Associate Director, Emerging Technology

Company Description

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 – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.

Job Description

This role isn't just about supporting operations; it's about reimagining and redefining them. This Associate Director will be at the forefront of:

• Creating the pharmaceutical factory and lab of the future, driving unprecedented levels of efficiency, quality, and agility.
• Unlocking new competitive advantages through advanced automation and data-driven insights.
• Ensuring AbbVie remains at the cutting edge of technological adoption in a rapidly evolving industry.
• Improving patient outcomes by enabling faster development, more reliable production, and more efficient delivery of medicines.

This is a high-impact role for someone who is not only technologically savvy but also a true innovator and change agent.

Responsibilities

Strategic Innovation & Roadmap Development:

• Lead the development and execution of the technology strategy for Operations initiatives, identifying and prioritizing disruptive technologies (AI, ML, advanced robotics, IoT, AR/VR, digital twins, quantum) that can revolutionize pharmaceutical operations, ensuring alignment with corporate strategic priorities and financial targets.
• Champion the transformation of core Operations business processes by leveraging AI, automation, and robotics for step-change improvements in efficiency, quality, and speed, with a clear focus on measurable ROI and business value creation.
• Develop and maintain a portfolio of emerging technology pilots and proofs-of-concept (POCs), evaluating their potential impact and scalability within a regulated environment, meticulously managing the investment required for each phase.

Solution Incubation & Scaled Deployment:

• Drive the research, evaluation, and selection of cutting-edge technologies and platforms for operations, conducting thorough cost-benefit analyses and developing robust business cases for proposed solutions.
• Oversee the design, development, and rapid prototyping of innovative solutions for manufacturing, quality control, supply chain, and PDST, adhering to agile delivery principles while maintaining fiscal discipline.
• Collaborate with operational teams to co-create future-state processes that seamlessly integrate advanced technologies, ensuring adoption and sustainable impact, and meticulously planning for change management and training budgets.
• Transition successful pilots into enterprise-scale solutions, working closely with core IT delivery teams for robust integration and deployment, managing the full project lifecycle, including budget forecasting, tracking, and variance analysis.

AI, Robotics & Automation Enablement:

• Establish frameworks and best practices for the responsible and compliant deployment of AI/ML models in operational settings, including robust governance and cost optimization strategies for model development and inference.
• Lead the digital execution for automation and robotics initiatives to optimize manual tasks and enhance operational safety and precision, ensuring effective resource allocation and maximizing the efficiency of automation investments.
• Drive the adoption of advanced analytics and predictive capabilities to move operations from reactive to proactive and prescriptive, while overseeing data infrastructure costs and ensuring data quality for reliable insights.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Advocacy:

• Act as a visionary and evangelist for digital transformation within Operations, inspiring stakeholders and securing buy-in for new approaches, effectively communicating the financial implications and benefits of proposed initiatives.
• Build strong partnerships with R&D, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and other business units to deeply understand their challenges and identify strategic technology opportunities, and jointly define project scopes, budgets, and success metrics.
• Collaborate closely with enterprise architecture, data science, and cybersecurity teams to ensure emerging solutions are architecturally sound, secure, and compliant, factoring in all security and compliance-related costs.

Program & Portfolio Management:

• Manage a multi-year technology roadmap and associated budget for the Operations Emerging Technology portfolio, ensuring optimal allocation of resources across various initiatives.
• Implement rigorous project and program management methodologies to ensure on-time, on-budget, and high-quality delivery of all initiatives.
• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to track the progress, success, and financial impact of emerging technology deployments.
• Proactively identify and mitigate risks related to technology execution, budget overruns, and resource constraints.

Vendor & Financial Stewardship:

• Lead contract negotiations with technology vendors and service providers, ensuring favorable terms, competitive pricing, and adherence to service level agreements (SLAs).
• Oversee all financial aspects of the technology portfolio, including forecasting, accruals, capital expenditure (CapEx) vs. operational expenditure (OpEx) considerations, and financial reporting.
• Identify opportunities for cost efficiencies and optimization across the technology stack and service contracts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or a related field. A Master's degree (e.g., MBA, M.S. in AI/Robotics, Digital Transformation) is highly preferred.
• 9+ years of progressive experience in technology, with a significant portion dedicated to driving digital transformation, innovation, or emerging technology initiatives within a complex operational environment, preferably in pharmaceuticals or a similarly regulated manufacturing industry.
• 5+ years in a leadership role specifically focused on AI, robotics, automation, or advanced digital solutions, with demonstrated accountability for program execution, budget management, and financial performance.
• Proven track record of successfully piloting and scaling innovative technologies from concept to production, navigating organizational complexities and technical challenges, consistently delivering within scope, schedule, and budget.
• Deep understanding of pharmaceutical manufacturing, lab operations, quality control, or supply chain processes, along with relevant regulatory requirements (e.g., GxP, FDA), and how technology investments impact operational efficiency and compliance costs.
• Experience working in agile and lean startup methodologies for rapid prototyping and iteration, balanced with a strong understanding of financial planning and control.
• Demonstrated experience in managing large, complex technology budgets (multi-million dollar range) and leading financial forecasting and reporting.
• Proven ability to negotiate complex vendor contracts and manage third-party service providers effectively.

• Exceptional program and project management skills, with a track record of on-time, on-budget delivery of complex technology initiatives.

• Strong financial acumen and experience with budget planning, forecasting, tracking, and cost optimization.
• Robust analytical and data-driven decision-making abilities, especially regarding the evaluation of new technologies, their ROI, and the financial health of the portfolio.
• Risk management expertise, with the ability to identify, assess, and mitigate technical, operational, and financial risks.
• Visionary leadership combined with a strong operational mindset and a relentless focus on execution and delivery.
• Excellent communication skills, capable of presenting complex technical and financial concepts to senior executives and operational teams, articulating both the vision and the detailed execution plan.
• Results-oriented, with a keen eye for maximizing business value and optimizing technology investments.

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. ​

• This job is eligible to participate in our long-term incentive programs​

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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. ​

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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. 

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