Principal Research Scientist , Automation Strategy Lead Biologics CMC Development

Company Description

Abb Vie'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. For more information about Abb Vie, please visit us at  Follow @abbvie on X, Facebook, Instagram, You Tube, Linked In and Tik Tok.

The Biologics CMC Development team at Abb Vie in the Bay Area has a long and rich history of biologics development. Located in a state-of-the-art facility in South San Francisco, the team leverages its comprehensive end-to-end CMC capabilities to work collaboratively through all phases of CMC development, with a primary focus on advancing complex biologic therapies—such as bi-specifics and novel modalities—to human clinical studies and eventual licensure.

This role is within a team of highly experienced scientists and managers who have directly enabled the development/IND submissions of 20+ novel oncology drugs and successfully filed two BLAs.

The Principal Automation Technology Strategy Lead will serve as the cross‑functional architect and owner of the holistic laboratory equipment automation roadmap for Biologics CMC Development at Abb Vie's South San Francisco site. This pivotal role integrates technical vision, hands‑on system expertise, leadership, and change management across all CMC functions to accelerate productivity, drive high system uptime, improve data quality, and foster an innovative, future‑ready automation culture.

The Strategy Lead will act as an influential individual contributor with potential for future team leadership, and as Abb Vie's connector to the broader automation community internally and externally.

• Architect, lead, and implement the equipment automation roadmap at the Biologics CMC Development at Abb Vie's South San Francisco site, with influence extending across Cell Line, Cell Culture, Purification, Formulation, and Analytical Development.
• Lead cross-functional automation assessments and strategic prioritization exercises to identify workflow automation opportunities including but not limited to liquid handling, integrated data management, compound management, robotics, and equipment connectivity.
• Collaborate with equipment vendors, IT/digital teams, and data transformation initiatives to roadmap and orchestrate solutions maximizing interoperability, scalability, and future-readiness of the technology ecosystem.
• Oversee system uptime and performance, developing robust monitoring and continuous improvement processes; establish, track, and deliver on process improvement milestones.
• Identify, pilot, and scale automation technology solutions—including hardware, software, and integration strategies (Tecan, Hamilton, Lynx, Agilent, Opentron, etc.)—tailored to a rapidly evolving scientific environment.
• Collaborate closely with scientific leaders, technical experts, and bench scientists to map workflows, capture requirements, and deliver integrated automation solutions, balancing short- and long-term site objectives.
• Serve as the primary interface with compound management to streamline sample and data management systems, maximizing traceability, efficiency, and reliability.
• Understands the business implications of assigned projects and processes and identifies automation solutions compatible with business needs.
• Lead troubleshooting and problem-solving efforts for challenging or novel automation system failures, working closely with technology partners and vendors as needed.
• Act as a mentor and key resource for technical staff, supporting training, user acceptance testing, and the adoption of best practices across user groups.
• Connect Abb Vie's site teams with the global automation community—importing, adapting, and sharing innovations, standards, and lessons learned.
• Build relationships with vendors and technology partners; maintain awareness of industry trends and proactively evaluate new solutions for strategic fit.
• Ensure thorough…