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Senior Scientist I/II, Process Engineering

AbbVie · North Chicago, IL · Full time · Research

Posted Aug 18, 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 document you wrote that someone else had to act on. What did you include that they needed?

What they are checking: Whether they write technical documents that others can act on, including the details manufacturing needs to succeed.

How do you present a recommendation to a multidisciplinary team who will each hear it differently?

What they are checking: Whether they can explain a recommendation so each discipline understands it, which decides whether the team acts on it.

This is posted as Senior Scientist I or II in North Chicago within Small Molecule chemistry, manufacturing and controls development, supporting both small and large molecule assets. Which level do you see yourself at, and what do you want to know about the project mix?

What they are checking: Self-placement across the two posted levels and the real portfolio.

What would you do

A separation works at bench scale and fails in the pilot plant. How do you work out why?

What they are checking: Whether they reason through scale-up failures with mixing, heat transfer and thermodynamics, rather than trial and error.

You are asked to solve an isolation problem on a project outside your usual area. How do you get up to speed?

What they are checking: Whether they can learn new areas quickly and systematically, since this role spans many different project types.

About the work

This sits in a crystalline drug substance and product center of excellence. Walk me through developing a crystallization that will scale.

What they are checking: Crystallization development, which is the specific expertise this center exists for.

How do you use process modeling alongside laboratory experiments rather than instead of them?

What they are checking: Whether they use models to guide experiments and experiments to test models, rather than relying on either one alone.

Early in development you are checking a process can be run safely. What would make you stop and redesign?

What they are checking: Process safety judgment, which this posting places early in development.

How do you decide a process is robust enough to hand to manufacturing?

What they are checking: Whether they have clear criteria for robustness, because handing over a fragile process causes failures in manufacturing.

What thermodynamic or transport concept do you rely on most in this work, and where does the simple model break down?

What they are checking: Depth in the fundamentals this posting names, including their limits.

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The full job description

As published by AbbVie.

Process Engineering, a part of AbbVie R&D’s Small Molecule CMC Development organization, is responsible for designing and developing scalable processes to make small molecule drug substances and drug products, including antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), throughout pre-clinical and clinical development stages. Process Engineering also partners with Biologics CMC Development and Aesthetics R&D functions to provide active engineering support to enable robust process scale-up and manufacturing of biologics drug substances and drug products, including toxins and cosmetic active ingredients (CAIs). We contribute to the development of innovative engineering technologies and create valuable intellectual property through the composition of matter, chemical processes, and technologies resulting in cost-effective commercial manufacturing processes. We support the development of the supply chain for pipeline molecules and help prepare and defend CMC regulatory content. Chemical/Bio Engineers support pipeline projects through all phases of development. Early in development, engineers focus on ensuring that the process can be run safely, identifying and addressing scale-up issues, enabling processes that can be scaled-up successfully. In the later stages of development, engineers optimize the drug substance and drug product processes and lead manufacturing campaigns. Engineers also work cross-functionally to transfer the optimized process to manufacturing sites, develop control strategy, and prepare reports to support regulatory filings. Role Overview The successful candidate will play a key role in the Center of Excellence in Crystalline Drug Substance and Drug Product (CrySP), a part of Process Engineering function. The core deliverable of Process Engineering is to develop robust processes to manufacture small molecule Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API), Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs), toxins, cosmetic active ingredients (CAIs), and drug products utilizing strong engineering fundamentals. The idea candidate will have background in crystallization fundamentals and crystallization process development. Process Engineering also leads the development of isolation and purification strategies for both small and large molecule compounds. The ideal candidate will have a passion for hands-on laboratory process development and a proven track record in research and development. The candidate is also expected to lead the identification and development of novel approaches and technologies to enhance process development efficiency and commercialization. The candidate must exhibit a collaborative nature in identifying process challenges on a wide range of projects and participate in a cross-functional teams to deliver against specific project needs. Key Responsibilities: • Develop robust scale up and manufacturing processes, supporting small and/or large molecule assets through all phases of development. • Perform laboratory experiments and process modeling to support process understanding and optimization. • Address challenging problems with separations, and/or isolations using expertise in thermodynamics, crystallization fundamentals, transport phenomena, and mathematical modeling. • Author and/or review technical documents summarizing process development efforts. • Exhibit a collaborative nature in identifying process challenges on a wide range of projects and communicate findings and recommendations effectively by multi-disciplinary interactions with organic chemists, analytical chemists, process development engineers, pilot plant engineers, drug product development scientists, program managers, and regulatory affairs specialists. • Author publications and present at scientific conferences. • BS, MS, or PhD in Chemical Engineering or a related field and 10+ (BS), 8+ (MS), or 0+ (PhD) years of relevant industrial experience. • Job level will be commensurate with academic and/or industrial work experience. • Candidates are expected to have a strong background in chemical engineering and the proven ability to demonstrate their skills in this field. • The candidate is expected to demonstrate the ability to learn, understand, and master new experimental techniques. • The candidate is required to possess effective oral and written communication skills and be a strong team player. 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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