Associate Director, Discovery Business Operations

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.

This position is responsible for facilitating strategic planning and execution within an R&D therapeutic area. Provides individual leadership and consultation for complex transformational business programs in close collaboration with the therapeutic area head and the respective leadership team.  Directly supports therapeutic area head with development, communication and execution of strategic business programs and executive projects to advance the business. Communicate/present key information to senior leadership within area of responsibility.

Responsible for the identification, planning and implementation of activities and projects aligned with and enable the achievement of departmental strategies, goals, and objectives across multiple sites. Primarily accountable to ensure therapeutic area operates within the current financial plan/update budget including headcount. Strategically project and manage financial plan/update budget and headcount across the therapeutic area in collaboration with the organizational leader, department and R&D finance utilizing knowledge of current and future business environment. Globally influences and strategically manages linkages across the businesses and understands the impact of business decisions and solutions.

Major Responsibilities:

• Facilitates the creation of the Business Strategy through a futuristic perspective, and defines the mission, strategic imperatives, and goals in partnership with the respective R&D leadership team.  Manages the execution and measurement of the strategy. 
• Provide forward looking portfolio and resource analyses. Accountable for short- and long-term forecasting of financial and headcount resource needs in various scenarios.  Partner with therapeutic area head in the financial planning process for future initiatives and projects, forecasting and roll-up.  Facilitate discussions with therapeutic area head for Long Range Plan, yearly budget cycles and monthly forecasting updates based on latest best estimate.
• Provide leadership and develop strategic recommendations to departments to ensure area operates within the current financial plan/update budget.
• Analyzes and identifies budget favorability/ unfavourability and provides recommendations for strategy with a Discovery-wide perspective.
• Partner with TA VPs to financially plan upcoming initiatives and projects.  Partners with R&D finance to address all questions and requests.
• Adheres to all corporate financial guidelines, ethics and compliance standards.  Leads cross departmental and cross-functional efforts to achieve functional strategies and goals.
• Effectively frames complex issues for decision-makers and peers. Prepares and delivers effective management presentations to R&D leadership team. Draws upon personal knowledge of business processes, global regulations, organizational improvement methods, and communication mechanisms to propose and design innovative organizational improvements.
• Coordinate and lead strategic analyses and exercises Discovery-wide and for the therapeutic area head.  Investigates pain points and proposes solutions for implementation.  Helps to define the problem, assemble the team, perform the necessary strategic analysis, and recommend actions to the senior leaders.
• Acts with demonstrated ability to analyze complex change management issues and opportunities, foster innovation and the development of creative mechanisms for solving business issues, and plan/oversee effective implementation of projects and/or initiatives.

Position will be hired based on level of experience. 

• PhD or equivalent & 4-10+ years, MS or equivalent & 6-12+ years, or BS & 8-14+ years postdoc/industry experience, including 7+ years of leadership responsibility, is required.  Advanced degree in related scientific field preferred (e.g., MS or Ph.D. in Oncology, Chemistry, etc.).  MBA or Project Management Institute (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP) certification preferred.
• 3-6+ years of work experience in the area supported (e.g. Discovery, Development) and 3-6+ years in pharmaceutical, healthcare or regulated industry required.
• Strong management skills with proven effective leadership abilities.  Demonstrated ability to lead multi-divisional and multi-functional teams with global aspects.
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written
• Experience in managing functional budgets and developing budget forecasts
• Strong business acumen and effective negotiation skills
• Experience working in a complex and matrix environment
• Demonstrated ability to craft compelling business cases that prompt appropriate action.
• Proven track record of developing and executing change management strategies or successful project planning and management of highly complex business and technology initiatives is preferred.

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 long-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. 

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