Senior Scientist I, siRNA in vitro Biology in Cambridge

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 – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio.

At AbbVie, we are dedicated to solving some of the world’s most complex and serious diseases. Within AbbVie’s Biotherapeutics and Genetic Medicine (BGM) organization, our siRNA team is advancing therapeutic programs from early discovery through development, applying rigorous biology and data-driven decision making to build differentiated RNA medicines.

AbbVie is seeking a Senior Scientist I with deep, hands-on expertise in siRNA therapeutic discovery to join the siRNA group within Biotherapeutics and Genetic Medicine (BGM). This role will involve designing and executing innovative experimental approaches to address key scientific challenges related to oligonucleotide therapeutics. The successful candidate will drive scientific innovation, identify new methods and techniques, and collaborate across functions to support the development of novel RNA-based therapies.

This role is best suited for candidates with direct, hands-on experience in therapeutic siRNA discovery, where siRNA biology directly informed experimental and program-level decisions.

• Independently lead in vitro siRNA discovery biology, including experimental strategy, assay design, execution, data analysis, and interpretation in support of active therapeutic programs.
• Design, optimize, and validate fit-for-purpose assays that directly inform siRNA potency, durability, specificity, and mechanism-of-action.
• Drive scientific decision making by integrating siRNA knockdown data with orthogonal readouts (protein, functional, and transcriptomic endpoints).
• Identify and resolve key biological and technical risks related to siRNA activity, delivery, and on-target effects.
• Work with cross-functional partners (chemistry, delivery, bioinformatics, in vivo biology) to advance siRNA candidates through discovery milestones.
• Maintain high experimental rigor and productivity while operating with minimal supervision.
• Author internal technical reports and contribute as a primary author on publications and/or inventor on patents.

• BS, MS, or PhD in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, or related field with typically 10+ years (BS), 8+ years (MS), or 0-3 years (PhD) of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated, hands-on experience in siRNA therapeutic discovery is required, including ownership of in vitro siRNA studies that informed go/no-go, lead selection, or optimization decisions.
• Extensive experience with mammalian cell culture and molecular biology techniques directly supporting siRNA programs, including RNA isolation, qPCR, ELISA, Western blot, and nucleic acid sequencing (NGS/Sanger).
• Proven ability to independently troubleshoot siRNA-specific challenges (e.g., variability in knockdown, assay sensitivity limits, off-target interpretation).
• Strong data analysis and critical thinking skills, with a track record of translating complex datasets into clear experimental and programmatic recommendations.

• Strong hands-on experience with stem-loop RT-qPCR, including assay design, optimization, validation, and data interpretation for siRNA and target mRNA quantification.
• Direct experience supporting antibody-based or antibody-enabled delivery strategies, including antibody conjugates or biologics-related development.
• Hands-on experience analyzing RNA-seq data generated from siRNA perturbation studies, including differential expression analysis and biological interpretation.
• Experience with siRNA sequence design and optimization, including target site selection and evaluation of structure–activity relationships.
• Familiarity with CNS-relevant biology and genetic medicine applications.
• Working knowledge of bioinformatics tools or scripting (e.g., R, Python) to interrogate high-dimensional RNA datasets.
• Experience operating effectively in a matrixed, fast-paced discovery organization.

AbbVie offers a collaborative, science-first environment where discovery scientists play a direct role in shaping therapeutic programs. This position provides the opportunity to work on cutting-edge siRNA medicines with clear line-of-sight from in vitro biology to clinical translation.

If you have deep, hands-on experience in siRNA therapeutic discovery and are motivated to drive rigorous, data-driven biology in support of RNA medicines, we encourage you to apply. Please submit your resume highlighting your direct contributions to siRNA programs.

AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community.