STEM OPT Clinical Research Scientist Jobs
Clinical Research Scientist roles in biotech, pharma, and academic medical centers are strong fits for STEM OPT. Your STEM degree in biological sciences, chemistry, or a related field qualifies you for the 24-month extension, and employers in this space routinely use E-Verify, making the authorization process straightforward.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
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.
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.
See all 342+ Clinical Research Scientist jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Clinical Research Scientist roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization as a Clinical Research Scientist
Verify your CIP code before applying
Check that your degree's Classification of Instructional Programs code falls within a STEM-designated field recognized by ICE. Life sciences, biochemistry, and biomedical engineering codes are typically covered, but applied health programs sometimes are not. Confirm with your DSO before your OPT end date.
Confirm E-Verify enrollment during outreach
Ask your recruiter directly whether the hiring entity, not just the parent company, is enrolled in E-Verify. Contract research organizations often use separate legal entities for different sites, and E-Verify enrollment must match the specific employer of record listed on your I-983.
Build an I-983 training plan around protocol milestones
Clinical Research Scientist roles map cleanly to STEM OPT training goals when you tie your I-983 learning objectives to specific trial phases, GCP compliance tasks, and data integrity responsibilities. Generic training plans draw more scrutiny from your DSO and USCIS during any review.
Target sponsors through DOL LCA disclosure data
Use Migrate Mate to filter employers who have filed Labor Condition Applications for research scientist roles. This surfaces companies with a documented history of supporting STEM OPT and later H-1B transitions, which matters when you're evaluating long-term authorization continuity.
Check prevailing wage tiers before negotiating offers
Run the OFLC Wage Search using SOC code 19-1042 to see Level I through Level IV wage bands for the metro area where the role is located. Offers below the Level I threshold signal an employer unlikely to clear DOL requirements for any future PERM or H-1B filing.
Time your cap-gap window around trial timelines
If your employer files an H-1B petition before your OPT expires, cap-gap protection extends your authorization through September 30 of the fiscal year. Clinical trial roles with fixed protocol schedules benefit from aligning your petition filing with enrollment milestones to avoid gaps mid-study.
Clinical Research Scientist jobs are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Clinical Research Scientist JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Does my STEM degree qualify me for the STEM OPT extension as a Clinical Research Scientist?
It depends on your specific CIP code, not your job title. Degrees in biological sciences, biochemistry, biomedical engineering, and chemistry are commonly STEM-designated and qualify. Degrees in public health, health administration, or clinical programs without a hard science core often do not. Confirm your CIP code with your DSO against the current ICE STEM Designated Degree Program List before assuming you're eligible.
Does every employer hiring Clinical Research Scientists use E-Verify?
Not automatically. Pharmaceutical companies and academic medical centers frequently maintain E-Verify enrollment, but smaller contract research organizations and startups sometimes do not. You must confirm that the specific legal entity employing you, not just a parent company or staffing firm, is enrolled in E-Verify before your STEM OPT extension is approved. Your DSO can't authorize the extension without that confirmation.
What should my I-983 training plan include for a Clinical Research Scientist role?
Your I-983 should connect your degree-level training to concrete on-the-job learning outcomes: protocol design, GCP compliance, adverse event documentation, statistical analysis, or regulatory submission support. Vague objectives like 'gain research experience' are routinely flagged. Map each goal to a skill area from your STEM degree and a specific deliverable in the role. USCIS expects a clear relationship between your coursework and your training activities.
How does cap-gap work if my Clinical Research Scientist employer files an H-1B petition?
If your employer submits a timely H-1B cap-subject petition before your OPT EAD expires, cap-gap automatically extends your work authorization through September 30. If USCIS selects and approves the petition, your H-1B status begins October 1. If the petition is not selected, your authorization ends September 30 and you must stop working. Cap-gap doesn't apply if the petition is filed after your EAD expires.
Where can I find Clinical Research Scientist jobs with E-Verify employers?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically for employers with STEM OPT authorization history, so you're not manually screening hundreds of postings for E-Verify status. Clinical Research Scientist roles in pharma, biotech, and CRO environments appear alongside employer filing records, which helps you prioritize companies already experienced with the STEM OPT process and more likely to support long-term sponsorship.
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