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Director Cell Line Development Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Atum - DNA 2.0

From sequence optimization through cell line development, we leverage advanced AI, machine learning ... Direct visibility and excellent upward mobility pathways within a rapidly expanding company.

SystImmune, Inc

Senior Scientist, Cell Science

Redmond, WA · On-site

$90K - $140K/yr

Design and execute cell line development workflows, including vector design, transfection, clone screening, and selection for stable expression. * Perform cell culture experiments involving mammalian ...

Systimmune

Senior Scientist, Cell Science

Bothell, WA · On-site

$90K - $140K/yr

Design and execute cell line development workflows, including vector design, transfection, clone screening, and selection for stable expression. * Perform cell culture experiments involving mammalian ...

NOVA Biomedical GmbH

Nova Biomedical is seeking a Key Account Manager, Cell Line Development, East Coast to lead the ... Drive alignment across matrixed internal teams and complex customer organizations without direct ...

AskBio Inc.

AskBio's gene therapy platform includes Pro10™, an industry-leading proprietary cell line ... Position Summary The Associate Director, Process Development is a key position in the Cell Line ...

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How much do director cell line development jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 15, 2026, the average yearly pay for director cell line development in the United States is $82,598.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $55,000.00 and $97,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a director of cell line development do?

A Director of Cell Line Development leads teams responsible for creating and optimizing cell lines used in the production of biopharmaceutical products, such as therapeutic proteins and antibodies. This role involves overseeing scientific strategy, ensuring regulatory compliance, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to meet project goals. Directors also provide technical guidance, manage budgets, and contribute to the development of new technologies and processes. Their work is critical in ensuring high-yield, stable, and safe cell lines for large-scale manufacturing.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a director of cell line development?

To excel as a Director Cell Line Development, you need advanced knowledge in cell biology, molecular biology, and bioprocessing, often backed by a Ph.D. and significant industry experience. Expertise with technologies such as CRISPR, high-throughput screening, cell culture automation systems, and regulatory standards like GMP is essential. Strong leadership, strategic planning, and effective communication are vital soft skills for guiding teams and collaborating across departments. These competencies ensure the efficient creation of robust cell lines critical for biologics development and organizational success.

What are the primary challenges a director of cell line development faces when overseeing multiple projects simultaneously?

A Director of Cell Line Development often manages several projects at different stages, which requires balancing timelines, resources, and technical challenges. Coordinating cross-functional teams—such as upstream process development, analytical, and quality assurance groups—can be complex, especially when each project has unique scientific hurdles and regulatory requirements. Effective communication, prioritization, and risk mitigation are key skills needed to ensure projects progress smoothly and meet critical milestones. Additionally, maintaining up-to-date knowledge of evolving technologies and regulatory guidelines is essential to lead teams successfully.

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Infographic showing various Director Cell Line Development job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 82% Full Time, 16% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 95% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $82,598 per year, or $39.7 per hour.

Senior Scientist I, Cell Line Development

South San Francisco, CA • On-site

AbbVie
Scientific Research and Development Services • 10K+ employees
Learn more about AbbVieexternal

