STEM OPT Associate Scientist Jobs
Associate Scientist roles in biotech, pharma, and research labs are a strong fit for STEM OPT students with degrees in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, or related fields. Your 24-month STEM OPT extension applies here, giving you up to 36 months total, provided your employer is enrolled in E-Verify.
Find STEM OPT Associate Scientist JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 124+ Associate Scientist jobs
See all 124+ Associate Scientist Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Associate Scientist roles.
Get Access To All JobsCompany Description
About AbbVie
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 including immunology, oncology and neuroscience - and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.
Job Description
We are seeking a highly motivated in vivo Scientist who will make contributions to the design, execution, and communication of novel multi-disciplinary research in a highly collaborative Migraine and Pain drug discovery program. Primary responsibilities of the successful candidate will be to conduct basic science studies for the pharmacological evaluation of novel compounds and biologics, as well as to assist in the development of approaches for target engagement and translational biomarkers. He/She will also contribute to the development of new animal models of human disease and will generate high-quality data reports to support the identification and development of novel therapeutics.
Key Responsibilities Include:
- Contribute to the in vivo (rat behavior) evaluation of novel therapeutics to treat migraine and other pain related disorders.
- Contribute to the development of translatable models.
- Effectively organize schedule to facilitate acute and longitudinal studies.
- Formulate and administer novel therapeutics to rats and mice.
- Generate detailed and accurate reports of study outcomes.
- Adaptable, creative, and think quantitatively.
- Opportunities to learn additional investigational techniques will be available.
- The successful candidate will be responsible for being an active contributor to Pain related programs in an exciting, fast-paced team environment.
Qualifications
- Associate I: Bachelor’s Degree (no additional experience).
- Associate II: Bachelor’s Degree, or equivalent education, with typically 3 or more years’ experience or Master’s Degree or equivalent education (no additional experience).
- Minimum requirement is a Bachelor’s degree or similar in Neuroscience, Biology or other relevant natural sciences.
Key Competencies:
- Builds strong relationships with peers to enable higher performance.
- Learns fast, grasps the "essence" and can change course quickly where indicated.
- Raises the bar and is never satisfied with the status quo.
- Open to suggestions and experimentation for improvement.
- Embraces the ideas of others, nurtures innovation and manages innovation to reality.
- Ability to independently generate precise, reliable and reproducible in vivo data in a timely manner. Be able to interpret and effectively communicate results of these studies.
- Hands-on experience in the laboratory working with rodents (e.g., rats) is essential. Including administration of compounds.
- A track record in conducting studies with behaving animals is also essential.
- Additional experience with cellular assays (e.g., qPCR, calcium flux) would be an asset.
- The individual must be able to read and adapt scientific literature to advance models and programs and to form innovative approaches.
- Ability to contribute independently, but also integrate well into a team to work across multiple scientific disciplines and functions.
- Desire to take on additional responsibilities to progress career.
- Ability to work in a highly collaborative scientific environment with strong communication skills.
- Experience in drug discovery would be desirable.
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
Company Description
About AbbVie
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 including immunology, oncology and neuroscience - and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.
Job Description
We are seeking a highly motivated in vivo Scientist who will make contributions to the design, execution, and communication of novel multi-disciplinary research in a highly collaborative Migraine and Pain drug discovery program. Primary responsibilities of the successful candidate will be to conduct basic science studies for the pharmacological evaluation of novel compounds and biologics, as well as to assist in the development of approaches for target engagement and translational biomarkers. He/She will also contribute to the development of new animal models of human disease and will generate high-quality data reports to support the identification and development of novel therapeutics.
Key Responsibilities Include:
- Contribute to the in vivo (rat behavior) evaluation of novel therapeutics to treat migraine and other pain related disorders.
- Contribute to the development of translatable models.
- Effectively organize schedule to facilitate acute and longitudinal studies.
- Formulate and administer novel therapeutics to rats and mice.
- Generate detailed and accurate reports of study outcomes.
- Adaptable, creative, and think quantitatively.
- Opportunities to learn additional investigational techniques will be available.
- The successful candidate will be responsible for being an active contributor to Pain related programs in an exciting, fast-paced team environment.
Qualifications
- Associate I: Bachelor’s Degree (no additional experience).
- Associate II: Bachelor’s Degree, or equivalent education, with typically 3 or more years’ experience or Master’s Degree or equivalent education (no additional experience).
- Minimum requirement is a Bachelor’s degree or similar in Neuroscience, Biology or other relevant natural sciences.
