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Drug Development Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

AbbVie

Director, Clinical Pharmacology

North Chicago, IL · On-site

$160K/yr

Supports strategic planning for drug development activities and projects to achieve departmental strategies, goals, and objectives. Utilizes scientific expertise to provide appropriate interpretation ...

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Drug Development information

See Chicago, IL salary details

$34K

$79.8K

$137.1K

How much do drug development jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 19, 2026, the average yearly pay for drug development in Chicago, IL is $79,836.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $60,300.00 and $93,300.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is drug development?

Drug development is the process of bringing a new pharmaceutical drug to market. It involves several stages, including drug discovery, preclinical research, clinical trials, and regulatory approval. Each stage is designed to ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of the drug before it can be made available to patients. The entire process can take several years and requires collaboration between scientists, clinicians, regulatory agencies, and pharmaceutical companies.

What are the typical stages of collaboration between different teams in a drug development role?

In drug development, professionals regularly collaborate across multidisciplinary teams, including research scientists, clinical trial coordinators, regulatory affairs specialists, and manufacturing experts. Early stages involve close work with research and discovery teams to identify promising compounds, followed by coordination with clinical teams during trial phases, and finally with regulatory and production teams as the drug moves toward approval and commercialization. Effective communication and cross-functional teamwork are essential, as each stage relies on timely data sharing and joint problem-solving to navigate complex challenges.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in drug development, and why are they important?

To thrive in Drug Development, you need a strong background in pharmaceutical sciences, biology, or chemistry, often supported by an advanced degree (e.g., PhD, PharmD, or MSc). Familiarity with regulatory compliance, clinical trial management systems, and data analysis software such as SAS or R is typically required. Excellent problem-solving, project management, and cross-functional communication skills help professionals excel in this multidisciplinary field. These competencies ensure that new drugs are developed safely, efficiently, and in accordance with regulatory standards.

What is the difference between Drug Development vs Pharmacologist?

AspectDrug DevelopmentPharmacologist
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, or related fields; often requires experience in clinical trialsDegree in Pharmacology, Pharmacy, or related fields; may require licensing or certification for clinical practice
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, pharmaceutical companies, clinical trial sitesResearch labs, hospitals, academic institutions, regulatory agencies
Industry UsageDeveloping new drugs, overseeing clinical trials, regulatory submissionsStudying drug effects, mechanisms, safety, and efficacy; advising on drug use

While both roles are integral to the pharmaceutical industry, Drug Development focuses on creating and bringing new drugs to market through research, testing, and regulatory processes. Pharmacologists primarily study how drugs interact with biological systems, often working in research or clinical settings to understand drug effects and safety. The two roles often collaborate but differ in their core responsibilities and career focus.

How much do drug development professionals make?

Drug development professionals, including roles such as research scientists and clinical trial managers, typically earn salaries ranging from $70,000 to over $130,000 annually, depending on experience, education, and location. Senior positions or those with specialized skills and certifications can earn higher salaries, especially in biotech and pharmaceutical companies.

Is drug development a good career?

Drug development is a challenging and rewarding career that involves research, clinical trials, and regulatory processes to bring new medications to market. It requires strong scientific knowledge, attention to detail, and often collaboration across multidisciplinary teams. The field offers opportunities for growth, innovation, and contributing to public health, but can also involve long hours and high responsibility.

What career develops drugs?

A career in drug development typically involves roles such as pharmacologist, medicinal chemist, clinical researcher, or regulatory affairs specialist. These professionals work in laboratories, research facilities, or pharmaceutical companies to discover, test, and bring new drugs to market, often requiring knowledge of biology, chemistry, and regulatory processes.

What are popular job titles related to Drug Development jobs in Chicago, IL?

For Drug Development jobs in Chicago, IL, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Drug Development jobs in Chicago, IL look for?

The top searched job categories for Drug Development jobs in Chicago, IL are:

What cities near Chicago, IL are hiring for Drug Development jobs?

Cities near Chicago, IL with the most Drug Development job openings:

Drug Development jobs near you
Infographic showing various Drug Development job openings in Chicago, IL as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 83% Full Time, 14% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 90% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $79,836 per year, or $38.4 per hour.

Director, Clinical Pharmacology

AbbVie

North Chicago, IL • On-site

$160K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 7 days ago

AbbVie rating

8.6

Company rating: 8.6 out of 10

Based on 101 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

15th of 86 rated pharmaceutical

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
Communicates/presents key Clinical Pharmacology information/strategy to senior and executive management, regulatory agencies, and external peers. Supports strategic planning for drug development activities and projects to achieve departmental strategies, goals, and objectives. Utilizes scientific expertise to provide appropriate interpretation of data and relates implications of results to management. Serves as liaison to other departments/divisions for any study/project needs. Understands linkages across businesses and understands the impact of business decisions and solutions. May lead teams within Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacometrics and accountable for effective performance of the teams.
Responsibilities
  • Leads Clinical Pharmacology/PK/PD activities and multiple major projects. Assists R&D senior management in the selection of action plans that best meets drug development business objectives.
  • Identifies issues and help with issue resolution. Conducts risk assessments and assists in development of contingency plans. Assures project remains in alignment with strategic objectives.
  • Provides overall timelines to assess portfolio opportunities. Negotiates with other functional areas on project outcomes and deliverables to meet conflicting demands (time, cost, quality/performance).
  • Provides scientific and strategic consultation to R&D, Regulatory, and all levels of management on critical decisions and development plans.
  • Responsible for evaluating technical, scientific aspects of all AbbVie projects along with CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY management. Reviews clinical protocols and scientific reports for regulatory filings and anticipates regulatory questions. Leads CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY regulatory documents writing, submission and response to Regulatory agency comments.
  • Independently conducts due diligence assessments, summarizes results and represents CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY on business development teams.
  • Identifies and develops process improvement initiatives and reviews recommendations with management for approval and sponsorship.
  • Contribute to development of departmental goals. Influences strategic PK/PD decisions for the department.
  • Performs functions and responsibilities with the highest regard for quality and timeliness. Maintains up-to-date knowledge of PK/PD data analysis, modeling and simulation methods and software.
  • May manage personnel including development, mentoring, and effective delegation.

Qualifications
This role can be hired based on the following qualifications:
Director I
  • PhD with typically 7+ years of experience or Pharm D with typically 9+ years of experience in a relevant field, MS or equivalent education with typically 15+ years of experience; BS or equivalent education and typically 17+ years of experience; (*relevant field includes experience with PK, PBPK, PK-PD, Pharmacometrics or systems pharmacology, Drug metabolism/Transporters)
  • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • Knowledge and experience in multiple therapeutic and/or functional areas
  • Experience across range of development phases
  • Knowledge of AbbVie and Pharma drug development processes
  • Must have demonstrated leadership competencies in PK/PD, Biopharmaceutics, and Pharmacometric activities from planning, implementation through completion across multiple projects
  • Scientific project leadership or related experience
  • Project management skills such as scope management, progress tracking/driving as well as time management
  • Participates in initiatives and advancement of CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
  • Key Leadership Competencies:
    • Knows the business and the cross-functional contributions needed to deliver results
    • Persistent and resilient finds the way to move good ideas forward
    • Acts respectfully yet courageously
    • Connects unrelated concepts, generates original or unique ideas
    • Influences colleagues to achieve cross-functional alignment
    • Communicates openly and honestly with all colleagues
    • Manages conflict and difficult conversations in a constructive transparent way

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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