H-1B Visa Senior Clinical Research Scientist Jobs
Senior Clinical Research Scientist roles qualify as H-1B specialty occupations under the life sciences SOC codes, requiring at least a bachelor's degree in a directly related field. Pharma, biotech, and CRO employers regularly file LCAs for these positions, making them a reliable category for H-1B sponsorship.
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INTRODUCTION
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 115,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.
Working at Abbott
At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and 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 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 around the world 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 a best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists
For years, Abbott’s medical device businesses have offered technologies that are faster, more effective, and less invasive. Whether it’s glucose monitoring system, innovative therapies for treating heart disease, or products that help people with chronic pain or movement disorders, our medical device technologies are designed to help people live their lives better and healthier. Every day, our technologies help more than 10,000 people have healthier hearts, improve quality of life for thousands of people living with chronic pain and movement disorders, and liberate more than 500,000 people with diabetes from routine fingersticks.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Our location in Sylmar, CA currently has an on-site opportunity for a Senior Clinical Research Scientist. This new team member will work in Abbott’s Global Data Science & Analytics team within the Medical Device Division. The Senior Clinical Research Scientist will provide scientific and technical leadership for real-world evidence (RWE) studies supporting post-market regulatory requirements, reimbursement, clinical evidence generations, and pre-market submissions across Abbott’s Electrophysiology portfolio. This individual will lead the design, execution, and dissemination of observational studies using large-scale real-world data sources, including electronic health records (EHR), insurance claims, hospital administrative and billing databases, and device-generated data.
What You’ll Work On
Real-World Evidence Study Leadership
- Lead the design and execution of real-world evidence, health economics, and digital health studies related to Abbott medical devices, using real-world data sources such as electronic health records, insurance claims, and hospital administrative/billing databases.
- Develop and own RWE study protocols and statistical analysis plans (SAPs) aligned with regulatory, clinical, and reimbursement objectives.
- Build and help execute long-term RWE generation strategies across the electrophysiology portfolio, in collaboration with clinical, regulatory, medical affairs, and market access stakeholders.
Data Analysis & Programming
- Perform hands-on programming to execute RWE studies using SQL, R, SAS, Python, or similar languages.
- Manage data preparation, cohort construction, variable derivation, and analysis across diverse data types, including EHR data, insurance claims, hospital billing data, device-generated data, and clinical trial data.
- Partner closely with data analysts and data engineers to validate programming logic, analytical datasets, and study results, ensuring accuracy, reproducibility, and regulatory readiness.
Scientific Communication & Disclosure
- Lead development of study reports, regulatory deliverables, conference abstracts, podium and poster presentations, and peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts.
- Translate complex analytical results into clear, clinically meaningful scientific narratives for internal leadership, regulators, clinicians, and external stakeholders.
Clinical & Therapeutic Area Expertise
- Maintain strong and up-to-date knowledge of the clinical landscape in cardiac electrophysiology, including atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, ventricular arrhythmias, ablation technologies, and evolving standards of care.
- Monitor emerging evidence, clinical guidelines, competitive technologies, and unmet clinical needs to inform RWE study design, endpoint selection, and evidence generation strategy.
- Apply clinical context to interpret real-world data results, assess relevance to intended use populations, and support regulatory and clinical decision-making.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Collaborate effectively with peers across biostatistics, clinical affairs, regulatory affairs, medical affairs, health economics, and R&D teams.
- Represent RWE and observational research perspectives in cross-functional project teams and strategy discussions.
- Engage with external collaborators, including academic researchers, data vendors, and clinical experts, as appropriate.
Required Qualifications
- Associates Degree
- 4 years related experience
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's Degree with 4+ years of related experience OR Bachelor's Degree with 6-8 years of related experience OR an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
- PhD, DrPH, PharmD, MS, or equivalent advanced degree in biostatistics, epidemiology, clinical research, public health, outcomes research, biomedical engineering, or a related field. 2-5+ years’ Experience leading real-world evidence, observational research, or outcomes research studies in the medical device, pharmaceutical, or life sciences industry, with increasing levels of scientific responsibility.
- Experience designing and executing regulatory-grade clinical studies or RWE studies.
- Strong expertise working with large real-world datasets, including electronic health records, administrative claims data, hospital billing/chargemaster data, registries, and/or device-generated data.
- Advanced hands-on experience in statistical programming and data analysis using one or more of the following: SQL, R, SAS, Python (or equivalent), with the ability to independently execute complex cohort-based analyses.
- Deep understanding of epidemiologic study design and analytical methods for observational research, including cohort studies, comparative effectiveness research, signal detection, sensitivity analyses, and bias mitigation strategies.
- Proven ability to develop RWE protocols and statistical analysis plans suitable for regulatory review, including clear articulation of study objectives, endpoints, data sources, and analytical approaches.
