Biotech & Pharma Jobs in California with H-1B1 Sponsorship
California is the top state for biotech and pharma H-1B1 sponsorship, with major employers like Genentech, Gilead Sciences, Amgen, and Pfizer concentrated in the San Francisco Bay Area and San Diego. Chilean and Singaporean nationals on the H-1B1 can find strong demand for scientists, engineers, and clinical researchers across the state's dense life sciences corridor.
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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
At AbbVie, we believe the power of partnership accelerates innovation and delivers transformative medicines to patients faster. As Director, Global Alliances AI, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and managing AbbVie’s most strategic external collaborations, with a focus on AI-enabled partnerships that advance our R&D pipeline.
You will lead alliance management for complex, high-value partnerships, serving as the post-transaction bridge between AbbVie and its partners. In this role, you will foster transparency, strategic alignment, and a shared vision for success—anticipating challenges, resolving issues, and enabling collaboration that drives scientific and business impact.
You will drive strategic business reviews at key contractual decision points, delivering clear, data-driven recommendations to senior leadership. When needed, you will negotiate amendments or optimize existing alliances to ensure long-term value creation. You will also support business development and due diligence activities, providing alliance and executional insight that strengthens AbbVie’s global portfolio.
This is a high-visibility, high-impact role for a strategic, proactive leader who thrives at the intersection of science, technology, and collaboration.
Major Responsibilities
- Champion AbbVie’s AI Strategic Alliances: Build and maintain trusted, productive relationships across AbbVie and with external AI partners, fostering joint problem-solving, alignment, and shared accountability.
- Lead Strategic Reviews and Governance: Manage alliance governance forums (e.g., Joint Steering Committees), assess performance against objectives, and provide recommendations at key contractual and strategic inflection points. Proactively surface risks and drive resolution in partnership with cross-functional stakeholders.
- Engage and Influence Senior Leadership: Partner with senior leaders across Global Alliances, AI Strategy, R&D, and Corporate Strategy to shape partnership direction, inform enterprise decisions, and resolve complex issues with agility.
- Serve as a Strategic Advisor: Provide forward-looking perspectives on alliance health, opportunities, and risk mitigation, helping leadership maximize value across AbbVie’s partnership portfolio.
- Support Business Development and Due Diligence: Collaborate with AI Strategy, Search & Evaluation, and Business Development teams to support diligence, integration planning, and early alliance design. Contribute to AbbVie partnership forums and external engagement activities.
- Optimize and Evolve Partnerships: Identify opportunities to refine alliance terms, negotiate amendments, and improve operating models. Implement best-practice processes, tools, and communication frameworks to support consistency and operational excellence.
- Promote a Strong Partnering Culture: Advance best-in-class alliance practices, mentor colleagues, and represent AbbVie externally as a trusted and thoughtful partner in the biopharma and technology ecosystem.
Qualifications
- Experience: 5–10 years of experience in alliance management, external innovation, corporate ventures, or pharmaceutical development, with demonstrated exposure to AI-enabled technologies and partnerships. Strong understanding of drug R&D processes across development stages. Familiarity with contractual governance preferred.
- Education: Advanced degree or equivalent experience in a relevant scientific, computational, or legal discipline (e.g., computer science, data science, computational biology, PharmD, PhD, MD, JD).
- AI & Technical Fluency: Ability to engage credibly with AI/ML partners and internal experts, translate technical concepts into business context, and manage complex, technology-driven collaborations.
- Strategic & Business Acumen: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to connect enterprise strategy to execution and communicate clearly with senior stakeholders.
- Leadership and Influence: Exceptional communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills; proven ability to influence in a matrixed, global environment.
- This is a hybrid opportunity requiring at minimum three (3) days onsite, Tuesday through Thursday, in our North Chicago, IL or San Francisco, CA offices.
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 long-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
At AbbVie, we believe the power of partnership accelerates innovation and delivers transformative medicines to patients faster. As Director, Global Alliances AI, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and managing AbbVie’s most strategic external collaborations, with a focus on AI-enabled partnerships that advance our R&D pipeline.
You will lead alliance management for complex, high-value partnerships, serving as the post-transaction bridge between AbbVie and its partners. In this role, you will foster transparency, strategic alignment, and a shared vision for success—anticipating challenges, resolving issues, and enabling collaboration that drives scientific and business impact.
You will drive strategic business reviews at key contractual decision points, delivering clear, data-driven recommendations to senior leadership. When needed, you will negotiate amendments or optimize existing alliances to ensure long-term value creation. You will also support business development and due diligence activities, providing alliance and executional insight that strengthens AbbVie’s global portfolio.
This is a high-visibility, high-impact role for a strategic, proactive leader who thrives at the intersection of science, technology, and collaboration.
