Staff Research Scientist

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 122,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Working at Abbott   At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and your family, be your true self, and live a full life. You’ll also have access to:  Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.  Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.  An excellent retirement savings plan with a high employer contribution.  Tuition reimbursement, the  Freedom 2 Save  student debt program, and  FreeU  education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree.  A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries worldwide and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.  A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as the best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

This position works out of our La Jolla location in the Cancer Diagnostics Division.   As the Staff Research Scientist, you’ll lead verification and validation studies for innovative NGS-based multi-cancer early detection solutions that improve clinical test access, quality, and performance for patients.

Serve as technical/scientific lead, designing and executing NGS experiments and studies that integrate clinical, analytical, and operational requirements, independently developing methods for new or highly complex assignments  Investigate the feasibility of applying scientific principles and concepts to potential new technologies, materials, processes, and products, planning and executing research to prove out concepts  Lead, mentor, and train scientists and research associates, guiding study planning/execution, providing work direction, and fostering an open, collaborative team environment  Analyze and interpret complex experimental/study data (including nonconforming data and trends), drawing conclusions and recommending next steps and project direction  Develop and communicate research plans, experimental designs, and project plans; plan, organize, and prioritize project assignments and milestones/schedules across multiple projects with shifting priorities and timelines  Prepare, review, and approve detailed technical procedures, protocols, reports, and lab documentation, ensuring compliance with legal, ISO, and quality requirements  Present and defend scientific findings and technical analyses to data/group/project meetings, cross-functional teams, senior management, and varied audiences, creating high-quality, cohesive presentations; write and submit professional articles/abstracts for technical journals and conferences  Act as subject matter expert and technical leader on complex projects, exercising independent judgment to select methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria, recognizing that erroneous decisions could impact major organizational objectives  Operate scientific instrumentation, troubleshoot issues, and maintain substantial knowledge of state-of-the-art principles, industry trends, and the broader business environment to improve processes and techniques  Contribute to intellectual property portfolio, including participation in IP evaluations and patent application development, through innovative, creative problem-solving  Consult and interact with internal and external experts, and coordinate interdepartmental activities and research efforts across organizational units  Apply strong analytical, communication, and