- Familiarity with regulatory and methodological guidance relevant to real-world evidence, including FDA expectations for data relevance, reliability, and transparency.
- Prior experience leading the development of study reports, regulatory submissions, peer-reviewed manuscripts, conference abstracts, and scientific presentations.
- Background or strong working knowledge of the cardiac electrophysiology therapeutic area, including atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, ventricular arrhythmias, catheter ablation technologies, and evolving standards of care, with the ability to interpret results in a clinically meaningful context.
- Demonstrated ability to stay current with the clinical and competitive landscape in electrophysiology, including emerging technologies, clinical guidelines, and real-world evidence trends.
- Experience collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams (e.g., clinical affairs, regulatory affairs, medical affairs, health economics, data science, biostatistics) and influencing without formal authority.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously, prioritize effectively, and deliver high-quality scientific work under tight timelines, with strong attention to detail and commitment to analytical rigor.
- Strong scientific communication skills, with the ability to translate complex analyses into clear, actionable insights for diverse audiences, including clinicians, regulators, and internal leadership.
- Experience working with external collaborators such as academic investigators, data vendors, or health system partners is preferred.
Apply Now
Learn more about our health and wellness benefits, which provide the security to help you and your family live full lives: www.abbottbenefits.com
Follow your career aspirations to Abbott for diverse opportunities with a company that can help you build your future and live your best life.
Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to employee diversity.
The base pay for this position is $90,000.00 – $180,000.00. In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship as a Senior Clinical Research Scientist
Align your credentials to specialty occupation
Your degree field must directly relate to clinical research science, not just life sciences broadly. A biochemistry or pharmacology degree supporting a clinical trials role reads cleaner to USCIS than a general biology degree for the same position.
Verify prevailing wage before salary negotiations
Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the Level II or III prevailing wage for your SOC code and target metro area. Your offered salary must meet or exceed this figure for the LCA to be certified by DOL.
Target employers with active LCA filing history
Search Migrate Mate to identify pharma and biotech companies that have filed LCAs for clinical research scientist roles. Employers with recent filing history are already familiar with the process and less likely to pull an offer over sponsorship complexity.
Clarify CRO versus sponsor employer structure early
Contract research organizations bill clients for your time, which can complicate the H-1B employer-employee relationship USCIS scrutinizes. Confirm whether the CRO or the pharma sponsor is the H-1B petitioner before accepting an offer.
Request premium processing for protocol-driven timelines
Clinical trial start dates are rarely flexible. If your role ties to a protocol launch or IND filing, ask your employer to file Form I-907 for premium processing so USCIS adjudicates within 15 business days instead of several months.
Document protocol authorship and regulatory submissions
Gather copies of protocols you authored, IND or NDA submissions you contributed to, and any IRB correspondence listing you as a named researcher. These materials strengthen the specialty occupation argument in your I-129 petition.
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Find Senior Clinical Research Scientist JobsSenior Clinical Research Scientist H-1B Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Senior Clinical Research Scientist role qualify as an H-1B specialty occupation?
Yes. Senior Clinical Research Scientist positions require a bachelor's degree or higher in a directly related field such as pharmacology, biochemistry, or clinical sciences, which meets the USCIS specialty occupation standard. The role's requirement for specialized scientific judgment in protocol design and data interpretation reinforces that qualification. You can verify the occupational requirements through O*NET to support your petition.
Which types of employers sponsor H-1B visas for clinical research scientists?
Pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, medical device manufacturers, and contract research organizations are the most active H-1B sponsors for this role. Academic medical centers with industry-funded trial units also file regularly. You can browse companies with verified LCA filing history for clinical research positions on Migrate Mate, which filters employers by role type and sponsorship activity.
How does the H-1B cap lottery affect clinical research scientist roles at CROs?
Most CROs are subject to the annual H-1B cap and lottery. If you aren't selected, some CROs can place you with a cap-exempt institution such as a nonprofit research hospital or university, which can file outside the lottery. Confirm whether your CRO has existing relationships with cap-exempt affiliates before registration opens each March.
Can I switch employers during an active clinical trial without losing H-1B status?
Yes, under H-1B portability rules you can start working for a new employer once they file a non-frivolous H-1B transfer petition, without waiting for USCIS approval. Your original status remains valid during adjudication. However, if your role is tied to a specific IND or protocol as the named investigator, the transition may create regulatory continuity issues beyond the immigration question.
What happens to my H-1B status if my clinical trial is terminated early?
If your employer ends your position before your H-1B period expires, you enter a 60-day grace period during which you can find a new sponsoring employer. A new employer must file an H-1B transfer petition before that window closes. If your trial termination is foreseeable, start identifying prospective employers through Migrate Mate early so you don't lose time during the grace period.
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