Senior Director Process Engineering

AbbVie Inc.; North Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 300,000 - 480,000; Full time

Job summary

AbbVie seeks a Sr Director of Process Engineering for Biologics Drug Substance and Cell & Gene Therapy to set enterprise direction, governance, and delivery across multiple sites. You will lead engineering standards, interface with strategic investments, and ensure scalable, compliant manufacturing solutions for next‑gen biologics platforms.

The role partners with cross-functional teams across operations, quality, validation, EHS and external partners to drive technology deployment, lifecycle

Responsibilities

• Lead or influence process engineering strategy for biologics drug substance and CGT across multiple sites.
• Develop and deploy engineering standards, governance, and playbooks for Strategic Investments.
• Oversee design, qualification, deployment and scale-up of process platforms and technology upgrades.
• Collaborate with manufacturing sites, QA, EHS, validation and external partners to ensure safety, quality and compliance.
• Support front-end engineering and capital investment decisions with robust engineering input.

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

Position Summary

The Sr Director Process Engineering BDS CGT sets enterprise direction and senior technical governance for process engineering strategy, process platform deployment, process package design, technical assurance, manufacturing technology interfaces and project delivery for biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy manufacturing within AbbVie Strategic Investment. The role supports Strategic Investments through engineering leadership, technical expertise, standards development, technical governance and project execution support across multiple manufacturing sites, strategic investments and technology platforms. The role supports engineering activities associated with new biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy manufacturing facility investments, new production capabilities, strategic capacity creation, advanced manufacturing platforms and new technology deployments across the Strategic Investment portfolio. The role partners with Strategic Investments, manufacturing sites, operations, quality, EHS, validation / CQV and external engineering partners to deliver technically robust and business-aligned engineering solutions.

Strategic Investment Context

Strategic Investment provides engineering leadership, technical governance, standards development and project execution support across AbbVie’s Strategic Investments and strategic capital portfolio. The organization supports new biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy manufacturing facilities, new platform deployments, strategic capacity creation, advanced biologics and CGT manufacturing capabilities and standards development for emerging technologies across Strategic Investments. Strategic Investment roles are expected to promote common standards, transfer lessons learned across regions and sites, and enable consistent engineering delivery across strategic capital investments.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Investment Governance and Standards

Establish, maintain and deploy global engineering standards, technical practices and governance expectations for biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy process engineering strategy, process platform deployment, process package design, technical assurance, manufacturing technology interfaces and project delivery. Drive consistent application of technical standards, design principles, lessons learned and engineering playbooks across regions, sites and capital projects. Define enterprise standards, engineering requirements and technical guardrails for new biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy technologies, including requirements for consistent design, deployment, qualification, operation and scale-up across Strategic Investments. Ensure discipline strategies support AbbVie’s long-range Strategic Investment objectives, strategic investment programs and adoption of new technologies across future manufacturing platforms. Provide governance and escalation for technical decisions with material safety, quality, compliance, cost, schedule, operability or lifecycle impact.

Strategic New Technology and Capital Investment Support

Provide engineering leadership for strategic capital investments, including new biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy facility builds, technology platform deployments, new production capabilities, strategic capacity projects and lifecycle technology upgrades. Support front-end engineering, facility concept development, investment option evaluation, manufacturing capability assessments and site / platform planning activities for biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy assets. Partner with Strategic Investments and project leadership to ensure technical assumptions, deliverables, risks and resource needs are integrated into capital program plans. Apply Strategic Investment lessons learned and standards to improve project quality, speed, reliability and readiness across the portfolio.

Technical Leadership and Delivery

Lead or support technical decision-making for biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy process engineering strategy, process platform deployment, process package design, technical assurance, manufacturing technology interfaces and project delivery across multiple manufacturing sites, capital projects and technology platforms. Ensure engineering deliverables support safety, quality, compliance, operability, maintainability, reliability, sustainability and operational readiness. Coordinate technical input from project teams, site SMEs, external engineering partners, vendors and cross-functional stakeholders. Drive timely resolution of technical issues and ensure suitable escalation when decisions have broader project, network or business impact.

