Associate Director, Operations AI Adoption at AbbVie — Worcester, MA

As Program Manager at ME&C, you are responsible for leading cross-functional teams to bring new or updated medical devices and combination products into commercial manufacturing. You oversee the transfer of products to manufacturing, integrate new suppliers into the supply network, and set up large-scale operations to support clinical trials, market registration, and product launches. Your role involves turning business goals into actionable project plans, establishing clear deliverables and milestones, removing barriers to success, managing risks, and driving collaboration across Manufacturing, Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain. You are expected to be proactive, organized, and a strong leader, ensuring all teams work together to achieve program goals and deliver exceptional value.

Responsibilities

• Using a collection of program management tools, independently define and document the program scope, execution strategies, resources, deliverables and milestones. Create, implement and maintain PM tools.
• Develop cost estimates, secure funding/resources through Financial Planning and Long-Range Planning processes, manage the program per plan, report actual and forecasted spend and resolve financial variances.
• Assemble and lead cross-functional resources in a manner that results in the formation of effective, inclusive, high-performing teams with success-oriented focus. Mentor and develop program and project managers.
• Articulate the program execution strategy, deliverables and milestones to appropriate internal and external stakeholders maintaining a clear, consistent narrative to foster engagement, understanding and alignment.
• Work collaboratively with the program team to implement effective program governance structures, work breakdown structures, roles and responsibilities, integrated timelines and communication plans.
• Develop risk mitigation and contingency plans; implement as needed to keep the program on track.
• Identify and realize opportunities that result in acceleration, efficiency and cost avoidance/reduction. Understand and integrate changes in the global landscape for device and combination product industrialization, global quality and regulatory requirements and pathways for approval/market access in programs to deliver acceleration and value.
• Ensure the program team and stakeholders are aligned and the program is being executed efficiently. Manage competing timelines and make difficult decisions regarding priorities across the program. Drive rapid identification, communication and resolution of issues. Enable informed decision making, robust cross-functional problem solving and continuous improvement of program management practices and tools.
• Plan and facilitate program meetings, document minutes and actions, follow-up on closure, and hold team members accountable for decisions and deliverables.
• Ensure that programs and projects are technically and financially closed out upon completion and any on-going responsibilities are formally transferred to appropriate parties.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in engineering, science, or a closely related discipline.

Advanced degrees and certifications such as Program Management Professional (PMP) are a plus

• 15+ years of combined professional experience in manufacturing, engineering, technical operations or supply chain for a pharma/biotech/device manufacturer. Manufacturing experience is required.
• Minimum of 5 years of program and/or project management experience.
• Experience with product transfer from development to operations. Experience with industrialization/qualification of drug product fill/finish, device manufacturing and combination product assembly, labeling and packaging operations.
• Exposure to quality systems, design controls, product labeling, regulatory submission strategy/preparations and product launch/commercial supply are a plus.
• Fluent with MS Excel, MS Project and MS PowerPoint. Experience with MS Teams, SharePoint, Power BI/Smartsheet and open AI a plus.
• Ability to create program charters, execution strategies, milestone tables, Gantt timelines, MS Project schedules, work breakdown structures, RACI matrices, risk registers, material demand and supply plans.
• Excellent program and stakeholder management, written/verbal communication, active listening, negotiating, influencing and multi-tasking skills.
• Strong financial skills and business acumen. Must be able to effectively facilitate cross-functional resolution of complex scientific, technical, analytical and business issues.
• Proficiency in multiple languages is a plus.

• 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.