Associate Director, Category Management

ABBVIE; North Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 142,000 - 269,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

AbbVie is seeking an Associate Director, Category Management to lead global procurement strategy and a team of managers. You will partner with VP-level stakeholders to drive category plans, cost savings, and responsible sourcing across key suppliers.

The role emphasizes cross-functional leadership, market insight, and achieving long-term business objectives while embedding ESG measures and innovative supplier relationships into the category strategy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business or related field; Master’s preferred.
• 10+ years in procurement, supply chain or related function.
• Experience leading category teams and partnering with major suppliers.
• Strong negotiation, change management and cross-functional leadership.

Responsibilities

• Develop global procurement strategies with VP-level stakeholders.
• Lead annual strategic plan for the category and team of managers.
• Drive SRM strategies and supplier collaboration for savings and innovation.
• Integrate ESG measures into category strategies and responsible sourcing.
• Oversee end-to-end procurement process from sourcing to contract execution.

Skills

Category management

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Supplier relationship management

ESG knowledge

Data analytics

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or related

Master's degree preferred

Job description

• Compensation: USD 141500 - USD 268500 - yearly

Company Description

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 atwww.abbvie.com . Follow @abbvie onLinkedIn, Facebook ,Instagram ,X andYouTube.

Job Description

Purpose

The Associate Director, Category Management partners with VP-level business or functional stakeholder(s) to develop global procurement strategies, contributing to a cross-functional team that informs strategy through analysis, market expertise, and understanding of broader business objectives. This role builds an annual strategic plan and leads a team of managers to achieve ambitious performance targets aligned with organizational goals.

Responsibilities

• Partner with VP-level business or functional stakeholders to develop global procurement strategies for an individual procurement category, acting as a Business Partner where necessary.
• Build a comprehensive annual strategic plan for the relevant category, incorporating category strategies that align with overall business goals.
• Contribute to a cross-functional team that informs strategic decision-making by leveraging market intelligence, staying abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and market dynamics.
• Define and develop strategic value drivers with key category suppliers to secure collaborative partnerships that challenge the status quo to achieve cost savings, optimize processes, and enhance overall procurement value.
• Integrate sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) measures into category strategies, collaborating with suppliers to enhance sustainable and responsible sourcing practices.
• Lead Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) strategies, driving innovation with key category suppliers and collaborating to enact creative and cutting-edge solutions that deliver on long-term business needs.
• Develop and activate mitigation strategies to proactively define and manage procurement risk across the relevant category, , ensuring compliance.
• Ensure effective project management from initiation to completion, directing and guiding cross-functional teams to deliver strategic category-related projects. Identify opportunities for process optimization and efficiency gains, leveraging data analytics to develop long-term continuous improvement programs that achieve strategic objectives.
• Drive the end-to-end procurement process from sourcing strategy to contract negotiation and execution, leading negotiations with key category suppliers and strengthening decisions with strong analytical insight and strategic perspective.
• Lead & coach a team of Managers, setting ambitious performance targets, providing tailored coaching, and evaluating team performance. Assist in planning to address skillsets, workforce requirements, capability needs, and long‑term organizational staffing goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Mgmt or related field. Master’s degree is preferred
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in procurement, supply chain, or related business or operations function.
• Previous experience leading category teams, partnering with major suppliers, and reporting to senior leaders.
• Knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry is strongly preferred.
• Comprehensive expertise in category management, including market analysis, cost and financial assessment, ensuring strategic and informed procurement decisions. Fluency in negotiation and bidding, adept in overseeing complex projects with a focus on effective change management.
• Strong capabilities in internal stakeholder management and influence, aligning procurement strategies with business needs and fostering collaborative supplier relationships.
• Strategic thinking and accountability, anticipating future trends, and taking responsibility for impactful procurement outcomes that challenge the status quo.
• Innovative problem‑solving skills combined with a significant executive presence, enabling creative solutions and influential communication at all organizational levels. High cross‑functional leadership abilities, conflict resolution skills, effectively navigating & harmonizing diverse team dynamics.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, facilitating empathetic interactions, effective communication, and robust relationship‑building across a matrixed organization. High resilience under pressure and autonomous work ethic, maintaining performance in challenging situations and making independent decisions.

Additional Information

Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state orlocal law:

The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes ingood faith it will pay for this role at the timeof thisposting 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.