Associate Director, Change Management - Hybrid, Chicago

AbbVie Inc.; North Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 170,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

AbbVie Inc. in North Chicago, IL seeks an Associate Director of Quality Change Management to lead the global R&D QCM program within our Global Quality Systems.

This role drives standardization, governance, and proactive change management across functions in alignment with regulatory expectations. You will design and improve quality systems, lead a network of QCM SMEs, and act as a key consultant to internal stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in a scientific discipline, life sciences, engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 8 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry (or 5+ years with an MS/PhD).
• Proven leadership in matrixed environments with ability to influence without direct authority.
• Extensive hands-on experience in Quality Change Management across multiple domains (Clinical Operations, Pharmacovigilance, pre-Clinical, Manufacturing).
• Deep knowledge of global regulatory frameworks, inspection readiness, and QCM methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the strategic owner and leader of the global R&D Quality Change Management system.
• Design, develop, and improve quality systems, standards, practices, and supporting tools.
• Establish governance structures for QCM ensuring changes are identified, assessed, approved, implemented, communicated, and monitored.
• Harmonize QCM processes and standards across R&D for consistency.
• Lead a global network of QCM SMEs and practitioners and promote knowledge sharing.
• Advise internal R&D stakeholders with QCM guidance, regulatory updates, issue resolution, and process implementation support.
• Oversee creation and maintenance of process documentation, SOPs, and training materials.
• Define, monitor, and report key quality and risk metrics for leadership and improvement.
• Ensure organization-wide inspection readiness and respond during Health Authority inspections.
• Monitor external regulatory trends and advocate for QCM maturity within the company.

Skills

Leadership

Quality management

Regulatory knowledge

Cross-functional influence

Stakeholder engagement

Mentoring SMEs

Education

Bachelor’s or advanced degree in life sciences, engineering, or related field

Job description

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 at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

Job Description

The Associate Director, Quality Change Management is the strategic leader for R&D Quality Change Management within AbbVie’s Global Quality Systems team. This role drives enterprise-wide standardization and excellence by providing expert oversight and promoting proactive identification, communication, implementation, and governance of change in alignment with global regulatory requirements and industry standards. The Associate Director also leads the QCM Quality System Network, comprising subject matter experts and change practitioners across R&D.

Responsibilities:

The Associate Director, Quality Change Management is responsible to:

• Serve as the strategic owner and leader of the global R&D Quality Change Management (QCM) system, driving sustainable excellence and compliance across functions.
• Design, develop, and continuously improve quality systems, standards, practices, and supporting tools, ensuring alignment with evolving regulatory and industry expectations.
• Establish and maintain robust governance structures for QCM, ensuring changes are consistently identified, assessed, approved, implemented, communicated, and monitored in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements.
• Champion and harmonize QCM processes, documentation, and standards across R&D to achieve consistency and operational alignment.
• Lead and mentor a global network of QCM subject matter experts (SMEs) and practitioners, fostering an enterprise-wide culture of knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and best practice adoption.
• Act as the primary consultant and advisor to internal R&D stakeholders, providing QCM guidance, regulatory updates, issue resolution, and process implementation support.
• Oversee the creation, maintenance, and harmonization of process documentation, SOPs, and training materials to ensure effective knowledge transfer and compliance.
• Define, monitor, and report on key quality and risk metrics, using data-driven insights to inform leadership, drive continuous improvement, and ensure accountability.
• Ensure organization-wide inspection readiness; represent the company during Health Authority inspections, including responding to and defending QCM practices and policies.
• Proactively monitor and influence external regulatory trends and industry standards, advocating for the organization and elevating QCM maturity at both the company and industry level.

Qualifications

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in a scientific discipline, life sciences, engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 8 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry (or 5+ years with an MS/PhD), with relevant focus in quality change management.
• Proven leadership experience in matrixed, cross-functional environments, with demonstrated ability to influence without direct authority.
• Extensive hands-on experience in Quality Change Management (QCM), covering multiple domains such as Clinical Operations, Pharmacovigilance, pre-Clinical, or Manufacturing.
• Deep knowledge of global regulatory frameworks, inspection readiness, compliance standards, and QCM methodologies
• Demonstrated capability to standardize and scale quality and change management processes globally to enhance operational efficiency and reduce complexity.
• Strong change agility, with a track record of effectively leading organizations through ambiguity and transformation while balancing competing priorities.
• Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and mentoring skills, including experience engaging with senior leadership and developing SMEs.

Additional Information

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 Companybelieves ingood faith it will pay for this role at the timeof this posting based on the job grade for this position.Individualcompensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, andwemayultimatelypaymore or less than the posted range. This range may bemodifiedin thefuture.
• We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick),medical/dental/visioninsurance and 401(k) to eligibleemployees.
• This job is eligible toparticipatein our long-term incentiveprograms.

Note: No amount of payis considered to bewages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, anddeterminable.The amount and availability of any bonus,commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form ofcompensation and benefitsthat are allocable to a particular employeeremainsin the Company's sole andabsolutediscretion unless and until paid andmay bemodifiedat the Company’s sole and absolute discretion, consistent withapplicable 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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https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html