Jobs / United States / Abbvie INC
Principal Research Scientist I, Process Chemistry (Biocatalysis)
Abbvie INC · 🇺🇸 North Chicago, IL, US
Sponsorship verdict
Sponsorship possible
One solid signal, not two — worth applying, and worth asking about sponsorship early.
- Employer is on a government sponsor recordThe US Department of Labor certified 177 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 94 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
- The posting doesn’t mention sponsorshipSilence isn’t a refusal — ask the recruiter before investing much time.
- No salary bar for this routeH-1B has no fixed salary bar: the employer must pay at least the prevailing wage for the role and area. Cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level. Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/29/2025-23853/weighted-selection-process-for-registrants-and-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b, rules effective 2026-02-27.
- What Abbvie INC paid sponsored hires in similar roles4 certified filings for “PRINCIPAL RESEARCH SCIENTIST I” (Molecular and Cellular Biologists) in IL: $105k–$155k, median $120k. Most were filed at wage level III (50%) — 3 lottery entries, ≈46% projected selection odds for cap-subject employers. Source: US Department of Labor LCA disclosure data (Oct 2025 – Jun 2026).
- Confirmed live todayWhen a source last listed this job as open.
US H-1B: cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level — Level I gets 1 entry, Level IV gets 4 (DHS projected selection odds ≈15% at Level I to ≈61% at Level IV). Universities and non-profit research employers are cap-exempt. The $100,000 fee for new petitions from abroad is currently blocked by a court order (appeal pending).
A verdict summarises public evidence; it is not legal advice and never a guarantee — the employer and the immigration authority decide. Sign in to factor in where you can already work.
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Sponsor Radar — Abbvie INC
The US Department of Labor certified 177 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 94 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
Past sponsorship or register membership never guarantees sponsorship for this vacancy or for you. Full Sponsor Radar for Abbvie INC →
About the role
The Process Chemistry group is responsible for inventing and executing the chemical processes for preparing active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) to enable toxicology studies, clinical trials, and drug product development for AbbVie’s pre-clinical and clinical candidates. We create valuable intellectual property through composition of matter, chemical processes, and technology, resulting in the development of safe and cost-effective commercial manufacturing processes. AbbVie is seeking a highly skilled and innovative Principal Research Scientist I to contribute to chemical process research and development of small molecules, peptides, antibody-drug conjugates, and other modalities via expertise in biocatalysis. The selected candidate will contribute to the development of biocatalytic processes for the scalable synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), enzyme discovery, directed evolution campaigns, and application of AI/ML tools for the discovery and optimization of enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Deep expertise in biocatalysis, a strong foundation in synthetic organic chemistry, and the technical versatility to integrate modern computational and high-throughput experimentation tools into process development is required for this role. Responsibilities: • Contribute to the setting and implementation of strategies for solving complex synthetic problems in process development, via implementation of biocatalytic methods. • Contribute to the identification and design of enzymes, application of recombinant DNA techniques, heterologous protein expression, and directed evolution methodologies to engineer biocatalysts with improved activity, selectivity, and stability in support of novel or improved synthetic transformations for API process development. • Leverage AI/ML tools, bioinformatics platforms, and high-throughput experimentation (HTE) to accelerate enzyme screening, optimization, and process development cycles. • Participate in and/or lead project teams associated with process development and characterization for small molecules, peptides, antibody-drug conjugates, and other modalities. • Connect unrelated concepts to generate new ideas and always be on the lookout for the next big win. • Author and review technical reports, regulatory documents, patents, and scientific publications, present findings at internal and external scientific forums. • Understand and adhere to corporate standards regarding GxP compliance, code of conduct, safety, and appropriate handling of materials. • Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD Degree in organic chemistry with typically 14+ (BS), 12+ (MS) or 6+ (PhD) years of experience. • Expertise in synthetic organic chemistry with demonstrated hands-on experience in biocatalysis, including enzyme screening, characterization, and application to synthetic transformations. • Proficiency in recombinant DNA techniques and protein expression for enzyme production and engineering. • Experience with high-throughput experimentation (HTE) platforms and data analysis workflows for rapid enzyme identification and reaction optimization. • Demonstrated ability to employ AI/ML and data science approaches to solve complex chemical synthesis problems. • Demonstrated ability in innovating new chemical and automation technologies. • Proven scientific leadership; strong interpersonal and communication skills for facilitating collaborations. • Experience in synthetic molecule process development. 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 a