Associate Director, Category Management at AbbVie — Florham Park, NJ

The Associate Director, Category Management of Primary Packaging Injectables partners with VP-level business or functional stakeholders to develop global procurement strategies, define strategic value drivers with key category suppliers, secure collaborative partnerships, and achieve ambitious performance targets aligned with organizational goals.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end procurement processes, develop global procurement strategies, monitor contracts, and execute process improvements to ensure efficiency and excellence in the Primary Packaging Injectables category.
• Build a comprehensive annual strategic plan for the category, incorporating strategies that align with overall business goals.
• Lead a cross-functional team, primarily within AbbVie manufacturing sites, to inform strategic decision-making by leveraging market intelligence and staying abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and market dynamics.
• Define and develop strategic value drivers with key category suppliers to secure collaborative partnerships that challenge the status quo, achieve cost savings, optimize processes, and enhance overall procurement value.
• Integrate sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) measures into category strategies, collaborating with suppliers to enhance sustainable and responsible sourcing practices.
• Lead Supplier Management & Innovation (SMI) strategies, driving innovation with key suppliers and collaborating to enact creative and cutting-edge solutions that meet long-term business needs.
• Develop and activate mitigation strategies to proactively identify and manage procurement risk across the Primary Packaging Injectables category, ensuring compliance.
• Ensure effective project management from initiation to completion, directing and guiding cross-functional teams to deliver strategic category-related projects. Identify opportunities for process optimization and efficiency gains, leveraging data analytics to develop long-term continuous improvement programs that achieve strategic objectives.
• Own negotiation preparation and alignment, and lead negotiations with key category suppliers using strong analytical insight and a strategic, long-term perspective.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Mgmt or related field. Master’s degree is preferred
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in procurement, supply chain, or related business or operations function.
• Previous experience leading category teams, partnering with major suppliers, and reporting to senior leaders.
• Strong proficiency in developing high-impact executive-level deliverables.
• Knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry is strongly preferred.
• Comprehensive expertise in category management, including market analysis, cost and financial assessment, ensuring strategic and informed procurement decisions. Fluency in negotiation and bidding, adept in overseeing complex projects with a focus on effective change management.
• Strong capabilities in internal stakeholder management and influence, aligning procurement strategies with business needs and fostering collaborative supplier relationships.
• Strategic thinking and accountability, anticipating future trends, and taking responsibility for impactful procurement outcomes that challenge the status quo.
• Innovative problem-solving skills combined with a significant executive presence, enabling creative solutions and influential communication at all organizational levels. High cross-functional leadership abilities, conflict resolution skills, effectively navigating & harmonizing diverse team dynamics.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, facilitating empathetic interactions, effective communication, and robust relationship-building across a matrixed organization. High resilience under pressure and autonomous work ethic, maintaining performance in challenging situations and making independent decisions.

• 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.