Biotech & Pharma STEM OPT Jobs in California
California leads the U.S. in biotech and pharma employment, with major F-1 STEM OPT sponsoring employers concentrated in the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego's Torrey Pines corridor, and Los Angeles. Companies like Genentech, Gilead Sciences, and Amgen have established track records of hiring international talent in research, clinical, and regulatory roles that qualify under STEM OPT's designated degree classifications.
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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
An engineering professional who applies scientific knowledge, engineering knowledge, mathematics, and ingenuity to complete assignments related to a specific technical field or discipline.
Responsibilities
- Responsibilities of this engineering grade level inherently include and expand upon the responsibilities established for lower engineering grade levels.
- Responsible for compliance with applicable policies and procedures.
- Plans and conducts small- to medium-size assigned projects within engineering specialty requiring conventional types of plans, investigations, and/or equipment. Coordinates and monitors activities/projects. Reviews plans and monitors status of implementation for those assigned to project; makes judgments regarding quality of implementation within discipline; employs contingency plans to recover from schedule slippage and financial overruns when appropriate.
- Estimates and coordinates resources needed (materials, budget, time and people) to accomplish assigned individual tasks. Anticipates future directions. Benchmarks internally and externally. Recognizes changes in the environment and present resources as indicators of future problems and opportunities; prepares for such eventualities.
- Independently executes the design of products/processes/equipment/systems/facilities by applying standard engineering theories, concepts, and techniques within the discipline. Independently investigates, conducts tests or experiments.
- Creates/modified designs for intermediate problems. Designs/modifies more complex components/processes; writes detailed design specifications. Predicts patterns/trends. Grasps complexities and sees relationships among data; determines consequences and alternatives; makes recommendations.
- Improves methods/designs/processes. Recognizes and implements good ideas/innovations/costs reductions; consistently generates/adopts original solutions to problems and reduces them to practices.
- Mentors others by sharing technical expertise and providing feedback and guidance. Resolves underlying problems. Identifies full range of customer/client needs and proposes solutions to address them; makes alterations in products or services to better meet (recognized or unrecognized) customer need.
- Directs the efforts of others such as technicians and outside resources. Performs tasks such as writing Requests for Capital Expenditures (RCEs), safety/quality checklists, scope documents, etc. Develops and executes validation protocols.
Qualifications
- A Bachelors Degree in Engineering, science or closely related discipline is desired, or equivalent technical experience plus demonstrated competence, with a desired 2+ years of significant engineering and/or operational experience. Additional post-graduate education may contribute towards the desired years of experience.
- Has demonstrated competency within a discipline.
- Possesses a working technical knowledge and application of concepts, practices, and procedures. Ability to work on problems of moderate scope where analysis of situations or data requires a review of identifiable factors. Demonstrates judgment within defined procedures and practices to determine appropriate action.
- Interacts well with diverse groups within engineering and maintains strong working relationships with internal and external collaborators.
- Listens to and understands others' points of view and articulates tactfully and respectfully one's own perspective orally, in writing, and in presentations.
- Works well with other engineers in a collaborative, fast-paced goal-driven environment.
- Possesses interpersonal skills to negotiate and reconcile differences.
- Has a technical background in health care, medical devices, pharmaceutical, biologics, or similar industries (preferred).
- Cosmetic packaging experience (preferred).
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
An engineering professional who applies scientific knowledge, engineering knowledge, mathematics, and ingenuity to complete assignments related to a specific technical field or discipline.
Responsibilities
- Responsibilities of this engineering grade level inherently include and expand upon the responsibilities established for lower engineering grade levels.
- Responsible for compliance with applicable policies and procedures.
- Plans and conducts small- to medium-size assigned projects within engineering specialty requiring conventional types of plans, investigations, and/or equipment. Coordinates and monitors activities/projects. Reviews plans and monitors status of implementation for those assigned to project; makes judgments regarding quality of implementation within discipline; employs contingency plans to recover from schedule slippage and financial overruns when appropriate.
- Estimates and coordinates resources needed (materials, budget, time and people) to accomplish assigned individual tasks. Anticipates future directions. Benchmarks internally and externally. Recognizes changes in the environment and present resources as indicators of future problems and opportunities; prepares for such eventualities.
