Biotech & Pharma OPT Jobs in Tennessee
Tennessee's biotech and pharma sector offers F-1 OPT holders meaningful entry points, particularly in the Nashville corridor where companies like HCA Healthcare, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Clarksville-area manufacturers maintain active research and manufacturing operations. Memphis also draws pharma talent through its logistics-connected life sciences hub, making the state a practical destination for OPT job seekers.
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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
This role is field-based and candidates should live within a reasonable distance from Chattanooga, TN. Talent will be hired at a level commensurate with experience. The territory will include the following key areas: Chattanooga, TN; Cleveland, TN; Dalton, GA; Canton, GA; Rome, GA
Execute brand strategy and tactics in field, sales performance, effectively manage assigned territory and targeted accounts, build strong customer relationships and customer needs solving capability to maximize short and long term sales performance placing the patient into the center of any efforts and operating within AbbVie’s business code of conduct, policies and all applicable laws and regulations.
Responsibilities:
- Deliver sales performance, brand KPIs, financial targets, marketing objectives, etc. in order to meet or exceed on those objectives.
- Create pre-call plan using SMART objectives and execute post-call evaluation in order to continuously improve sales performance. Effectively handle objections, misunderstandings, concerns and consistently gain logical and reasonable calls to action in order to close on every sales call.
- Proactively and continuously aspire to serve customer needs, customer expectations and challenges in order to build trusted customer relationships and to achieve win-win agreements between AbbVie and customers.
- Develop and execute a call plan that achieves set call metrics and optimizes coverage and frequency to key customers in order to maximize access and sales opportunities.
- Continuously build understanding on customer needs and expectations, territory market landscape, competitors, market segments/dynamics, accounts, disease, product, clinical and sales expertise and share this market intelligence information with in-field team, brand team and sales manager to achieve alignment, to anticipate environmental changes and challenges and to optimize brand strategy and its execution.
- Differentiate AbbVie’s value proposition with health providers assigned and identify, develop and maintain disease state experts and speakers/advocates in order to maximize brand performance.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in health, sciences, pharmacy or business-related field preferred or relevant and equivalent industry experience required
- Relevant and equivalent industry experience required in lieu of a bachelor’s degree is at least five (5) years of experience with three (3) or more years of experience within the pharmaceutical/health/science industry preferred and a high school diploma/GED required
- Proactively identifies customer style / behavior and adapts quickly all aspects of selling approach.
- Proven track record of success in selling and solid presentation skills. Offers innovative ideas and solutions to maximize business opportunities to address challenges. Understands and leverages findings to develop sales strategies.
- Demonstrates in-depth scientific, therapeutic, product, and competitive knowledge and is recognized as an expert resource by all relevant stakeholders. Strong business acumen and proficient use of business tools; possesses strategic and critical thinking capabilities. Operates effectively in a matrix environment. Provides impact with ideas for the larger organization and anticipates and responds to changes.
- Influences others & is viewed as a credible and respected role model and resource among peers. Builds collaborative partnership with district colleagues and matrix team, etc. Leads by example; Consistently displays positive behaviors and peer coaching through changing and challenging environments.
- Documented success in leadership and support role of increased responsibility at the district, region and/or organizational levels.
- Valid driver’s license: Ability to pass a pre-employment drug screening test and meet safe driving requirements.
- Driving a personal auto or company car or truck, or a powered piece of material handling equipment.
- Ability to travel adequately to cover territory, as well as overnight attendance at scheduled training events and sales meetings.
- Preferred: Proven track record of success in sales performance within respective therapeutic areas. Commercial pharmaceutical industry experiences such as physician/account based selling, training, managed health care or marketing preferred. English language proficiency verbally and in writing (for all non-English speaking countries).
- An essential requirement of your position is to satisfy all applicable health care industry representative (HCIR) credentialing requirements to gain and maintain entry into facilities and organizations that are in your assigned territory. You must also be in good standing and/or eligible to obtain these credentials.
- These HCIR credentialing requirements may include, but are not limited to, background checks, drug screens, proof of immunization/vaccination for various diseases, fingerprinting and specific licenses required by individual state or cities. Please remember that you are solely responsible for ensuring that you satisfy all HCIR credentialing requirements and for any associated liability for failing to do so. AbbVie has resources available to you to help answer questions you may have.
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
This role is field-based and candidates should live within a reasonable distance from Chattanooga, TN. Talent will be hired at a level commensurate with experience. The territory will include the following key areas: Chattanooga, TN; Cleveland, TN; Dalton, GA; Canton, GA; Rome, GA
Execute brand strategy and tactics in field, sales performance, effectively manage assigned territory and targeted accounts, build strong customer relationships and customer needs solving capability to maximize short and long term sales performance placing the patient into the center of any efforts and operating within AbbVie’s business code of conduct, policies and all applicable laws and regulations.
Responsibilities:
- Deliver sales performance, brand KPIs, financial targets, marketing objectives, etc. in order to meet or exceed on those objectives.
- Create pre-call plan using SMART objectives and execute post-call evaluation in order to continuously improve sales performance. Effectively handle objections, misunderstandings, concerns and consistently gain logical and reasonable calls to action in order to close on every sales call.
- Proactively and continuously aspire to serve customer needs, customer expectations and challenges in order to build trusted customer relationships and to achieve win-win agreements between AbbVie and customers.
