Principal Scientist Jobs in Illinois
Principal Scientist jobs in Illinois are open across North Chicago, Chicago, and Glenview and other Illinois metros, with employers like AbbVie, Kraft Heinz, and Nimble Therapeutics hiring at every experience level. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Company Description
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio.
Job Description
Biologics Drug Product Development (Bio DPD), a part of Development Sciences within AbbVie’s R&D, is a global organization that is responsible for drug product formulation and process development, and definition of the product presentation for biologics (proteins, conjugates, peptides, neurotoxins etc.) and genetic medicine (AAV, LNPs, Cell Therapy).
AbbVie is seeking a highly motivated candidate for the position of Senior Scientist II / Principal Scientist I, located in North Chicago, IL. We are seeking an accomplished scientist with a proven track record in biologics drug product formulation and process development, scale-up and tech transfer. This position will be an integral part of the product development and CMC teams and will have strong collaborations with several stakeholders, including discovery research, analytical research and development, bioprocess development, combination products development, product development science and technology, pilot plants and third-party manufacturers.
Key Responsibilities:
- Represent Bio DPD in the cross-functional Product Presentation and Device Strategy Team (PPDST) and the CMC Team.
- Effectively and timely communicate development plans, risks, and mitigation plans to stakeholders and line management.
- Support scale-up and technology transfer activities to internal and external manufacturing sites.
- Lead the design and execution of biologics drug product formulation and process development, characterization and robustness studies.
- Initiate and/or support scientific initiatives to drive innovation, continuously enhance capabilities and platforms, and improve business processes.
Qualifications:
- BS, MS, or PhD in Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or related disciplines with:
- Principal Scientist I: 14+ (Bachelors), 12+ (Masters), or 6+ (PhD) years of relevant industry experience.
- Proven ability to solve critical scientific problems.
- Experience with biologics (proteins, conjugates, peptides and/or neurotoxins), parenteral synthetic molecules and/or genetic medicine (AAV, LNPs, cell therapy) drug product process development.
- Experience with sterile manufacturing unit operations (freeze-thaw, compounding, mixing, filtration and filling, lyophilization), characterization, scale-down models, simulation, scale-up, technology transfer, and batch record authoring.
- Experience leading drug product development as the functional lead within cross-functional teams.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Hand-on experience with authoring regulatory filings for biologics and sterile parenteral products.
- Understanding of relevant cGMP and regulatory guidance for biologics and sterile parenteral products.
- Experience in managing third party manufacturers of sterile parenteral products.
- Experience with quality risk management and control strategies for biologics and sterile parenteral products.
Key Competencies:
- Deep scientific knowledge and significant hands-on experience with drug product process development and tech transfer.
- Effectively communicates to influence without authority, drives technical excellence, and inspires continuous improvement.
- Builds strong relationships with peers and cross-functional partners to enable higher performance.
- Connects ideas from disparate fields, integrates data and information quickly, and takes risks to achieve the highest performance.
- Raises the bar and is never satisfied with the status quo.
- Creates a learning environment, open to suggestions and experimentation for improvement.
- Embraces the ideas of others, nurtures innovation and manages innovation to reality.
Additional Information
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 this posting 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 short-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 and until 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
See All 20 Principal Scientist Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Principal Scientist JobsPrincipal Scientist Jobs by City in Illinois
Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Principal Scientist Job Market in Illinois
A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- AbbVie12

- Kraft Heinz2

- Nimble Therapeutics2

- BMO Agri Transport1

- Capital One1

Top Industries Hiring
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals15
- Food & Beverage2
- Banking & Financial Services1
- Technology & Software1
What Illinois Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in principal scientist jobs across Illinois.
- PhD in a relevant scientific discipline such as biology, chemistry, biochemistry, or a related field
- Eight or more years of hands-on research experience in industry or government settings
- Demonstrated record of first- or senior-author peer-reviewed publications and patent contributions
- Proficiency with domain-specific tools such as molecular modeling software, analytical instrumentation, or statistical programming languages
- Experience leading cross-functional project teams and mentoring junior scientists or postdoctoral researchers
- Familiarity with regulatory submission processes such as IND, NDA, or equivalent documentation standards
Principal Scientist Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
How many principal scientist jobs are there in Illinois?
There are 20+ principal scientist openings in Illinois on Migrate Mate as of June 2026, with the most roles in North Chicago, Chicago, and Glenview. New positions post regularly as employers across Illinois hire.
Which Illinois cities have the most principal scientist jobs?
North Chicago, Chicago, and Glenview have the most principal scientist openings in Illinois right now, with additional roles spread across smaller metros statewide.
Which companies hire principal scientists in Illinois?
Employers hiring principal scientists in Illinois include AbbVie, Kraft Heinz, and Nimble Therapeutics, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of June 2026.
Are there remote principal scientist jobs in Illinois?
Yes. About 0% of principal scientist openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of June 2026. The rest are on-site roles based in Illinois metros.
How do I apply for principal scientist jobs in Illinois?
You can apply to principal scientist jobs in Illinois directly on Migrate Mate. Search the listings above, find roles that match your experience and preferred Illinois location, then apply to each one that fits.
See All 20 Principal Scientist Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Principal Scientist Jobs