Engineering Director, Preanalytics Solutions

Abbott Laboratories; Lake Forest (IL); On-site; USD 149,000 - 299,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free medical coverage for employees

Excellent retirement savings plan

Tuition reimbursement and educationBEN

Global company with growth opportunity

Job summary

Abbott Laboratories in Illinois seeks a transformational engineering executive to lead global systems engineering, software, architecture, cybersecurity, cloud, data, DevOps, quality, and UX for the AlinIQ preanalytics portfolio. This leader will define and execute the technology strategy for next-generation laboratory automation solutions that optimize specimen flow and operational efficiency.

The successful candidate will partner with Product Management, Regulatory Affairs, Quality,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field.
• 15+ years of software engineering and technology leadership experience.
• 10+ years leading large global engineering organizations across multiple disciplines.
• 5+ years collaborating with onshore/offshore teams.
• Proven success delivering complex hardware-software integrated systems in regulated industries.
• Subject matter expertise in RFID, Bluetooth, NFC, WiFi, GPS.
• Deep expertise in client-server, microservices, cloud-native architectures.
• Experience with legacy modernization, cloud migration, and platform consolidation.
• Extensive experience with SQL and NoSQL data systems and analytics.

Responsibilities

• Define long-term technology strategy and architecture roadmap for the preanalytics portfolio.
• Lead modernization across legacy platforms, edge computing, and cloud-native SaaS offerings.
• Drive engineering excellence across firmware, embedded, cloud, and security domains.
• Oversee workflow orchestration, robotics integration, telemetry, and analytics capabilities.
• Lead DevOps/DevSecOps, CI/CD, site reliability, and software lifecycle management.

Skills

Software engineering leadership

Enterprise software

Cloud engineering

DevOps

Cybersecurity

Data engineering

AI/ML

Regulated industries experience

Healthcare IT

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

PhD

Tools

PostgreSQL

NoSQL databases

HL7/FHIR

API platforms

CI/CD tooling

Job description

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 122,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

WORKING AT ABBOTT:

At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and family, be your true self and live a full life. You’ll also have access to:

• Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of
• Free medical coverage for employees* via the Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO
• An excellent retirement savings plan with high employer contribution
• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree
• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries around the world and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune
• A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as a best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists

THE OPPORTUNITY

Abbott is seeking a transformational engineering executive to lead the global systems engineering, software engineering, architecture, cybersecurity, cloud engineering, data engineering, DevOps, quality engineering, and user experience organizations responsible for the AlinIQ preanalytics portfolio, including AlinIQ Indexor. This leader will define and execute the technology strategy for next-generation pre-analytical laboratory automation solutions that optimize specimen flow, laboratory efficiency, throughput, quality, and clinical operations.

The successful candidate will partner closely with Product Management, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, Operations, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Commercial organizations to deliver an integrated software and automation ecosystem connecting track systems, robotics, analyzers, middleware, laboratory information systems, enterprise healthcare applications, and cloud-based platforms.

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON

• Define and execute the long-term technology strategy and architecture roadmap for the preanalytics portfolio, ensuring alignment with business objectives, customer needs, and emerging laboratory automation trends.
• Lead modernization initiatives spanning legacy hardware/software platforms, systems, edge computing solutions, hybrid architectures, and cloud-native SaaS offerings.
• Drive firmware, embedded and user-facing software, systems, cloud, cybersecurity, data, and platform engineering excellence across globally distributed development organizations.
• Oversee development of workflow orchestration, specimen routing, automation control, robotics integration, telemetry, operational analytics, and interoperability capabilities.
• Lead implementation of world-class DevOps, DevSecOps, CI/CD, quality engineering, site reliability engineering, and software lifecycle management practices.
• Advance AI, machine learning, predictive analytics, digital twin, and intelligent automation initiatives that improve laboratory throughput, utilization, and operational efficiency.
• Ensure secure handling of PHI, PII, operational data, and healthcare information through secure-by-design and privacy-by-design engineering principles.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Fifteen or more years of progressive software engineering and technology leadership experience, including responsibility for enterprise hardware, embedded, and software platforms, architecture, and product development.
• Ten or more years of experience leading large global engineering organizations across software engineering, systems engineering, architecture, cybersecurity, cloud operations, DevOps, quality engineering, and platform engineering disciplines.
• Five or more years of experience working with onshore and offshore development teams with a history of effective collaboration and outcomes-based partnership.
• Demonstrated success delivering complex hardware-software integrated systems in diagnostics, healthcare, laboratory automation, industrial automation, robotics, manufacturing automation, or similarly regulated industries.
• Subject matter expertise in RFID, barcode, Bluetooth, near-field communications, WiFi, GPS and other technologies.
• Deep expertise across client-server, service-oriented, distributed, event-driven, microservices, hybrid cloud, edge computing, and cloud-native SaaS architectures.
• Significant experience driving legacy modernization, digital transformation, technical debt reduction, platform consolidation, and cloud migration initiatives.
• Extensive experience with SQL (e.g. PostgreSQL) and No-SQL database systems, telemetry platforms, enterprise data architectures, and analytics environments.
• Strong knowledge of Agile development, DevOps, DevSecOps, Infrastructure as Code, Continuous Integration, Continuous Delivery, automated testing, and release automation practices.
• Proven experience establishing secure software development lifecycle practices including threat modeling, vulnerability management, penetration testing, identity management, and cybersecurity governance.
• Demonstrated experience protecting PHI, PII, and sensitive customer and healthcare information while meeting global privacy and cybersecurity requirements.
• Experience operating within regulated product development environments supporting design controls, risk management, requirements traceability, verification and validation, configuration management, and audit readiness.
• Exceptional executive communication, financial management, stakeholder leadership, organizational design, workforce planning, and talent development capabilities.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree or PhD in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Robotics, Automation Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, or a related discipline.
• Experience leading engineering organizations supporting laboratory diagnostics, laboratory automation, pre-analytical automation, healthcare informatics, medical devices, or digital health platforms.
• Deep expertise in pre-analytical laboratory workflows including specimen accessioning, sorting, transportation, routing, storage, tracking, and workflow optimization.
• Strong understanding of digital transformation in laboratory medicine, including connected diagnostics, intelligent laboratory workflows, operational analytics, interoperability, automation, and workflow orchestration technologies.
• Experience integrating analyzers, automation systems, robotic workcells, Laboratory Information Systems, middleware platforms, EMR and EHR systems, and enterprise healthcare applications.
• Expertise with HL7, FHIR, API-driven interoperability, and healthcare integration frameworks.
• Experience building and scaling cloud-native SaaS healthcare platforms and connected digital ecosystems.
• Demonstrated success implementing Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Generative AI, Computer Vision, predictive analytics, digital twin technologies, and intelligent automation solutions.
• Strong understanding of user-centered design, usability engineering, accessibility, and workflow-focused customer experience design.
• Knowledge of IEC 62304, ISO 13485, ISO 14971, FDA Quality System Regulations, EU MDR, and healthcare cybersecurity guidance.
• Experience building high-performing global engineering cultures focused on innovation, accountability, quality, customer success, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.

The base pay for this position is $149,300.00 – $298,700.00. In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.