Jobs / United States / Abbvie INC
Principal Research Scientist I - Biologics Drug Product Development
Abbvie INC · 🇺🇸 South San Francisco, CA, 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 roles2 certified filings for “Scientist I, Formulation and Process Development” (Chemists) in CA: $135k–$142k, median $139k. 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 Drug Product Development (DPD) group within AbbVie is a global organization responsible for developing and characterizing drug product formulations and manufacturing processes for biologic therapeutics (antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and novel biologic formats) from preclinical development through clinical proof of concept. We have an exciting opportunity for a Principle Scientist I to join our team at our AbbVie Bay Area (ABA) site in South San Francisco, CA. This is an on-site role and will serve as our outsourcing lead for formulation and process development. This individual will be the primary technical interface between AbbVie and external Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations (CDMOs), ensuring successful execution of outsourced drug product development. The role is responsible for driving external execution while partnering closely with drug product leads, operations specialists, and functional management to ensure alignment of strategy, timelines, risks, and deliverables and will be expected to take a first look at work packages, data and conclusions from CDMOs. The individual will serve as a technical representative of ABA DPD, providing leadership across internal and external teams to advance programs efficiently and compliantly. Responsibilities • Serve as the primary technical liaison between ABA DPD and CDMOs and ensure functional alignment with management and relevant stakeholders for all external drug product development activities. • Lead external drug product development activities, including formulation development, process development, technology transfer, manufacturing support, and data package generation in line with the overarching drug product development strategy owner by the drug product lead. • Oversee CDMO execution of studies, development plans, data packages and technical deliverables to ensure alignment with program objectives and functional strategies. • Review and provide scientific input on study designs, protocols, reports, development recommendations, and investigations to the internal team, receive alignment and effectively communicate to the CDMO. • Ensure AbbVie readiness for CDMO governance and technical meetings through proactive alignment, issue resolution, and decision preparation. • Coordinate communication and information flow between CDMOs and internal stakeholders. • Drive action-item tracking, meeting documentation, risk management, and issue escalation. Ensures organization across documents, meeting minutes, etc. • Ensures functional alignment on Statements of Work (SOWs), and partners with operations lead on contract signing and execution, shipping logistics, and operational activities. • Provide technical leadership in the investigation and resolution of issues occurring at external sites in alignment with functional and project strategy. • Maintain organized project documentation and knowledge management systems within approved AbbVie platforms. • May support internal programs as drug product lead on CMC cross-functional teams. Leadership Expectations • Influence decisions and drive execution across a complex matrix organization without direct authority. • Build strong partnerships with internal stakeholders and external vendors. • Anticipate risks and proactively develop mitigation strategies. • Communicate complex technical information clearly to diverse audiences. • Represent ABA DPD as a trusted technical leader to CDMOs and cross-functional partners. • Mentor junior scientists and contribute external development strategies within the function. • BS or equivalent education and extensive, typically 14+ years of experience; MS or equivalent education with typically 12+ years of experience; PhD with typically 6+ years of industr