Senior Principal Research Scientist, Computational Drug Discovery HitGen​/LeadGen Team Lead

Purpose

This position brings an opportunity to make innovative contributions that will define how Abb Vie leverages AI‑enabled drug discovery across our small molecule portfolio. Reports to the Head of Computational Drug Discovery (CDD) and will lead the computational Hit Gen/Lead Gen (HGLG) team, implementing and enabling close collaboration between HGLG members and partners in Target Enabling Technologies (TET) and Global Medicinal Chemistry (GMEC) teams.

The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in modern medicinal chemistry, computational and experimental strategies, and property‑based drug design, with a broad early‑stage campaign experience and an established external footprint and network. Past experience will include mentorship of early/mid‑career scientists in matrixed and/or direct reporting relationships.

• Consult with project team to establish desirable project‑relevant hit/lead criteria and assign an HGLG member to the project team for accelerated identification of suitable chemical matter.
• Guide HGLG members in benchmarking experiments to evaluate model performance and domain of applicability.
• Clearly communicate the rationale for selecting specific approaches and how they suit project needs.
• Lead development of a cohesive collection of cutting‑edge methods and workflows to comprehensively address Abb Vie’s small molecule portfolio needs, including prediction of binding affinities of diverse chemo types, prediction of pharmacological properties (PK parameters, etc.), and rapid sampling of both enumerated and AI‑generated chemical spaces.
• Work closely with the TET and GMEC leadership teams to identify and address gaps where computational predictions are needed.
• Advance scientific expertise within the HGLG team and collaborate with cross‑disciplinary teams from CDD and Information Research to advance programs and ensure computational capabilities are best implemented across programs.
• Proactively demonstrate leadership by providing expert advice and shared knowledge with direct reports, peers, and senior management.
• Identify and integrate emerging scientific trends from internal and external sources into functional objectives.
• Present program updates and research strategies to functional and non‑functional leaders as well as potential and existing partners.
• Maintain awareness of emerging literature and science in the field and author scientific disclosures/publications.
• Maintain scientific presence outside Abb Vie with appropriate publication and conference abstract submissions highlighting innovative learnings in computational medicinal chemistry.

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent education in a science‑related field with extensive experience (>18 years);
  Master’s Degree or equivalent education with extensive experience (>16 years); or PhD in Science or related field with typically 10+ years of related work experience.
• Highly organized and self‑directed, with experience leading multiple complex simultaneous research programs or initiatives.
• Extensive knowledge and experience in applying data science approaches for drug discovery.
• Extensive knowledge and experience in modern computational approaches for drug discovery.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, critical evaluation, and data‑driven decision‑making, including the ability to explain complex ideas to non‑specialists.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with demonstrated ability to think critically and creatively, and provide solutions both individually and collaboratively with internal experts.
• Proven team leadership and management abilities, including mentoring, guiding, supervising, and developing scientific personnel with various backgrounds and training levels.
• Highly collaborative, team‑oriented, and considerate of the needs of others.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate with diverse groups within the organization and external partners.
• Ability to create an inclusive environment where diverse ideas, viewpoints and backgrounds are valued; willingness and ability to lead inclusively and demonstrate a commitment to listen and consider all points of view.