Senior Clinical Research Scientist Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Senior Clinical Research Scientists are among the more sponsorship-friendly roles in biotech and pharma, employers routinely file H-1B visa and O-1 petitions for qualified candidates. A master's or doctoral degree in a life sciences field is typically required, and most sponsors are large pharmaceutical companies, CROs, or academic medical centers. For detailed occupation requirements, see the O*NET profile.
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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 291+ Senior Clinical Research Scientist jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Senior Clinical Research Scientist roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as a Senior Clinical Research Scientist
Target large pharma and CROs first
Companies like Pfizer, Eli Lilly, ICON, and Syneos Health have established immigration programs and file H-1B petitions routinely. Smaller biotech startups may be willing but lack the infrastructure, leading to delays and errors in the petition process.
Align your degree field with your research area
USCIS scrutinizes specialty occupation claims closely for research roles. Your degree in pharmacology, biochemistry, or a related life science should directly correspond to your therapeutic area, a mismatch between field and function is a common RFE trigger.
Document your publications and clinical trial contributions
Peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and named contributions to IND submissions or regulatory filings strengthen both your H-1B petition and any future O-1A application. Compile this record before you start applying for sponsored positions.
Understand the H-1B lottery timeline before accepting offers
If you need cap-subject H-1B approval, registration opens in March for an October start. Cap-exempt employers, hospital systems, nonprofits, and universities, can file anytime. Knowing this prevents accepting an offer you cannot start on time.
Ask specifically about GCP experience in your application materials
Employers sponsoring Senior Clinical Research Scientists want evidence of Good Clinical Practice compliance, protocol development, and cross-functional trial management. Making these explicit in your resume signals you can contribute immediately and reduces employer hesitation about sponsorship costs.
Consider the O-1A if you have an exceptional research profile
Senior scientists with patents, significant citations, awards, or regulatory authorship credits may qualify for O-1A status, which has no lottery and no annual cap. This is worth exploring with an immigration attorney before relying solely on the H-1B registration process.
Senior Clinical Research Scientist jobs are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Senior Clinical Research Scientist JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Which visa types do employers most commonly sponsor for Senior Clinical Research Scientists?
The H-1B is the most common pathway. Senior Clinical Research Scientist roles qualify as specialty occupations because they require at minimum a bachelor's degree, and in practice almost always a master's or PhD, in pharmacology, biochemistry, biostatistics, or a closely related field. Employers with cap-exempt status, such as academic medical centers or nonprofit research institutes, can file H-1B petitions year-round. The O-1A is a strong alternative for candidates with a publication record, patents, or significant regulatory contributions.
Does a three-year bachelor's degree qualify for H-1B sponsorship in this role?
It can, but it requires careful documentation. USCIS accepts a three-year bachelor's degree combined with relevant postgraduate education or substantial work experience as equivalent to a U.S. four-year degree for specialty occupation purposes. For Senior Clinical Research Scientist positions, most petitions involve a master's or doctoral degree anyway, which removes the equivalency question entirely. If your highest credential is a three-year degree, work with your employer's immigration counsel to build a strong equivalency argument before filing.
How strong is H-1B approval for clinical research roles?
Approval rates for clinical research and life sciences positions are historically solid, but USCIS issues Requests for Evidence when the job description is broad or the degree field doesn't clearly map to the role. Senior-level titles help, they signal specialized knowledge rather than generalist functions. Petitions from large pharmaceutical companies and established CROs with dedicated immigration teams tend to have fewer RFEs than first-time sponsor employers. Specific documentation of protocol design responsibilities, regulatory filing involvement, and supervisory scope strengthens the specialty occupation argument.
What should I look for in a sponsoring employer beyond the visa offer itself?
Look for employers who use experienced immigration counsel, have filed H-1B petitions before, and are willing to cover petition fees rather than passing costs to you. Ask during the offer stage whether they sponsor for green card as well, many Senior Clinical Research Scientists pursue EB-2 or EB-3 sponsorship after establishing themselves. You can browse companies currently posting sponsored roles for this title on Migrate Mate, which filters specifically for visa-sponsoring employers.
Can I switch employers mid-H-1B as a Senior Clinical Research Scientist?
Yes. H-1B portability allows you to start working for a new employer as soon as they file an H-1B transfer petition, without waiting for approval, provided your current H-1B was previously approved and you haven't violated status. The new employer files a new I-129 petition covering your specific role and responsibilities. Keep copies of your existing approval notices and pay stubs, as the new employer's counsel will need them to establish portability eligibility.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Senior Clinical Research Scientist jobs?
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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