Research Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Massachusetts
Research visa sponsorship jobs in Massachusetts are concentrated in Greater Boston, one of the world's densest biomedical and academic research corridors. Major employers include Massachusetts General Hospital, Broad Institute, MIT, Harvard University, and Pfizer's Cambridge operations. Kendall Square alone hosts dozens of life sciences and biotech firms that sponsor researchers annually.
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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
The Biotherapeutics and Genetics Medicine department within Discovery Research is seeking a highly motivated Principal Scientist to join the in vivo antibody discovery team at AbbVie Bioresearch Center (ABC). The ABC site in Worcester, MA, offers a unique setting where Biotherapeutics discovery, development and manufacturing coexist in one location. The team partners with multidisciplinary groups across AbbVie focused on developing therapies for Immunology, Neuroscience, and Oncology. We utilize innovative approaches for antibody discovery including custom immunization strategies, advanced multiplex screening assays, and best-in-class automation platforms to enable successful antibody discovery against challenging targets.
As a member of the in vivo antibody discovery group, you will be responsible for leading innovative immunization-based antibody discovery. You will provide technical and strategic leadership across multiple immune discovery platforms, driving the identification of high-quality therapeutic antibody candidates for challenging targets and advanced antibody modalities. The successful candidate will combine deep expertise in antibody discovery technologies with strong program leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and external partner management.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead antibody discovery programs from hit identification, screening, lead selection, and candidate nomination.
- Design and execute novel antigen engineering strategies and immunization approaches, to maximize immune response quality and diversity.
- Provide technical leadership across multiple antibody discovery platforms, including B cell-based discovery, immune repertoire screens and hybridoma.
- Lead identification of antibody and VHH modalities for diverse therapeutic programs and multispecifics.
- Evaluate and implement emerging antibody discovery technologies, including AI-enabled workflows, machine learning, computational biology, and laboratory automation, to expand platform capabilities and accelerate discovery.
- Direct hybrid discovery campaigns that integrate internal capabilities with external partners while proactively identifying and mitigating scientific/operational risks.
- Mentor scientists and provide technical guidance across antibody discovery programs.
- Contribute to the scientific reputation of the organization through publications, patents, presentations, and external collaborations.
Qualifications
- BS, MS, or PhD in immunology, biochemistry, molecular biology, bioinformatics or a related scientific field with typically 6+ (PhD), 12+ (MS), or 14+ (BS) years of industry experience.
- Deep hands-on expertise in antibody discovery platforms, such as single B cell cloning, immune repertoire screening and hybridoma.
- Extensive experience designing antigens and novel immunization strategies for challenging therapeutic targets.
- Strong expertise in hit identification, screening cascade design, lead triage, and lead selection.
- Experience with VHH discovery platforms using camelids and transgenics.
- Working knowledge of antibody engineering principles, developability assessment, and sequence liability evaluation.
- Adept at identifying and working with novel solutions—such as AI-based antigen design, and laboratory automation.
- Demonstrated ability to critically evaluate and implement new antibody discovery technologies and methodologies.
- Team player with proven flexibility to deal with changing timelines and shifting work priorities.
Desired
- Experience with rabbit antibody discovery workflows.
- Knowledge of bioinformatics pipelines and concepts used to analyze NGS data.
- Familiarity with computational antibody discovery, AI/ML-enabled design, and laboratory automation technologies.
- Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary discovery teams across biology, protein sciences, engineering, computational sciences, and project management.
- Strong organizational and project leadership skills with demonstrated success delivering complex discovery programs.
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 and 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
Research Job Roles in Massachusetts
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Search Research Jobs in MassachusettsResearch Jobs in Massachusetts: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for research roles in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has a deep pool of research-focused sponsors. Large academic medical centers like Mass General Brigham and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute regularly sponsor researchers. On the industry side, Biogen, Moderna, Novartis, and AstraZeneca all have significant Cambridge and Boston presences with established visa sponsorship programs. Universities including MIT, Harvard, and Boston University also sponsor research staff and postdoctoral fellows through institutional petitions.
Which visa types are most common for research roles in Massachusetts?
H-1B visa is the most common visa for industry research positions at biotechs and pharmaceutical companies. Academic and nonprofit research institutions frequently use J-1 visa exchange visitor visas for postdoctoral researchers and research scholars. O-1A visas appear for researchers with exceptional records, such as significant publications or grants. Some university-affiliated roles also qualify under cap-exempt H-1B petitions, which bypass the annual lottery entirely.
Which cities in Massachusetts have the most research sponsorship jobs?
Cambridge leads by a significant margin, anchored by Kendall Square's concentration of biotech and pharmaceutical research campuses. Boston follows closely, driven by its hospital systems and research universities. Worcester hosts the University of Massachusetts Medical School and several life sciences employers. Waltham and Lexington have growing biotech clusters. Smaller markets like Lowell and Springfield see occasional research sponsorship through university and healthcare employers.
How to find research visa sponsorship jobs in Massachusetts?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for international job seekers and filters research roles in Massachusetts by visa sponsorship status, saving you from manually screening hundreds of postings. Because Massachusetts employers often post roles without explicitly stating sponsorship availability, using Migrate Mate's curated listings helps you focus only on verified sponsoring employers across biotech, academia, and healthcare research sectors in the state.
Are there any state-specific considerations for research visa sponsorship in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts research employers, particularly in life sciences, are generally experienced with H-1B and J-1 processes due to the state's long history of academic and industry collaboration. Employers in Cambridge and Boston routinely work with immigration counsel familiar with research occupations. Postdoctoral researchers should note that university and nonprofit hospital sponsors may qualify as cap-exempt H-1B filers, which significantly changes the timing and certainty of the sponsorship process.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored research jobs in Massachusetts?
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.