Director SMA

AbbVie; Maidenhead; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the pharmaceutical sector is seeking a Director for Study Management Association Organization. This role focuses on strategic workforce planning, resource management, and leadership development to ensure excellence in clinical study execution. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in clinical research, strong leadership skills, and the ability to inspire teams. Join a dynamic environment that promotes continuous learning and empowers professional growth.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of relevant clinical research experience.
• At least 5 years of direct people management experience.

Responsibilities

• Spearhead strategic workforce planning and resource management.
• Develop and implement a robust training program.
• Drive a high-performance culture with effective feedback processes.

Skills

Leadership

Collaboration

Communication

Analytical Skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Company Description

The Director, Study Management Association Organization (SMAO) plays a pivotal role in driving operational excellence across AbbVie's clinical study execution. The Director, SMAO ensures that we have the right talent pipeline and resource planning strategies in place to deliver best-in-class study execution. This role is accountable for the comprehensive strategic resource planning and capability development of the SMAO organization. This includes setting the geographic footprint strategy, rigorous resource forecasting, and dynamically shifting resources to support evolving business priorities. It also includes the cultivation of an upskilling curriculum designed to continuously elevate SMA capabilities. This experienced, adept, and inspirational people manager reports to a Clinical Study Leadership (CSL) Vice President and is a people leader for up to 15 SMAO Line Managers and approximately 200 indirect reports.

Job Description

1. Spearhead strategic workforce planning and resource management to maintain business continuity, respond agilely to changes, and meet or exceed organizational deliverables and goals across the portfolio.
2. Develop and implement a robust, role-focused training program to standardize skills, elevate performance, and enable exemplary study execution from each SMA.
3. Cultivate an inclusive, innovative community that promotes continuous learning, empowers professional growth, and develops future leaders of AbbVie.
4. Drive a high-performance culture by implementing an evergreen performance feedback process focused on setting clear expectations, coaching, providing growth opportunities, and proactive performance management.
5. Nurture strategic partnerships across the matrix environment to inspire cohesive teamwork, enhance collaboration and productivity, and increase the likelihood of achieving aggressive execution targets.
6. Communicate strategy effectively and drive stakeholder alignment as a respected leadership voice.
7. Apply structured problem-solving to navigate complex challenges, leverage data for decision-making, and reconcile diverse perspectives to achieve business goals.
8. Contribute expertise to developing operational policies and procedures, including Quality Systems Documents (QSDs), change management, and the SMAO training curriculum.
9. Identify opportunities and champion initiatives within SMAO/CSL/CDO that drive organizational efficiencies, optimize processes, and adopt best practices.

Qualifications

1. Bachelor's degree required; healthcare, life sciences, or scientific field preferred.
2. Minimum of 10 years of relevant clinical research experience in the pharmaceutical/biotech setting and/or relevant clinical research organization.
3. At least 5 years of direct people management experience.
4. Proven success in leading and developing high-performing teams while managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
5. Exceptional ability to inspire, influence, and build trust across the matrix.
6. Strong collaboration, coaching, mentoring, and leadership skills.
7. Excellent communication skills to articulate vision and convey complex information clearly.
8. Strong analytical skills and strategic problem-solving mindset; capable of evaluating complex issues from multiple perspectives and implementing solutions.
9. Ability to adapt to rapidly changing needs and situations, modeling AbbVie's leadership attributes with high integrity and ethics.
10. Extensive knowledge of GCP and the regulatory environment for drug development.

Additional Information

Study Management Associates, SMAO Line Managers, SMAO Directors, CSL TA Heads/Directors, CSL Program Leads, CSL Study Project Managers, CDO Chief of Staffs, CDO-LT, R&D Strategic Resourcing (RDSR), Vendor Strategy & Relationships (VSR)

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