Associate Director, Technical PDS&T

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.

The Associate Director position within the Product Development Science & Technology (PDS&T) organization will lead the PDS&T Analytical organization at Westport, Ireland, and is responsible for providing technical leadership, direction and management of the Westport Analytical PDS&T team and global initiatives and development programs.

The Westport Analytical PDS&T team develops, validates, transfers and maintains analytical methods for New Biological Entities and marketed products and defines global analytical strategies. The Associate Director leads these activities using state-of-the-art development approaches resulting in high-performing and robust analytical methods that ensure successful late-stage development for pipeline programs, submission of global regulatory filings and assurance of supply of on-market products.

The Associate Director recruits and manages department personnel, sets priorities, and manages employee development. The Associate Director ensures that the function’s deliverables are completed within established timelines, budgets, resource allocation and in accordance with regulatory, quality, and safety requirements.

Responsibilities:

• The Associate Director provides technical leadership for multiple late-phase pipeline projects and commercial products that are marketed globally. This includes a wider range of activities from guiding cross-functional late-stage development and validation of analytical methods, global method transfers to troubleshooting and life-cycle management of test methods used for commercial products. The portfolio of analytical technologies includes physico-chemical methods but also complex cell-based potency assays.
• Leads and supports global and local project teams, liaises with early development functions in R&D, interacting with other functions in Operations, Regulatory as well as relevant technical plant functions. Leads activities executed at global external partners (CDMOs, Third-party laboratories) and method transfers to global regulatory agency laboratories.
• The Associate Director leads global initiatives, defines CMC/analytical strategies for global product development programs and can represent the company in discussions with various regulatory agencies.  Due to nature of the projects and support of marketed products, the impacts of decisions are significant to AbbVie's pharmaceutical Operations to ensure successful regulatory filings and global market launches and to minimize regulatory risks and back orders.
• Managing a team of scientists ranging from scientist to principal level scientists which includes goal setting, performance management, people development, promotion recommendations and salary management.
• Responsibility/ownership for content of quality and global regulatory submission documents, responses to health agency requests and post approval filings.
• Perform financial planning and execute budget responsibility.

• BSc degree in a scientific or technical field preferably in Life sciences, chemistry or pharmacy required. Masters degree and/or PhD is preferred.
• The following combinations of education and experience are required:  BSc and 10+ years of experience; or MSc and 6+ years of experience; or PhD and 4+ years of experience.
• Must have 4+ years of experience in pharmaceutical industry in the field of analytical chemistry preferably for CMC development of biological products. Must have a record of demonstrated successful development or commercialization of products. Expertise with development of cell-based bioassays and modern analytical development approaches per ICH-Q14, and statistics skills are a plus.
• Sound knowledge of applicable global regulations and standards affecting Pharmaceutical Products (e.g. CFR 210/211, cGMP).
• Must display managerial ability via leadership, supervisory experience and administration in a cross-functional and global setting. Previous experience in leading people is required. Has strong management and long-term planning skills.
• Must be goal oriented, able to work within a team environment, self-motivated and understand the business needs to meet timelines. Able to work in a fast-paced, multi-disciplinary and dynamic environment with potential for changing priorities, with flexibility to support multiple development programs simultaneously.
• Very good verbal and written communication skills and the ability to interface with multiple areas within a global organization are essential.

AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives, serving our community and embracing diversity and inclusion.  It is AbbVie’s policy to employ qualified persons of the greatest ability without discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected group status.

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