IT Program Manager

Abbott Laboratories; Waukegan (IL); On-site; USD 113,000 - 227,000; Full time

Job summary

Abbott Laboratories in IL/OH is seeking an IT Program Manager to lead cross-functional, highly complex IT programs, with emphasis on Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS). You will partner with business and IT leaders to define scope, goals, and governance, ensuring delivery on time and within budget.

The role requires strong leadership, stakeholder management, and governance skills, with a track record of delivering large programs in regulated

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or a related field.
• Minimum of 9 years of experience in IT project management, business systems analysis, solution delivery, or related disciplines, including at least 6 years managing multiple, concurrent projects and programs.
• Experience leading project delivery through third-party vendors, consulting partners, and solution integrators.
• Demonstrated expertise in project and program management methodologies, tools, governance frameworks, and delivery best practices.
• Experience working in regulated environments, including validated systems supporting medical device, pharmaceutical, healthcare, or life sciences organizations; experience with regulated environments is preferred.
• Proven track record of successfully delivering large-scale, complex programs that meet business objectives, timelines, and budget commitments.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, negotiation, and leadership skills.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with experience engaging and presenting to senior leadership and executive-level stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, coordination, execution, monitoring, and successful delivery of highly complex IT programs.
• Coordinate internal teams, business stakeholders, external vendors, and solution integrators.
• Identify, assess, and manage scope changes, issues, risks, and dependencies with sponsors.
• Monitor program performance against timelines and budgets; implement corrective actions.
• Develop and execute comprehensive project plans; secure resources and approvals.
• Provide executive-level reporting, dashboards, and governance reviews.
• Coordinate resource allocation across initiatives and align priorities.
• Lead, mentor cross-functional teams including project managers, analysts, and developers.
• Ensure compliance with corporate, regulatory, and IT policies.
• Exercise decision-making authority on budgets, schedules, and resources.
• Deliver mission-critical solutions across divisions.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Program governance

Communication

Risk management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or a related field

Tools

Microsoft Project

Jira

Confluence

Job description

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.

At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and your 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. Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year. An excellent retirement savings plan with a 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 worldwide 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 the best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

The Opportunity

The IT Program Manager will be responsible for leading the planning, coordination, execution, monitoring, and successful delivery of highly complex, cross-functional IT programs that align with organizational priorities and strategic business objectives. This role requires strong leadership, stakeholder management, and program governance capabilities to ensure initiatives are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget while maintaining high standards of quality and compliance. This position plays a critical role in enabling the successful delivery of technology projects and programs within the Business Support Services organization, with a primary focus on the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) domains. The Program Manager will serve as a key liaison between business stakeholders, IT teams, vendors, and leadership to drive alignment, manage dependencies, mitigate risks, and ensure business value realization. The successful candidate will oversee a portfolio of initiatives supporting product lifecycle and laboratory operations. They will facilitate strategic planning, roadmap alignment with Business relationship manager, resource management, and governance processes while promoting adoption of best practices in program and project management. Additionally, the role will champion continuous improvement, operational excellence, and innovation by leveraging technology solutions that enhance efficiency, data integrity, and collaboration across the enterprise. Through effective leadership and communication, the IT Program Manager will help advance the organization's digital transformation objectives, ensuring PLM and LIMS capabilities evolve to meet the growing needs of the business.