Key Competencies:
- Builds strong relationships with peers to enable higher performance.
- Learns fast, grasps the "essence" and can change course quickly where indicated.
- Raises the bar and is never satisfied with the status quo.
- Open to suggestions and experimentation for improvement.
- Embraces the ideas of others, nurtures innovation and manages innovation to reality.
- Ability to independently generate precise, reliable and reproducible in vivo data in a timely manner. Be able to interpret and effectively communicate results of these studies.
- Hands-on experience in the laboratory working with rodents (e.g., rats) is essential. Including administration of compounds.
- A track record in conducting studies with behaving animals is also essential.
- Additional experience with cellular assays (e.g., qPCR, calcium flux) would be an asset.
- The individual must be able to read and adapt scientific literature to advance models and programs and to form innovative approaches.
- Ability to contribute independently, but also integrate well into a team to work across multiple scientific disciplines and functions.
- Desire to take on additional responsibilities to progress career.
- Ability to work in a highly collaborative scientific environment with strong communication skills.
- Experience in drug discovery would be desirable.
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 124+ STEM OPT Associate Scientist Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new STEM OPT Associate Scientist Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization as an Associate Scientist
Verify your CIP code matches the role
Check that your degree's CIP code appears on the STEM Designated Degree Program List before applying. Associate Scientist postings in life sciences typically require biology, chemistry, or biochemistry credentials, and a mismatched CIP code can invalidate your extension.
Confirm E-Verify enrollment before accepting offers
Search the E-Verify employer database to confirm enrollment before you sign anything. Biotech startups and contract research organizations sometimes lack enrollment, which disqualifies them as STEM OPT sponsors regardless of how well the role fits your degree.
Benchmark your offer against prevailing wage data
Run the job title and work location through the OFLC Wage Search before negotiating. Associate Scientist wages vary significantly by region and lab type, and knowing the DOL wage level helps you evaluate whether an offer meets the threshold required for your I-983 training plan.
Build an I-983 training plan tied to lab competencies
Work with your DSO to draft an I-983 that maps specific lab skills like assay development, data analysis, or cell culture to your STEM degree objectives. Generic training plans raise DSO flags and delay your extension approval, so be concrete about technical tasks from day one.
Target employers with established research pipelines
Use Migrate Mate to filter Associate Scientist openings by employers who regularly hire STEM OPT students and are already enrolled in E-Verify. This cuts out the back-and-forth of confirming eligibility and gets you to the interview stage faster.
File your STEM OPT extension 90 days before OPT ends
Submit your I-765 to USCIS no later than 90 days before your current OPT expires. If USCIS hasn't adjudicated by your end date, your cap-gap protection only applies if you have an H-1B visa petition pending, so timing the filing correctly protects your ability to keep working.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an Associate Scientist role qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
Yes, if your degree is in a qualifying STEM field such as biology, chemistry, biochemistry, or a related discipline with a CIP code on the STEM Designated Degree Program List. The role itself must also provide practical training directly related to your degree. Check your I-20 and confirm the CIP code with your DSO before applying.
Does my employer need to be enrolled in E-Verify to hire me on STEM OPT?
Yes. E-Verify enrollment is a hard requirement for STEM OPT employers, not an optional step. You and your employer must both sign the I-983 training plan, and USCIS requires the employer to be actively enrolled in E-Verify at the time you start work. Verify enrollment through the E-Verify employer search before accepting an offer.
What goes into the I-983 training plan for an Associate Scientist position?
The I-983 must describe specific learning objectives tied to your STEM degree, identify the lab skills or research competencies you'll develop, name your on-site supervisor, and outline how the employer will evaluate your progress. For Associate Scientist roles, that typically means detailing techniques like assay development, data interpretation, or experimental design rather than listing general job duties.
How does cap-gap protection work if my STEM OPT expires while my H-1B is pending?
If your employer files an H-1B petition on your behalf before your STEM OPT end date, cap-gap rules allow you to continue working until October 1 of that fiscal year, even if your EAD has expired. USCIS must receive the petition before your authorized period ends, so your employer's filing timeline matters significantly.
Where can I find Associate Scientist jobs where employers are already set up for STEM OPT?
Migrate Mate filters Associate Scientist listings by E-Verify enrollment status, so you're only seeing employers who already meet the baseline STEM OPT requirement. That removes the most common early-stage friction, which is finding out after an interview that a company isn't enrolled, and lets you focus on evaluating the role and training plan fit instead.