Director, Process Safety and Design

AbbVie; Worcester (MA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

401(k) participation

Paid time off

Job summary

AbbVie is looking for a Process Safety Leader in Worcester, Massachusetts. This high-visibility position involves working directly with executive leadership to drive process safety across the global manufacturing network.

Key responsibilities include developing a safety strategy, leading a diverse team, and ensuring compliance with safety standards. Ideal candidates should have a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering and over 15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical or chemical industry.

Qualifications

• 15+ years’ experience in pharmaceutical or chemical industries.
• Ability to partner with and influence senior leadership.
• Proven track record in process design and safety.

Responsibilities

• Establish a process safety strategy for global manufacturing.
• Drive global network Process Hazard Analysis efforts.
• Lead process safety reviews for major capital projects.

Skills

Leadership and coaching

Process engineering

Safety management

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering

Master’s degree preferred

Job 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.

Job Description

Reporting directly to the Vice President of Global Engineering, this role will have high visibility to the Operations executive leadership team as a key leader and globally recognized Subject Matter Expert. You will share your knowledge and expertise to ensure that we deliver best-in-class process design in the projects that we execute and throughout our global manufacturing network. In this role, you will be expected to bring new ideas, industry best practices and innovative solutions so that we are continuously ensuring our manufacturing facilities operate at the highest standards of engineering design and process safety.

• Establish a process safety strategy for the global manufacturing network and provide leadership with regular updates on manufacturing sites and continuous improvement initiatives related to Process Safety Management (PSM).
• Engage globally across all manufacturing sites, collaborating with site leadership to create defined timelines for the implementation of process safety recommendations and continuous improvement goals. Jointly responsible with Site Directors to ensure that timelines are achieved.
• With your team of SMEs, drive global network Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) efforts, capital project design reviews, process safety training and other process safety initiatives.
• Design, develop, implement and monitor the process safety roadmap for the global network with an overarching focus to drive standardized processes, reduce risk, eliminate failure modes and ensure global compliance.
• Leverage your background in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry or a related technical field to provide technical support to the global network of sites on design and process safety related issues.
• Drive continuous improvement process safety culture across the network and serve as a visible leader for AbbVie's Zero. Believe it. Achieve it. (ZBA) philosophy.
• Lead process safety reviews during design and start-up for major capital projects across the global network. Provide technical input for Requests for Capital Expenditure (RCE) to ensure that significant safety and environmental aspects are properly integrated during the Front-End Planning design process for new product introduction, product transfer between sites, and changes to existing processes and equipment. Lead the hazard screening process for tech transfers and new product introductions.
• Develop a network dashboard of process safety related KPIs to measure continuous improvement progress. Maintain currency with industry best practices, Best Available Technologies (BAT), and trends. Share this knowledge with peers and leadership.
• Support the process safety element of internal EHS audits to ensure compliance with applicable standards and policies, adoption of best practices to identify and manage risk, and conformance to company directives.
• Lead a diverse team, selecting talent, developing people, and managing performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required in Chemical Engineering or other technical field, preferably in engineering or life sciences. Master’s degree not required, but preferred.
• Experience leading and coaching a diverse team to success, adapting leadership style as needed.
• Ability to partner with, influence, and guide decision‑making at global senior leadership level.
• 15+ years’ experience in the pharmaceutical and/or chemical industries in engineering or manufacturing support environment.
• Demonstrated experience in process engineering, process design or a technical safety discipline.
• 30% travel required due to the global nature of the position.

Additional Information

• 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 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.

US & Puerto Rico only – to learn more, visit https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html

US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more: https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html