What You’ll Work On

• Partner with business and IT leadership to establish program goals, objectives, scope, success criteria, and key deliverables, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and strategic initiatives.
• Lead the delivery of complex, cross-functional projects and programs by coordinating internal teams, business stakeholders, external vendors, third‑party solution integrators, and divisional IT resources.
• Proactively identify, assess, and manage project scope changes, issues, risks, and dependencies, partnering with sponsors and stakeholders to develop mitigation strategies and drive timely resolution.
• Monitor program performance against approved timelines, budgets, and business objectives, implementing corrective actions as needed to ensure successful outcomes.
• Develop and execute comprehensive project and program plans, secure required resources, facilitate lessons learned, and obtain final stakeholder and sponsor approvals.
• Communicate project and program status through executive-level reporting, dashboards, and governance reviews, providing actionable insights and recommendations to support decision‑making.
• Coordinate and optimize resource allocation across multiple initiatives, ensuring priorities are aligned and team members are effectively assigned based on skills, experience, and capacity.
• Lead, motivate, and mentor cross‑functional and cross‑divisional teams, including project managers, business analysts, developers, validation analysts, and other key contributors.
• Ensure compliance with applicable corporate, divisional, quality, regulatory, and IT policies, standards, and procedures.
• Exercise decision‑making authority related to project budgets, schedules, resource allocation, and program execution within established governance frameworks.
• Deliver mission‑critical solutions that support business operations, product development, laboratory processes, and enterprise objectives across one or more divisions.

Education and Experience, You’ll Bring

Bachelor’s degree in business, Computer Science or related field or an equivalent combination of education and work experience

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, Engineering, Business, or a related field.
• Minimum of 9 years of experience in IT project management, business systems analysis, solution delivery, or related disciplines, including at least 6 years managing multiple, concurrent projects and programs.
• Experience leading project delivery through third‑party vendors, consulting partners, and solution integrators.
• Demonstrated expertise in project and program management methodologies, tools, governance frameworks, and delivery best practices.
• Experience working in regulated environments, including validated systems supporting medical device, pharmaceutical, healthcare, or life sciences organizations; experience with regulated environments is preferred.
• Proven track record of successfully delivering large‑scale, complex programs that meet business objectives, timelines, and budget commitments.
• Excellent communication, problem‑solving, negotiation, and leadership skills.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with experience engaging and presenting to senior leadership and executive‑level stakeholders.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, navigate ambiguity, and drive alignment across cross‑functional and cross‑divisional teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) and/or Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) is strongly preferred
• Working knowledge of software delivery methodologies, including Agile, Scrum, and Waterfall, as well as project management and collaboration tools such as Microsoft Project, Jira, and Confluence.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, including executive‑level presence and the ability to communicate complex concepts clearly, concisely, and confidently to senior leadership.
• Strong ability to synthesize complex information, influence decision‑making, and translate strategic objectives into actionable plans and outcomes
• Experience leading cross‑functional, geographically dispersed teams and managing competing priorities in a dynamic environment.

MISC

This is an onsite role based in IL/OH This is NOT a remote role/opportunity.

Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott, and on Twitter @AbbottNews.

The base pay for this position is $113,300.00 – $226,700.00 In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.

JOB FAMILY: IT Services & Solutions Delivery DIVISION: BTS Business Technology Services LOCATION: United States > Waukegan : J46 ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS: United States > Columbus : 2900 Easton Square Place WORK SHIFT: Standard TRAVEL: Yes, 10 % of the Time MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE: Not Applicable SIGNIFICANT WORK ACTIVITIES: Continuous sitting for prolonged periods (more than 2 consecutive hours in an 8 hour day), Keyboard use (greater or equal to 50% of the workday) Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities/Women/Individuals with Disabilities/Protected Veterans.

Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities/Women/Individuals with Disabilities/Protected Veterans. EEO is the Law link - English: http://webstorage.abbott.com/common/External/EEO_English.pdf

EEO is the Law link - Espanol: http://webstorage.abbott.com/common/External/EEO_Spanish.pdf

Abbott is about the power of health. For more than 135 years, Abbott has been helping people reach their potential — because better health allows people and communities to achieve more. With a diverse, global network serving customers in more than 160 countries, we create new solutions — across the spectrum of health, around the world, for all stages of life. Whether it’s next‑generation diagnostics, life‑changing devices, science‑based nutrition, or novel reformulations, we are advancing some of the most innovative and revolutionary technologies in healthcare, helping people live their best lives through better health.

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