- Independently executes the design of products/processes/equipment/systems/facilities by applying standard engineering theories, concepts, and techniques within the discipline. Independently investigates, conducts tests or experiments.
- Creates/modified designs for intermediate problems. Designs/modifies more complex components/processes; writes detailed design specifications. Predicts patterns/trends. Grasps complexities and sees relationships among data; determines consequences and alternatives; makes recommendations.
- Improves methods/designs/processes. Recognizes and implements good ideas/innovations/costs reductions; consistently generates/adopts original solutions to problems and reduces them to practices.
- Mentors others by sharing technical expertise and providing feedback and guidance. Resolves underlying problems. Identifies full range of customer/client needs and proposes solutions to address them; makes alterations in products or services to better meet (recognized or unrecognized) customer need.
- Directs the efforts of others such as technicians and outside resources. Performs tasks such as writing Requests for Capital Expenditures (RCEs), safety/quality checklists, scope documents, etc. Develops and executes validation protocols.
Qualifications
- A Bachelors Degree in Engineering, science or closely related discipline is desired, or equivalent technical experience plus demonstrated competence, with a desired 2+ years of significant engineering and/or operational experience. Additional post-graduate education may contribute towards the desired years of experience.
- Has demonstrated competency within a discipline.
- Possesses a working technical knowledge and application of concepts, practices, and procedures. Ability to work on problems of moderate scope where analysis of situations or data requires a review of identifiable factors. Demonstrates judgment within defined procedures and practices to determine appropriate action.
- Interacts well with diverse groups within engineering and maintains strong working relationships with internal and external collaborators.
- Listens to and understands others' points of view and articulates tactfully and respectfully one's own perspective orally, in writing, and in presentations.
- Works well with other engineers in a collaborative, fast-paced goal-driven environment.
- Possesses interpersonal skills to negotiate and reconcile differences.
- Has a technical background in health care, medical devices, pharmaceutical, biologics, or similar industries (preferred).
- Cosmetic packaging experience (preferred).
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
STEM OPT Biotech & Pharma Job Roles in California
See all 250+ Biotech & Pharma STEM OPT Jobs in California
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Search Biotech & Pharma Jobs in CaliforniaBiotech & Pharma STEM OPT Sponsorship Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
Which biotech and pharma companies sponsor F-1 STEM OPT visas in California?
California's largest biotech and pharma employers with documented F-1 STEM OPT hiring include Genentech, Gilead Sciences, Amgen, Biogen, AbbVie, and Illumina, among many others. Mid-size and clinical-stage companies also participate, particularly in the Bay Area and San Diego. Sponsorship patterns vary by role and business unit, so verifying a specific employer's filing history before applying is worth the time.
Which cities in California have the most biotech and pharma F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs?
San Francisco and the broader Bay Area, including South San Francisco and Foster City, host the highest concentration of biotech employers in the state. San Diego's Torrey Pines and Sorrento Valley districts form the second-largest cluster, with strong representation in drug discovery and genomics. Los Angeles has a smaller but growing presence, particularly in cell therapy and diagnostics companies.
What types of biotech and pharma roles typically qualify for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship?
Roles that qualify for STEM OPT must be directly related to a STEM-designated degree field. In biotech and pharma, this commonly includes research scientist, bioinformatics analyst, clinical data scientist, process development engineer, regulatory affairs associate, and computational biologist positions. The employer must also be enrolled in E-Verify. Roles in general operations or sales that don't draw on a STEM degree typically don't qualify, even at sponsoring companies.
How do I find biotech and pharma F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship jobs in California?
Migrate Mate filters biotech and pharma job listings in California specifically for F-1 STEM OPT eligibility, surfacing employers with verified STEM OPT sponsorship activity so you're not guessing which companies will support your work authorization. You can search by city, company size, and role type, focusing on employers in the Bay Area and San Diego who hire in research, clinical, and regulatory functions.
Are there any California-specific or industry-specific considerations for F-1 STEM OPT sponsorship in biotech?
California's biotech sector operates at a fast pace, and STEM OPT's 24-month authorization window requires early planning for any subsequent H-1B visa transition. California also has strict worker classification laws, so employers must formally document the training relationship under STEM OPT's formal training plan requirement. Some employers in the state have dedicated international hiring programs, while early-stage startups may have less experience with the E-Verify enrollment STEM OPT requires.