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Formulation Development Jobs in Illinois (NOW HIRING)

Sr Engineer R & D

Summit, IL · On-site

$105.20K - $144.50K/yr

The work will include process development, operations support, formulation optimization, lab testing and prototyping, improving scale-up capabilities, pilot and plant trials, data collection and ...

Sr Engineer R & D

Summit, IL

$105.20K - $144.50K/yr

The work will include process development, operations support, formulation optimization, lab testing and prototyping, improving scale-up capabilities, pilot and plant trials, data collection and ...

Alerts formulation team when corrective action is needed. * Maintains an accurate inventory of development and approved raw materials * Performs general laboratory duties as requested and maintains ...

Strong understanding of product development, formulation, and quality standards. * Experience in translating consumer insights into actionable product design and development strategies. * Familiarity ...

... product development and commercialization activities across sauce, dip, hummus, & falafel categories, requiring strong technical expertise, hands‑on formulation experience, and a thorough ...

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Showing results 1-20

Formulation Development information

See Illinois salary details

$13

$22

$40

How much do formulation development jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 1, 2026, the average hourly pay for formulation development in Illinois is $22.12, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $17.69 and $22.12 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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

To excel in Formulation Development, a solid background in chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, or related fields, often with a relevant degree, is essential. Experience with analytical instruments, formulation software, and knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) or regulatory guidelines are typically required. Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective cross-functional communication set top performers apart. These skills ensure the creation of safe, effective, and compliant products that meet both scientific and regulatory standards.

What are some common challenges faced in a Formulation Development role, and how are they typically addressed?

Professionals in Formulation Development often encounter challenges such as ensuring product stability, achieving desired drug release profiles, and scaling up formulations from the laboratory to manufacturing. These challenges are typically addressed by conducting thorough pre-formulation studies, collaborating closely with analytical and process engineers, and performing iterative testing to optimize formulations. Teamwork and effective communication with quality assurance and regulatory teams are also crucial to ensure products meet both efficacy and compliance standards.

What is formulation development?

Formulation development is the process of designing and optimizing the composition of a pharmaceutical product, such as a tablet, capsule, or injectable, to ensure its safety, efficacy, and stability. This involves selecting appropriate active ingredients, excipients, and delivery methods to achieve the desired therapeutic effect. Professionals in formulation development work to address challenges like solubility, bioavailability, and manufacturability, while ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Their work is essential for turning a drug candidate into a viable, market-ready product.

What is the difference between Formulation Development vs Formulation Scientist?

AspectFormulation DevelopmentFormulation Scientist
CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Pharmacy, Chemistry, or related fieldsBachelor's or Master's in Pharmacy, Chemistry, or related fields
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, pharmaceutical companies, R&D departmentsResearch labs, pharmaceutical companies, R&D departments
Industry UsageDesigning and optimizing drug formulations for productionDeveloping and testing drug formulations, conducting experiments

Formulation Development focuses on designing and optimizing drug formulations for manufacturing, while Formulation Scientists conduct experiments and testing to develop these formulations. Both roles require similar educational backgrounds and work environments, but their specific responsibilities differ in scope and focus.

What are the most commonly searched types of Formulation Development jobs in Illinois? The most popular types of Formulation Development jobs in Illinois are:
Infographic showing various Formulation Development job openings in Illinois as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 3% Internship, 84% Full Time, and 13% Contract. Highlights an 96% In-person, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $46,017 per year, or $22.1 per hour.
Scientist II / Senior Scientist, I, tLNP Process Development

Scientist II / Senior Scientist, I, tLNP Process Development

AbbVie

North Chicago, IL • On-site

$96.50K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 18 days ago


AbbVie rating

8.8

Company rating: 8.8 out of 10

Based on 95 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

12th of 71 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
Description:
The target lipid nanoparticle (tLNP) process development team is seeking a highly motivated, talented, and innovative scientist to develop manufacturing processes for tLNP from purified mRNA into purified tLNP bulk drug product. The successful candidate will help advance understanding unit operations such as mRNA encapsulation, bioconjugation, and tangential flow filtration, as well as scaling up lab processes into pre-clinical, clinical, and commercial scale manufacturing processes.
Targeted lipid nanoparticles (tLNPs) represent a key new modality to enable the effective delivery of mRNA. The tLNP chemistry, manufacturing, and control (CMC) team (TCT) is a newly formed group under Biologics CMC, Development Sciences, R&D. The tLNP CMC team focuses on process development for tLNPs, including mRNA process development, tLNP process development, and formulation development.
The tLNP process development team within TCT is responsible for developing the manufacturing process for tLNP from bulk drug substance (purified mRNA) into bulk drug product (purified tLNPs). The process starts from mixing purified mRNA and lipid components to form mRNA encapsulated LNPs, then conjugating the LNPs with a targeting moiety, and lastly purifying the tLNPs with tangential flow filtration. The tLNP process development team will work together with mRNA process development team, tLNP formulation team, and analytical development team. The team will also collaborate closely with various functions and Center of Excellences within Biologics CMC and Synthetic Molecule CMC departments.
The end goal for tLNP process development team is to deliver a robust manufacturing process at commercial scale. This includes science-based, hands-on approaches in the lab to optimizing process parameters and understanding impact of process parameters on critical quality attributes. First-principle based and statistical modeling can be applied where appropriate. Along the pharmaceutical development life cycle, the team will be responsible for successful production of non-GMP pre-clinical safety study supply and GMP clinical study supply from a manufacturing plant on site or at third party manufacturers. The team will also lead the tech transfer of commercial process into a commercial facility. Additionally, the team reviews appropriate sections of Common Technical Document (CTD) for regulatory submissions. Building strong cross-functional relationships with internal and external partners is key to the team's success. The work will contribute to cutting-edge mRNA-based therapeutics.
Responsibilities:
  • Independently design, execute and interpret critical experiments to understand unit operations such as mRNA encapsulation, bioconjugation, and tangential flow filtration, and scale up these unit operations to commercial manufacturing batch size
  • Highly autonomous and productive in performing laboratory research or method development, requiring only minimal direction from or interaction with supervisor.
  • May initiate new areas of investigation that are scientifically meaningful, reliable, and can be incorporated directly into a research or development program.
  • Demonstrates high proficiency across a wide range of technologies relevant to tLNP process development.
  • Formulate conclusions and design follow-on experiments based on multidisciplinary data.
  • Primary author of publications, presentations, regulatory documents and/or primary inventor of patents.
  • Understand and adhere to corporate standards regarding code of conduct, safety, appropriate handling of materials, and GMP compliance.
  • Direct mentorship of others.

Qualifications
This role can be hired at Sr. Scientist I or Scientist II depending on education and years of experience.
  • Senior Scientist I: BS with 10+ years', MS with 8+ years', and PhD with 0+ years' industry experience.
  • Scientist II: BS with 7+ years', MS with 5+ years' industry experience.
  • Experience with LNP mixing technology in an academic lab, or industry experience with LNP drug product process development. For mRNA encapsulation, experience with systems other than microfluidics, such as impinging jet, coaxial jet, or multi-inlet vortex mixer is required. Experience scaling up LNP processes to gram-scale mRNA or above is highly preferred.
  • Possess thorough theoretical and practical understanding of mRNA encapsulation
  • Experience with bioconjugation is a plus
  • Demonstrated ability to independently design, execute, and interpret critical experiments to answer scientific questions
  • Demonstrated ability to learn, understand, and master new experimental techniques
  • Ability to multitask and work within timelines
  • Demonstrated scientific writing skills and strong verbal communication skills

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