define original scientific hypotheses and research and development strategies for novel in vivo CAR T-cell therapies as a Principal Investigator within the in vivo CAR Biology in vitro preclinical team.
Anticipate and critically evaluate scientific advances and competitive threats, and develop appropriate research proposals.
Collaborate with Quantitative Medicine, Biotherapeutics, Genetic Medicine, and Discovery Research mRNA-tLNP groups to design and functionally test novel CAR constructs addressing therapeutic challenges.
Lead laboratory project execution by translating therapeutic hypotheses into actionable plans, defining integrated timelines, milestones, dependencies, deliverables, and ownership, and ensuring adherence and accountability.
Partner with workstream authors to identify schedule risks and implement mitigation plans.
Provide stakeholders with clear, timely updates on scientific strategy, experimental progress, key decisions, and project risks.
Mentor and supervise one or more team members, evaluate their performance, and be accountable for effective team or individual performance.
Apply creative thinking to difficult problems and champion new technologies to achieve project goals.
Serve as a primary author of novel workflows, publications, presentations, and regulatory documents, and/or as a primary inventor of patents.
Present research findings and innovative ideas at leading scientific conferences.