The Postdoctoral Program is designed for true investigational and experimental research. Participants will be mentored by renowned industry scientists and collaborators at AbbVie and focused on delivering cutting-edge advancements in Discovery, Development Sciences, and BioPharma. This enriching training program offers a balance of structured learning and work experience which fosters a learning environment to advance individual development and offers accessibility to high-level knowledge-building across the drug development continuum.

To be successful in our goals as an organization, we developed the AbbVie Postdoc Program for outstanding individuals willing to challenge themselves to find the best solutions for our patients.

You will be a technical expert who will investigate, identify, develop, and optimize new methods / techniques to address critical project needs. AbbVie Postdoctoral Fellows continuously seek to improve existing laboratory methods and processes, read and adapt literature to accomplish assignments, and demonstrate mastery of a broad range of experimental techniques and methods of data analysis.

We are seeking scientists from key academic institutions within preferred areas of science worldwide to provide a unique opportunity for participants to build a solid career foundation in the pharmaceutical industry while building the AbbVie brand as an employer of choice for scientific talent. This assignment is expected to last 2-4 years, though exceptions may be made for certain postdoctoral assignments.

Position Overview

Envision joining AbbVie as the company is positioning itself for another significant year of growth and of continuing advancement of its patient-driven science and its strategic priorities. In a collaborative, resource rich environment, you will be working with energetic colleagues and inspirational leaders, all while gaining world-class experience in one of the most dynamic organizations in the pharmaceutical industry.

Our groundbreaking Augmented Molecular Design (AMD) team located in Lake County, IL is looking for a motivated and driven Postdoctoral Fellow with a background and keen interest in chemical informatics. With patients at the heart of all we strive for, we are committed to ensuring our team can provide the experience and support needed for our drug discovery organization to excel in research excellence! The drug-like chemical universe is vast and hard to even conceptualize (estimate: ~1060). Current virtual collections barely cover a fraction of this space, limited by the number of compounds that can be practically enumerated (109). As a member of our team, you will participate in AbbVie’s innovative expedition in this chemical space. You will drive the development of a novel computational technology platform encoding a multi-trillion chemical space capturing AbbVie’s genus of chemical information. Interactive tools and mathematical methods to visualize, characterize and search this vast chemical space can greatly enhance the efficiency of the drug discovery process.

Key Responsibilities

• Utilize and develop methods for chemical reaction and chemical space encoding
• Utilize and develop methods for rapid interrogation of ultra-large databases and hierarchical chemical space navigation, including but not limited to machine learning methods
• Collaborate with functional and technical experts to facilitate scientific achievement
• Resolve research hurdles by effectively utilizing available information and technical expertise
• Maintain a high level of productivity in the laboratory setting
• Effectively write and communicate research materials
• Proactively seek out new information in the literature and incorporate this into individual project(s) as well as the overall program
• Publish research in peer-reviewed journals and present work at scientific conferences aligned with business objectives
• Demonstrate a high degree of responsibility in maintaining scientific standards

Basic Qualifications

• PhD in cheminformatics, computational chemistry, chemical engineering, chemistry, computer science or other scientific area with a computational emphasis or 1-3 years Postdoc experience within these defined fields.
• Best-in-class credentials in cheminformatics, computational chemistry, or relevant areas of computer science and applied mathematics
• Scientific programming experience (e.g., Python)
• Record of scientific initiative and creativity in research or development activities.
• Capable of working independently, interpreting data, and identifying appropriate follow-up strategies.
• Excellent project management skills. Ability to multitask and work within timelines.
• Ability to resolve key project hurdles and assumptions by effectively utilizing available information and technical expertise.
• Demonstrated scientific writing skills and strong verbal communication skills.
• Global mindset to thrive in a diverse culture and environment.
• Three letters of recommendation (including one from the Thesis Advisor)
• Letter of intent to pursue Postdoc

Preferred

• Three letters of recommendation (including one from the Thesis Advisor)
• Letter of intent to pursue Postdoc
• Familiarity with state-of-the-art modeling and cheminformatics packages (e.g., RDKit, MOE, Schrodinger)
• Proficiency with scientific programming/scripting (e.g., Python, Java, C, pipeline pilot, Knime), Linux, shell scripting and command line, or data analytics (e.g., Spotfire)
• Experience with library design, chemical space analytics, or manipulation of large datasets
• Experience with data mining, machine learning, or artificial intelligence

Key Leadership Competencies:

• Builds strong relationships with peers and cross functionally with partners outside of team to enable higher performance
• Learns fast, grasps the "essence" and can change course quickly where indicated
• Raises the bar and is never satisfied with the status quo
• Creates a learning environment, open to suggestions and experimentation for improvement
• Embraces the ideas of others, nurtures innovation and manages to reality

At AbbVie, we value bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds to develop new and innovative solutions for patients. As an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic. If you would like to view a copy of the company’s affirmative action plan or policy statement, please email CorpJat_ABV@abbvie.com .