Major Responsibilities
- Champion AbbVie’s AI Strategic Alliances: Build and maintain trusted, productive relationships across AbbVie and with external AI partners, fostering joint problem-solving, alignment, and shared accountability.
- Lead Strategic Reviews and Governance: Manage alliance governance forums (e.g., Joint Steering Committees), assess performance against objectives, and provide recommendations at key contractual and strategic inflection points. Proactively surface risks and drive resolution in partnership with cross-functional stakeholders.
- Engage and Influence Senior Leadership: Partner with senior leaders across Global Alliances, AI Strategy, R&D, and Corporate Strategy to shape partnership direction, inform enterprise decisions, and resolve complex issues with agility.
- Serve as a Strategic Advisor: Provide forward-looking perspectives on alliance health, opportunities, and risk mitigation, helping leadership maximize value across AbbVie’s partnership portfolio.
- Support Business Development and Due Diligence: Collaborate with AI Strategy, Search & Evaluation, and Business Development teams to support diligence, integration planning, and early alliance design. Contribute to AbbVie partnership forums and external engagement activities.
- Optimize and Evolve Partnerships: Identify opportunities to refine alliance terms, negotiate amendments, and improve operating models. Implement best-practice processes, tools, and communication frameworks to support consistency and operational excellence.
- Promote a Strong Partnering Culture: Advance best-in-class alliance practices, mentor colleagues, and represent AbbVie externally as a trusted and thoughtful partner in the biopharma and technology ecosystem.
Qualifications
- Experience: 5–10 years of experience in alliance management, external innovation, corporate ventures, or pharmaceutical development, with demonstrated exposure to AI-enabled technologies and partnerships. Strong understanding of drug R&D processes across development stages. Familiarity with contractual governance preferred.
- Education: Advanced degree or equivalent experience in a relevant scientific, computational, or legal discipline (e.g., computer science, data science, computational biology, PharmD, PhD, MD, JD).
- AI & Technical Fluency: Ability to engage credibly with AI/ML partners and internal experts, translate technical concepts into business context, and manage complex, technology-driven collaborations.
- Strategic & Business Acumen: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to connect enterprise strategy to execution and communicate clearly with senior stakeholders.
- Leadership and Influence: Exceptional communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills; proven ability to influence in a matrixed, global environment.
- This is a hybrid opportunity requiring at minimum three (3) days onsite, Tuesday through Thursday, in our North Chicago, IL or San Francisco, CA offices.
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 long-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
Job Roles in Biotech & Pharma in California
See all 209+ Biotech & Pharma California jobs
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Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Which biotech and pharma companies sponsor H-1B1 visas in California?
California-based employers with a track record of H-1B1 filings in biotech and pharma include Genentech, Gilead Sciences, Amgen, Pfizer's San Diego and San Francisco operations, AstraZeneca, and Biogen. Larger companies with established immigration infrastructure are generally better positioned to manage H-1B1 sponsorship, though sponsorship is never guaranteed and depends on the specific role, department, and hiring cycle.
Which cities in California have the most biotech and pharma H-1B1 sponsorship jobs?
San Diego and the San Francisco Bay Area account for the largest share of biotech and pharma H-1B1 sponsorship activity in California. San Diego's Torrey Pines and Sorrento Valley corridors host a high density of life sciences firms, while the Bay Area spans South San Francisco, Emeryville, and Foster City. Los Angeles and Sacramento have a smaller but growing presence in the sector.
What types of biotech and pharma roles typically qualify for H-1B1 sponsorship?
Roles that commonly qualify are those requiring at least a bachelor's degree in a specific technical or scientific field. In biotech and pharma, this includes positions such as research scientist, computational biologist, clinical data manager, regulatory affairs specialist, bioprocess engineer, and pharmaceutical chemist. General roles where any bachelor's degree satisfies the requirement regardless of field are less likely to qualify as specialty occupations under H-1B1 criteria.
How do I find biotech and pharma H-1B1 sponsorship jobs in California?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically by visa type and industry, making it straightforward to browse H-1B1-sponsored biotech and pharma roles in California without sifting through postings that don't offer sponsorship. Because H-1B1 is available only to Chilean and Singaporean nationals, the pool of eligible candidates is narrower than H-1B, which can make targeting the right employers and roles especially important.
Are there any California-specific or industry-specific considerations for H-1B1 sponsorship in biotech and pharma?
California's biotech sector moves at a fast pace, and many employers are familiar with sponsoring work visas due to the state's internationally diverse workforce. That said, H-1B1 is a lesser-known category than H-1B, so it's worth confirming early in the hiring process that a potential employer's legal team has experience with it. The H-1B1 does not require a lottery, which removes one major variable, but the employer still needs to file a Labor Condition Application and meet all standard sponsorship requirements.
What is the prevailing wage for H-1B1 biotech & pharma jobs in California?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.
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