Associate Director, Business Excellence Portfolio Strategy Aesthetics

AbbVie; California; Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company, seeks an Associate Director of Business Excellence Portfolio Strategy to partner with AbbVie leaders. The role focuses on optimizing portfolio value, advancing strategic initiatives, and coordinating cross-functional efforts across R&D and Commercial teams in Irvine, CA (hybrid: Tue–Thu onsite).

The candidate will translate strategic vision into tactical actions, drive high-impact projects, and deliver data-driven insights to senior leadership, supporting

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Advanced degree highly preferred.
• 5+ years with Bachelor's degree.
• 3+ years with a Master's degree.
• 2+ years with a PhD.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and senior leadership facilitation skills.
• Experience leading large projects in a complex pharma org.

Responsibilities

• Drive end-to-end strategic innovation, communication and execution for Allergan Aesthetics portfolio and assets with R&D and Commercial Leaders.
• Support R&D strategy processes including franchise strategy reviews and long-range plans, therapeutic area strategy and KPI tracking.
• Provide strategic decision support for key pipeline assets through governance decks and milestone storytelling.
• Develop and operationalize R&D pipeline metrics and KPIs for enterprise reporting.
• Conduct structured competitive benchmarking and synthesize external and internal data for leadership guidance.
• Communicate strategy at executive forums across AbbVie.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

At Allergan Aesthetics, an AbbVie company, we develop, manufacture, and market a portfolio of leading aesthetics brands and products. Our aesthetics portfolio includes facial injectables, body contouring, plastics, skin care, and more. Our goal is to consistently provide our customers with innovation, education, exceptional service, and a commitment to excellence, all with a personal touch. For more information, visit https://global.allerganaesthetics.com/. Follow Allergan Aesthetics on LinkedIn.

The Business Excellence Strategy group within Global Portfolio Strategy & Operations works side-by-side with the Aesthetics R&D executive team on many of the most pressing issues facing the organization, both in the short- and long-term. Work from this team will have a direct impact on the future success of AbbVie.

As an Associate Director of Business Excellence Portfolio Strategy, you will partner with leaders across AbbVie to optimize the value of our portfolio and current/future assets. The role is seeking a high performing team member who has demonstrated an interest and expertise in the biopharma industry and strong desire to advance our strategic agenda and support mission-critical assets + initiatives that will make a real difference for AbbVie’s patients. In return, the Business Excellence group will provide high profile, high impact projects and professional development experiences spanning the entire drug development value chain.

The position requires strong analytical skills and the ability to translate strategic vision into tactical action. It will be imperative in this role to identify the highest impact ideas and plans and focus efforts to work effectively in a cross-functional team.

This position is located in our Irvine, CA office (hybrid onsite days at Tues, Wed and Thurs).

Responsibilities

Drive end-to-end strategic innovation, communication and execution on Allergan Aesthetics portfolio + assets in partnership with the R&D + Commercial Leadership Teams. Areas of focus include strategic planning, scenario evaluation, and data-driven problem solving spanning the breadth of drug/aesthetic medical device development.

Support R&D strategy processes including: Annual franchise strategy reviews and Strategy Long Range Plans, Therapeutic Area strategy and pipeline reviews, and high priority Asset Strategy Team support. This will require both strong project management and ability to generate and communicate strategic insights to leaders and franchise / asset strategy teams.

Support and lead strategic initiatives that address mission-critical questions and position AbbVie for future success, such as:

• R&D competitive intelligence initiatives, including evidence-based competitive assessments, ELT scientific communications, and ongoing monitoring of key competitor activities across pipeline, scientific communications, and commercial channels
• Dedicated strategic decision support for key pipeline assets through Asset Strategy Leader + Project & Portfolio Management partnership, governance deck development, pressure-testing of business cases, and milestone storytelling from pre-concept through pivotal trial design
• Development and operationalization of R&D pipeline metrics and KPIs (e.g., cycle times, productivity indices, milestone tracking) for enterprise reporting, potentially including data collection, stakeholder alignment, and dashboard/visualization design
• Structured competitive benchmarking analyses across franchises, synthesizing external best practices and internal data into actionable recommendations for R&D leadership
• Rapid-response support to R&D leadership on high importance / visibility priorities.
• Individual modules within complex, cross-functional initiatives, including driving the problem-solving process supporting research and analytics, and distilling pragmatic recommendations for management consideration.
• Help communicate our strategy at executive forums across AbbVie.

Monitor, understand, and prioritize external trends of relevance to the enterprise, and help determine how AbbVie should prepare and/or respond.

• Bachelors or equivalent degree required. Advanced degree (PharmD, PhD, MD, MBA) highly preferred. 2+ years at top tier management consulting company highly preferred.
• Minimum years of experience - 5+ with Bachelors, 3+ with Masters and 2+ with PhD.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication skills and comfortability leading meetings with senior-level management.
• Experience managing large projects within a complex matrixed pharmaceutical organization, either as an external consultant or an internal cross-functional lead.
• Demonstrated ability to engage senior leadership to drive alignment on a strategic vision and facilitate decision making on critical issues.
• Capability building / Change management skills – leveraging empathy and coaching with functional stakeholders to achieve organizational buy-in and long-lasting change.
• Highly collaborative- genuinely enjoys working hand-in-hand with the functions / businesses to develop solutions that advance AbbVie’s overall mission.
• Drive, energy, and passion to advance AbbVie’s mission.

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 employer 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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