Jobs / United States / Abbott Laboratories
Staff Research Scientist
Abbott Laboratories · 🇺🇸 United States - California - La Jolla
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 73 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 28 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 Abbott Laboratories paid sponsored hires in similar roles2 certified filings for “SENIOR SCIENTIST II, R&D” (Molecular and Cellular Biologists) in IL: $96k–$111k, median $104k. Most were filed at wage level II (50%) — 2 lottery entries, ≈31% 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 — Abbott Laboratories
The US Department of Labor certified 73 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 28 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 Abbott Laboratories →
About the role
Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 122,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries. JOB DESCRIPTION: Working at Abbott At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and your family, be your true self, and live a full life. You’ll also have access to: • Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of. • Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year. • An excellent retirement savings plan with a high employer contribution. • Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program, and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree. • A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries worldwide and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune. • A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as the best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists. Position Overview The Staff Research Scientist is a Design Control lead responsible for leading, managing, executing, and completing projects associated with developing new regulated molecular diagnostic products and lifecycle management of existing products, serving as the primary leader for Design History File (DHF) management, requirements traceability, design reviews, risk management documentation, and phase-gate governance throughout the product development lifecycle. This position holds product development, quality, and regulatory skills to lead multifunctional teams through all phases of product development—from feasibility, development, and verification to validation—providing cross-functional leadership to technical and non-technical product development teams by defining product development goals and deliverables, including creation, management, and traceability of design inputs and outputs, oversight of design review activities, and management of the overall Product Development Plan and design history files. The individual will partner closely with R&D, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Clinical Affairs, Manufacturing, Program Management, and Product Management to ensure products are developed in compliance with FDA Design Control requirements, ISO 13485, ISO 14971, and applicable global regulatory standards, exercising judgment and making informed decisions using broadly defined practices and procedures to determine appropriate action or select methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for obtaining solutions, while supporting a collaborative environment aligned with Abbott Cancer Diagnostics' mission. Essential Duties Include, but are not limited to, the following: • Lead overarching product development activities within the FDA Design Control framework, ensuring design inputs, design outputs, verification, and validation activities are appropriately defined, executed, and traceable throughout the development lifecycle for a class III medical device. • Own the creation and versioning of the Design and Development Plan. • Own creation, management, and traceability of Design History File (DHF) documentation, including design reviews, design freeze activities, risk management files, and other records required to demonstrate compliance with QSR, ISO 13485, and applicable global regulatory requirements. • Apply hands-on experience with PMA and/or IVD molecular diagnostics test development, including as