Manager, R&D Capital & RCE Lifecycle

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.

The position is based in Lake County within Global R&D Capital Planning and reports to the Director, Global R&D Capital Planning. The incumbent will support the global Request for Capital Expenditure (RCE) lifecycle across R&D and serve as a key business partner to stakeholders across Business, Engineering, Finance, EHS and other relevant functions.

The role coordinates complex capital investment requests from early development through management approval. The incumbent will also help design, deploy, execute, and continuously improve a globally aligned RCE operating model while providing analytical and coordination support for Annual Plan and Long-Range Planning activities.

This role requires a collaborative, process-oriented individual who can quickly learn the RCE process, connect stakeholders across sites and functions, drive execution in a matrix environment, and build scalable team capability to deliver the work effectively.

Major Responsibilities

RCE Lifecycle Leadership

• Serve as a primary business partner for assigned R&D organizations throughout the RCE lifecycle.
• Coordinate the development, review, submission, governance, approval, and closeout of capital investment requests.
• Lead complex and strategically significant RCEs through senior executive governance, including Board and CEO approval when required.
• Ensure submissions are decision-ready and meet business, engineering, financial, EHS, compliance, and governance requirements.

Stakeholder Coordination and Business Partnership

• Build relationships across US sites connecting Engineering, Facilities, Finance, Business Operations, EHS, and IT stakeholders.
• Facilitate alignment, clarify ownership, resolve issues, coordinate escalations, and translate technical, financial, and business inputs into clear investment proposals and recommendations.
• Prepare clear, decision-ready proposal content that connects project scope, business rationale, financial assumptions, risks, and governance requirements.

Contractor and Workload Coordination

• Develop, coordinate, and provide day-to-day guidance to external RCE-writing resources supporting a high volume of requests.
• Prioritize workload, balance capacity, set quality expectations, and coach contractors toward consistent delivery.
• Capture lessons learned from supported RCEs and translate recurring insights into practical improvements to templates, guidance, and ways of working.

Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, IT, Project Management, Engineering, Life Sciences, or a related discipline required; advanced degree preferred.
• 5+ years of relevant experience, with demonstrated progression in engineering, capital projects, facilities, business operations, finance, program management, or a related field.
• This role is intended as a development opportunity for a high-performing employee who wants to build deep expertise in R&D capital governance and grow into a recognized end-to-end RCE lifecycle partner.
• Demonstrated success coordinating complex, cross-functional work in a matrix organization.
• Experience with capital investments, project approvals, portfolio governance, or executive decision processes preferred.

Skills and Competencies

• Ability to rapidly develop expertise in R&D capital governance and the end-to-end RCE lifecycle.
• Excellent stakeholder management, influencing, facilitation, and executive communication skills.
• Strong process thinking, analytical judgment, problem-solving, and disciplined execution.
• Ability to lead through influence, manage competing priorities, and work effectively across sites, functions, and cultures.
• Experience developing people or coordinating contractors, with a strong focus on quality and accountability.
• Practical experience using AI-enabled tools to improve productivity, with curiosity and comfort applying AI in business workflows without requiring a technical IT background.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365, SAP, and related business systems preferred.

Why Join This Team

This role offers the opportunity to help build a new global R&D capability, gain broad exposure across functions and sites, work with senior leaders on high-value investments, and shape how R&D capital requests are developed, governed, and approved. The successful candidate can grow into a recognized R&D RCE expert and an important contributor to the evolving global operating model.

​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. 

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