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Principal Peptide Process Engineer, Research Scientist II

AbbVie · North Chicago, IL · Full time · Research

Posted Jul 17, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a technical transfer you led to a manufacturing site. What went wrong, and how did you fix it?

What they are checking: Whether they have handled the gap between lab results and plant reality in practice.

Describe a time you mentored or supervised scientists. How did you help someone grow?

What they are checking: Whether they can lead and develop scientists, which the role expects alongside technical work.

Tell me about a novel process strategy you conceived and drove to adoption.

What they are checking: Whether they can independently create and advance new approaches, as the posting asks of a principal.

What would you do

A commercial batch fails a purity spec and the site needs an answer fast. How do you approach the investigation?

What they are checking: Whether they can troubleshoot commercial manufacturing issues with a structured, data-driven approach.

Quality and regulatory want more process characterization before filing, and the project team wants to hold the timeline. How do you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they can work across functions to find a defensible plan that satisfies quality and keeps momentum.

About the work

Walk me through the main scale-up challenges in solid-phase peptide synthesis, and how you would address them going from lab to manufacturing.

What they are checking: Whether they have real peptide process experience, including resin swelling, mixing, washing and solvent volumes.

How would you reduce solvent use and process mass intensity in a peptide manufacturing process?

What they are checking: Whether they understand the sustainability and cost pressures specific to peptide processes.

How would you assess process safety for a peptide coupling or cleavage step before running it at scale?

What they are checking: Whether they think rigorously about hazards like exotherms and reagent stability before scaling up.

How do you decide between solid-phase, liquid-phase or hybrid approaches for a peptide API?

What they are checking: Whether they can weigh route options on scale, cost, purity and supply rather than habit.

How do you use modeling or data, such as kinetics or mass transfer, to make process decisions in peptide work?

What they are checking: Whether they bring engineering fundamentals to peptide chemistry instead of relying only on trial and error.

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The full job description

As published by AbbVie.

Purpose: Process Engineers in Product Development Science & Technology support API projects through all the phases of late stage development, commercialization, product life cycle. This position will be responsible to ensure processes can be run safely, addressing scale-up issues and developing and implementing robust API process steps from the lab to a manufacturing environment. Once commercialized, the Process Engineer is responsible for continuous improvement activities, technical transfer to manufacturing sites, and resolution of technical manufacturing issues in a commercial setting. Effective cross functional interactions with quality and regulatory functions and on-site manufacturing personnel is key for successful job performance. The Peptide Process Engineer will research and/or conduct project activities with a group of scientists within the individual’s area of expertise by effectively mentoring, guiding, and/or supervising scientific personnel. Independently conceive, execute, and communicate novel multi-disciplinary research or development strategies that achieve project and area goals. This role will oversee the design, implementation, and optimization of peptide synthesis manufacturing processes from development to commercialization. Major Responsibilities: • Develops and achieves discipline strategy in alignment with functional goals and key scientific objectives. • Conceptualizes and implements approaches using combinations of engineering principles. • Utilizes knowledge of engineering, literature, and experience to guide decision for complex situations. • Collaborates with experts within function to integrate scientific objectives into activities associated with development of new/improved products or technology. • Advances scientific expertise within function. Proactively advises and shares knowledge and expert opinions with subordinates, peers, and senior management. Mentors and trains functional colleagues and assesses current and emerging business challenges enabling functional goal achievement. • Ensures quality and effectiveness of key results of major project plans within function through sound design, early risk assessments, and implementation of fallback strategies. • Sources and identifies emerging scientific trends from multiple internal and external sources and assess relevance. Integrates trends into functional short-term objectives. Advances technology and direction within area of discipline. Level of Leadership Activities: • Leads resolution of compliance quality issues and documents drafting. • Presents results of projects both internally and externally. • Reviews and critiques presentations for others. • Establishes project operation criteria and technical standards for excellence. Generates new product ideas. • Prepares and aligns impact goals with department divisional goals. • Actively participates in cross-functional technology transfer teams including team members from development and manufacturing. • Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering or related field with 16 years of related work; Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering or related field with 14 years of related work; PhD in Chemical Engineering or related field with 8 years of related work experience. • Proven ability to innovate with a history of new or improved product releases. • Interacts well with diverse groups within function and maintains strong working relationships with internal and external collaborators. • Possess thorough theoretical and practical understanding of own scientific discipline. • Conceives, designs, conducts research and development for major process to be commercialized. • Leads the development of processes and programs to optimize or achieve the plant efficiency, product quality, cost control, customer specification or product design changes. • Leads the technical investigative troubleshooting of product failures and recommends remediation direction. • Primary author of publications, presentations, regulatory documents, and/or primary inventor of patents. • Experience and/or education with API and/or natural product processes in pharmaceuticals. • Peptide development and/or manufacturing experience. • Interacts and leads cross functional teams and shares information. Has demonstrated technical leadership in a multi-disciplinary environment. • Strong verbal, written and presentation skills. 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 thisposting 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 anduntil 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

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