$96K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 14 days ago

AbbVie rating

8.7

Company rating: 8.7 out of 10

Based on 103 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

Job description

Company Description
About AbbVie
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 including immunology, oncology and neuroscience - and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.
Job Description
Overview:
The Biologics CMC Development organization at AbbVie has a long and rich history of biologics development, leveraging comprehensive end-to-end CMC capabilities to advance complex biologic therapies, such as bi-specifics and novel modalities, from discovery through human clinical studies and eventual licensure.
The Cell Line Development (CLD) Innovation Group is seeking a Senior Scientist I to join a talented and collaborative team developing next-generation CHO cell line platforms for the production of recombinant antibodies and complex biologics. This is a hands-on, laboratory-focused role for a versatile molecular biologist who will independently drive expression-optimization projects across both the vector and the host cell - from experimental design through execution and data interpretation. The successful candidate will design and test vector constructs, engineer host cells, conduct transfection and clone-generation campaigns in CHO cells, and apply a deep theoretical understanding of recombinant protein expression to improve titer in stable cell lines. This is not a single-technique position: the role spans the full set of levers that govern expression, and the candidate is expected to think, read, and propose, then carry the work out at the bench with a high degree of independence.
Key Responsibilities:
  • Independently conceive ideas and designs to investigate CHO expression technical improvements across both vector and host cell.
  • Design and test dozens of vector constructs in recombinant stable CHO cell lines for increased mAb titer.
  • Employ a variety of hands-on laboratory techniques, including transfection, aseptic CHO cell culture, DNA gene copy number analysis, RNA expression analysis, mAb titer measurement, cell engineering to knock in/out target genes, and in vitro transcription.
  • Receive externally sourced vector libraries and rapidly execute the associated transfection, screening, and clone-characterization studies to generate decision-quality data.
  • Operate and interpret data from core CLD instrumentation, including Octet (BLI titer), ViCell, CloneSelect Imager, microfluidic clone-screening platforms such as the Beacon, flow cytometry, and ddPCR / RT-qPCR copy-number and expression assays. Share responsibility for equipment maintenance.
  • Apply a rigorous theoretical and practical understanding of recombinant protein expression from the genome to the protein - including genomic loci, epigenetics, transcription, mRNA stability, translation, the organelles and secretory machinery involved, and the engineering constraints specific to industrial CHO cell line development.
  • Author and co-author cell line development technical reports and present data to the group and to leadership; contribute scientific insight to project teams.
  • Collaborate closely with cell culture, analytical, purification, and bioinformatics colleagues to meet project timelines, and adhere to corporate standards for code of conduct, safety, materials handling, and good documentation practices.

Qualifications
Required:
  • Senior Scientist I: BS with a minimum of 10 years, or MS with a minimum of 8 years of experience, or PhD with no minimum years' experience, in molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, or a related discipline.
  • Demonstrated ability to read the literature, review external sources, and gather inputs to synthesize technically sound ideas and design proper experimental controls.
  • Demonstrated ability to independently analyze experimental data, draw appropriate conclusions, and communicate them to a wide audience.
  • Demonstrated proficiency with designing and implementing vector improvements to increase recombinant antibody expression levels in stable CHO cells.
  • Demonstrated theoretical command of mammalian protein expression - able to speak substantively to topics such as genomic and epigenetic regulation (e.g., genomic loci, chromatin accessibility, and DNA methylation), transcriptional and translational control, the cellular machinery of protein secretion, and mRNA stability.
  • Proficiency with Geneious Prime or similar software for designing and annotating DNA vectors, primers, and probes, and performing sequence alignments.
  • Proficiency with cell engineering to knock in / knock out target genes using CRISPR/Cas or other suitable tools.
  • Proficiency with most or all of the following techniques and instrumentation: transfection, aseptic mammalian cell culture, Octet, ViCell, CloneSelect Imager, and microfluidic clone-screening platforms such as the Beacon.
  • Demonstrated ability to learn, understand, and master new experimental techniques, and to multi-task and work within timelines.
  • Strong scientific communication skills - verbal, written, and data presentation - with detailed daily digital lab notebook record-keeping proficiency.
  • A candidate who combines hands-on wet-lab depth with the ability to think alongside the team and then execute independently.

Preferred:
  • While we welcome all candidates with a genuine passion for CHO expression, we strongly prefer those who bring hands-on, industry cell line development experience in a CMC / drug-substance environment over candidates with purely academic or cell-culture-development-only backgrounds.
  • Candidates with substantial experience developing CHO expression platform improvements in an industrial/CMC setting.
  • Possess a demonstrated and genuine passion for getting the most mAb titer out of recombinant CHO cells.
  • Possess a thorough understanding of the genetic and epigenetic factors governing mAb expression in recombinant stable CHO cells.
  • Previous experience working in CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls) to contribute to the generation of recombinant CHO cell lines that will be used in GMP manufacturing.
  • Previous experience performing cellular analyses using flow cytometry.
  • Experience across multiple expression-engineering strategies beyond DNA copy number and well-known promoters.
  • Working knowledge of next-generation sequencing (NGS) for genomic DNA and RNA expression analysis - at minimum, the ability to match the appropriate NGS assay to the scientific question, and ideally hands-on experience with wet-lab library preparation and the associated data analysis and interpretation.
  • Programming and data-science skills (e.g., Python, R) for analysis and visualization of cell line development data.

Additional Information
Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law:
  • The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.
  • We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.
  • This job is eligible to participate in our short-term incentive programs.

Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company's sole and absolute discretion, consistent with applicable law.
AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled.
US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html
US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more:
https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html

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About AbbVie

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines 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, eye care, virology, women's health, and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Industry

Scientific research and development services

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

North Chicago, IL, US

Year founded

2013

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