- Develop and execute a call plan that achieves set call metrics and optimizes coverage and frequency to key customers in order to maximize access and sales opportunities.
- Continuously build understanding on customer needs and expectations, territory market landscape, competitors, market segments/dynamics, accounts, disease, product, clinical and sales expertise and share this market intelligence information with in-field team, brand team and sales manager to achieve alignment, to anticipate environmental changes and challenges and to optimize brand strategy and its execution.
- Differentiate AbbVie’s value proposition with health providers assigned and identify, develop and maintain disease state experts and speakers/advocates in order to maximize brand performance.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in health, sciences, pharmacy or business-related field preferred or relevant and equivalent industry experience required
- Relevant and equivalent industry experience required in lieu of a bachelor’s degree is at least five (5) years of experience with three (3) or more years of experience within the pharmaceutical/health/science industry preferred and a high school diploma/GED required
- Proactively identifies customer style / behavior and adapts quickly all aspects of selling approach.
- Proven track record of success in selling and solid presentation skills. Offers innovative ideas and solutions to maximize business opportunities to address challenges. Understands and leverages findings to develop sales strategies.
- Demonstrates in-depth scientific, therapeutic, product, and competitive knowledge and is recognized as an expert resource by all relevant stakeholders. Strong business acumen and proficient use of business tools; possesses strategic and critical thinking capabilities. Operates effectively in a matrix environment. Provides impact with ideas for the larger organization and anticipates and responds to changes.
- Influences others & is viewed as a credible and respected role model and resource among peers. Builds collaborative partnership with district colleagues and matrix team, etc. Leads by example; Consistently displays positive behaviors and peer coaching through changing and challenging environments.
- Documented success in leadership and support role of increased responsibility at the district, region and/or organizational levels.
- Valid driver’s license: Ability to pass a pre-employment drug screening test and meet safe driving requirements.
- Driving a personal auto or company car or truck, or a powered piece of material handling equipment.
- Ability to travel adequately to cover territory, as well as overnight attendance at scheduled training events and sales meetings.
- Preferred: Proven track record of success in sales performance within respective therapeutic areas. Commercial pharmaceutical industry experiences such as physician/account based selling, training, managed health care or marketing preferred. English language proficiency verbally and in writing (for all non-English speaking countries).
- An essential requirement of your position is to satisfy all applicable health care industry representative (HCIR) credentialing requirements to gain and maintain entry into facilities and organizations that are in your assigned territory. You must also be in good standing and/or eligible to obtain these credentials.
- These HCIR credentialing requirements may include, but are not limited to, background checks, drug screens, proof of immunization/vaccination for various diseases, fingerprinting and specific licenses required by individual state or cities. Please remember that you are solely responsible for ensuring that you satisfy all HCIR credentialing requirements and for any associated liability for failing to do so. AbbVie has resources available to you to help answer questions you may have.
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
OPT Biotech & Pharma Job Roles in Tennessee
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Search Biotech & Pharma Jobs in TennesseeBiotech & Pharma OPT Sponsorship Jobs in Tennessee: Frequently Asked Questions
Which biotech and pharma companies sponsor F-1 OPT visas in Tennessee?
Tennessee employers with documented histories of OPT sponsorship in life sciences include Vanderbilt University Medical Center, HCA Healthcare, and contract research organizations operating in the Nashville area. Memphis hosts pharma distribution and research firms tied to its logistics infrastructure. Several specialty pharma and biotech startups in the Research Triangle corridor between Nashville and Knoxville have also hired OPT candidates in recent years, particularly for lab and data roles.
Which cities in Tennessee have the most biotech and pharma F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs?
Nashville leads the state for biotech and pharma OPT opportunities, anchored by its large healthcare and research ecosystem. Memphis follows with a concentration of pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution employers. Knoxville benefits from proximity to Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee's life sciences programs, which attract biotech employers. Smaller clusters exist in Clarksville and the I-40 corridor connecting these metros.
What types of biotech and pharma roles typically qualify for F-1 OPT sponsorship in Tennessee?
Roles most commonly sponsored under F-1 OPT in Tennessee's biotech and pharma sector include research associate positions, quality control analysts, regulatory affairs coordinators, bioprocess technicians, and clinical data analysts. These positions generally require a direct connection between the job duties and the graduate's STEM degree field, which is a core OPT eligibility requirement. Manufacturing-side roles in process development and formulation science are also frequently listed with OPT authorization.
How do I find biotech and pharma F-1 OPT sponsorship jobs in Tennessee?
Migrate Mate is specifically built for international students and visa holders searching for sponsorship-verified roles. You can filter by visa type, industry, and state to surface biotech and pharma positions in Tennessee that explicitly support F-1 OPT candidates. This saves significant time compared to manually screening job listings that rarely disclose sponsorship status upfront. Migrate Mate's Tennessee biotech listings reflect current openings from employers with active OPT hiring patterns.
Are there state-specific considerations for F-1 OPT sponsorship in Tennessee's biotech and pharma industry?
Tennessee does not impose state-level visa sponsorship requirements beyond federal OPT rules, but a few industry-specific factors are worth knowing. Pharma manufacturing roles in Tennessee often require security clearances or background checks that can affect hiring timelines for international candidates. Additionally, some research positions affiliated with Oak Ridge or government-funded labs may have citizenship or permanent residency requirements that effectively exclude OPT holders from certain projects, so verifying eligibility before applying is advisable.