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Principal Research Scientist I, In Vivo CAR-T Biology

AbbVie

South San Francisco, CAJob$125K/yrSeen 6 days agoSeen in employer's feed 6 days ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$125K/yr
Location
South San Francisco, CA
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Job overview

AbbVie seeks a Principal Research Scientist I for its in vivo CAR Biology group to advance next-generation in vivo CAR T-cell therapies from concept through IND-enabling studies. The scientist will shape research strategy, lead project execution, collaborate across research groups, mentor team members, and communicate findings to scientific and external audiences. Experience developing next-generation in vivo lentiviral CAR-T platforms is strongly preferred.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

CAR-T Candidate DesignCAR-T Candidate GenerationPreclinical EvaluationSynthetic BiologyT-Cell BiologyImmuno-OncologyExperimental WorkflowsAnalytical WorkflowsFunctional Screening AssaysPrincipal InvestigationResearch StrategyMultidisciplinary Team LeadershipProject ManagementPrioritizationScientific CommunicationIn Vivo Lentiviral CAR-T Platforms

Qualifications

BS+14, MS+12 or PhD+6 YrsCAR-T Discovery Research, Cell Therapy or Immuno-OncologyPrimary Authorship or Inventorship

Benefits

Paid Time Off
Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
401(k) Match

Full job description

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, (https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbvie/) Facebook, Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/abbvie/) , X (https://twitter.com/abbvie) and YouTube. (https://www.youtube.com/user/AbbVie)

Job Description

AbbVie is seeking an accomplished in vitro preclinical scientist to join the in vivo CAR Biology group as a Principal Research Scientist I. This individual will play a significant role in integrating 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.

Responsibilities:

  • Function as a Principal Investigator within the in vivo CAR Biology in vitro preclinical team by defining original scientific hypotheses and research and development strategies for novel in vivo CAR T-cell therapies.

  • Anticipate and critically evaluate scientific advances or competitive threats and respond with appropriate new research proposals.

  • Collaborate with Quantitative Medicine, Biotherapeutics, Genetic Medicine, and Discovery Research mRNA-tLNP groups to design and functionally test novel CAR constructs that address key therapeutic challenges.

  • Lead laboratory project execution by translating therapeutic hypotheses into actionable plans; defining integrated timelines, milestones, dependencies, deliverables, and ownership; ensuring adherence and accountability; and partnering with workstream authors to flag schedule risks and implement mitigation plans.

  • Represent project teams by providing stakeholders with clear, timely updates on scientific strategy, experimental progress, key decisions, and project risks.

  • Mentor/supervise a team of one or more and evaluate the performance of those individuals; is accountable for the effective performance of the team/individuals.

  • Demonstrate creative 'out of the box' thinking to solve difficult problems and champion new technologies to achieve project goals.

  • Primary author of novel workflows, publications, presentations, regulatory documents and/or primary inventor of patents.

  • Present research findings and innovative ideas at leading scientific conferences to strengthen AbbVie’s scientific reputation and engagement with external stakeholders and collaborators.

Qualifications

  • 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; experience developing next-generation in vivo lentiviral CAR-T platforms is strongly preferred.

  • 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.

  • Demonstrated capacity to function as a Principal Investigator by generating original technical ideas, defining research or development strategies, and leading multidisciplinary teams through execution and scientific decision-making.

  • Exceptional project management and prioritization skills, with demonstrated ability to define integrated research timelines, manage dependencies and competing priorities, establish clear ownership, hold contributors accountable, and proactively communicate and mitigate delivery risks.

  • Demonstrated success as a primary author of publications, presentations, or regulatory documents and/or as a primary inventor on patents, with a record of communicating complex scientific findings effectively to internal and external audiences.

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

Salary: $124,500

How this job compares

Set against the 2,174 open Research Scientist jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 6, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$125K/yr
  • California median$183–275K/yr503 salary ranges
  • US median$146–219K/yr1,439 salary ranges

This rate, $125K, is 45% below the California median midpoint ($226K) — in the lowest quarter of Research Scientist salary ranges in California.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 741 open Research Scientist jobs in California and 2,174 across the US. 3% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in California
Experience
This posting asks for at least 6 years of experience; Research Scientist postings that state a minimum ask for 3 years at the median (1,120 postings).
Education
1,096 of the 2,174 open Research Scientist jobs (50%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 6, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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