Cross-Functional Integration

Partner with Strategic Investments, manufacturing operations, quality, validation / CQV, EHS, site engineering, MS&T, supply chain, finance and related engineering disciplines. Ensure discipline decisions are integrated with biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy manufacturing strategy, network capacity, technology platform deployment, regulatory expectations and site handover needs. Facilitate collaboration across Strategic Investments, sites and project teams to avoid fragmented solutions and drive consistency across the strategic capital portfolio. Represent Strategic Investment in technical reviews, project forums and risk discussions relevant to assigned scope.

Capability Building and Continuous Improvement

Share engineering best practices, lessons learned and technical knowledge across sites, regions and projects. Build capability through coaching, mentoring, technical review discipline and development of reusable engineering practices. Promote a culture of engineering excellence, safety, quality, reliability, collaboration, accountability and proactive risk management. Support continuous improvement of Strategic Investment standards, templates, knowledge management and project delivery approaches.

Strategic Investment Leadership Expectations

Collaborate across Strategic Investments to identify, develop and deploy best practices, technical standards, lessons learned and capability-building initiatives. Promote consistency, quality, reliability, sustainability and project delivery performance across regions, sites and capital projects. Support long-range manufacturing strategy, strategic investment planning and Strategic Investment capability development. Build technical capability through coaching, mentoring, standards governance, knowledge management and cross-functional collaboration.

Stakeholder Interfaces

Strategic Investments: Investment planning, portfolio alignment, technical assumptions, front-end engineering, biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy technology deployment standards and strategic capital program support. Manufacturing Sites and Operations: Network needs, site readiness, operability, maintainability, startup, handover and operational performance support. Quality, Validation / CQV and EHS: Compliance expectations, validation strategy, qualification readiness, safety, risk review and inspection readiness interfaces. Strategic Investment Disciplines: Cross-discipline technical integration, standards, design reviews, technical issue resolution and lessons learned. External Engineering Partners, EPCM Firms, Vendors and OEMs : Technical oversight, deliverable review, issue escalation, supplier alignment and execution quality.

Technical Competencies

• Biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy process design and process package review
• Front-end engineering and concept development
• Biologics and CGT technology transfer, platform deployment and manufacturing scale-up
• Process safety and CQV interfaces
• Strategic Investment support
• Strategic capital investment and new biologics / CGT technology deployment support
• Engineering governance and standards
• Development of engineering standards and deployment requirements for emerging biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy manufacturing technologies
• Technical understanding of bioreactor, harvest, purification, single-use, closed processing, aseptic processing, viral vector, cell processing and cryogenic / cold-chain interfaces as applicable to biologics and CGT platforms
• Technical risk management
• Project execution support
• Stakeholder management
• Vendor / partner technical coordination
• GMP and regulated manufacturing awareness
• Operational readiness and handover support

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic thinking and enterprise mindset
• Matrix leadership and influence without direct authority
• Clear technical communication and executive-ready recommendations
• Risk-based decision making and issue escalation
• Collaboration across functions, sites, regions and external partners
• Capability building, mentoring and knowledge sharing
• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing technical engineering team with clear priorities, accountability, development plans and delivery expectations aligned to Strategic Investment objectives.
• Set technical direction for the engineering team, ensuring work is prioritized against safety, quality, compliance, business value, capital delivery needs and long-range manufacturing strategy.
• Build technical bench strength by identifying capability gaps, developing succession depth, mentoring senior engineers and enabling knowledge transfer across sites, projects and technology platforms.
• Create an inclusive, disciplined technical decision-making environment where engineers challenge assumptions, manage risk transparently and elevate decisions with material safety, compliance, cost, schedule or operability impact.
• Align team performance with enterprise standards by reinforcing consistent engineering practices, structured technical reviews, lessons learned adoption and measurable delivery outcomes.
• Continuous improvement and commitment to safety, quality and compliance

Working Relationships

This role works globally with Strategic Investments, Strategic Investment disciplines, biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy manufacturing sites, quality, validation / CQV, EHS, operations, MS&T, supply chain, finance, external engineering firms, technology vendors and equipment suppliers. The role is expected to operate across multiple projects, manufacturing sites and technology platforms, supporting new biologics and CGT manufacturing investments, new production capabilities and enterprise standards for emerging biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy technologies.

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 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.

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