AbbVie

Associate Director, Business Process Owner

AbbVie • $130K — $155K *
North Chicago, IL 60064In-Person
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
8 - 10 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred in life sciences, engineering, or related discipline.
  • 8+ years in Pharmaceutical, Healthcare, or regulated industry; specific experience with clinical development and GxP.
  • 5+ years in process management and continuous improvement with a focus on high-complexity processes.
  • Strong understanding of clinical operations and regulatory context for effective risk management.
  • Proven leadership and stakeholder management skills with a track record in transformative change.

Responsibilities

  • Own and optimize high-complexity clinical business processes throughout their lifecycle, ensuring stakeholder alignment.
  • Establish and uphold a governance model for consistent global execution across clinical processes.
  • Monitor process health through KPIs and conduct reviews, proactively identifying risks for escalation.
  • Translate complex regulatory needs into process requirements and ensure documentation quality.
  • Serve as the key contact for process inquiries and maintain comprehensive process knowledge content.
  • Lead cross-functional teams to align priorities and manage stakeholder interests transparently.
  • Collaborate on change management strategies to facilitate training and adoption across the organization.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holidays, and sick leave.
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance options available.
  • 401(k) plan offered to eligible employees.
  • Opportunity to participate in long-term incentive programs.
Full Job Description
Job Description

Purpose Statement

The Associate Director, Clinical Business Process Owner (BPO) is accountable for continually optimizing high-complexity, end-to-end clinical business processes - defined as process areas with a high number of cross-functional stakeholders and significant process steps - including leading the cross-functional working teams that identify and define improvement opportunities and ensure accurate documentation, training, compliance, and system alignment. The Associate Director, BPO will identify, plan, and execute opportunities to drive innovative, enterprise-aligned process excellence and deliver on organizational strategies, goals, and objectives. They serve as the primary point of contact for continuous process improvement and change management activities for their assigned processes, and communicate key updates and strategic recommendations to senior leadership for alignment and endorsement.

Major Responsibilities
  1. Serve as the accountable owner for assigned high-complexity clinical business processes across their lifecycle (Engage 12 Evaluate 12 Execute 12 Measure 12 Sustain), defining process scope, intended outcomes, and decision rights; operate with significant independence to partner with functional leaders and SMEs to streamline and optimize complex, cross-functional process areas.
  2. Establish and maintain an end-to-end process governance model (standards, forums, escalations, and stakeholder alignment) to ensure consistent global execution and a unified, authoritative voice to the business across high-complexity domains.
  3. Own process health and sustainability by defining and monitoring key process signals and KPIs, performing periodic process reviews and listening sessions with stakeholders, identifying emerging risks, and driving timely mitigation and continuous improvement; escalate strategic risks to leadership for decision on alignment.
  4. Translate complex business and regulatory needs into clear process requirements and partner with Process Excellence roles (e.g., process design/engineering) to ensure documentation is complete, consistent, and inspection-ready across high-complexity areas.
  5. Act as the authoritative point of contact for process questions within the domain; curate and maintain process knowledge content and ensure fit-for-purpose guidance for end users, proactively alerting leadership of trends, knowledge gaps, and remediation plans.
  6. Lead cross-functional and GBO working teams to align priorities, trade-offs, and adoption plans; manage competing stakeholder interests and navigate ambiguity to ensure decisions are transparent, strategic, and durable.
  7. Partner with stakeholders to ensure change narratives, communications, and role-based training enable effective adoption and sustained performance across complex, multi-stakeholder process domains.
  8. Coordinate and coach a domain SME network to support process adherence, identify improvement opportunities, and reinforce standard ways of working; embed innovation and digital/AI enablement into process oversight where appropriate.
  9. Partner with system and business owners to ensure process-to-system alignment, impact assessment for changes, and effective implementation support (e.g., acceptance criteria, UAT input, and readiness planning).
  10. May manage 0-4 direct reports; responsible for performance management, development planning, and building a high-performing, accountable team culture.


Qualifications
  • Bachelor19s degree required; advanced degree strongly preferred (e.g., life sciences, engineering, or related discipline).
  • Minimum 8 years in Pharmaceutical, Healthcare, or a regulated industry; 6+ years with Master19s, 4+ years with PhD (required); demonstrated experience owning and governing end-to-end business processes in a regulated environment (clinical development, GxP, quality systems, or similar).
  • Minimum 5+ years of process management and continuous improvement experience preferred; demonstrated experience managing high-complexity processes with a high number of cross-functional stakeholders.
  • Strong understanding of clinical development operations and the regulatory/inspection context; ability to apply this knowledge to process decisions and risk management.
  • Proven ability to lead cross-functional alignment and stakeholder management, including conflict resolution and escalation when needed; track record of delivering impactful, transformative change in a complex matrixed organization.
  • Experience defining process performance measures, monitoring process health, and driving continuous improvement using data and structured problem solving; strong business insight and ability to generate robust business cases and impact analyses.
  • Familiarity with process design and documentation standards and methods (e.g., process mapping/BPMN, Lean/Six Sigma concepts), including partnering effectively with process architects/engineers.
  • Experience partnering with technology/system owners on process-to-system alignment and change impacts (requirements, readiness, and UAT support).
  • Strong change leadership skills, including partnering on communications, training alignment, and adoption/sustainment planning.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate complex process topics into clear guidance for diverse audiences, including senior leadership. Understanding of Lean/Six Sigma; Black Belt, BPMP, or similar preferred.

Key Stakeholders
  • Clinical Development Operations functional leaders and operational teams (process users)
  • Process Excellence partners (process architects/engineers; process experts/domain leads)
  • Strategy/portfolio/prioritization partners (as applicable)
  • Quality, compliance, and inspection readiness partners
  • Change Engagement and change management partners
  • Learning/training partners
  • Business system owners and technology partners supporting the process domain
  • Cross-functional SMEs and governance forum participants


Additional Information

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 Company19s sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company19s sole and absolute discretion, consistent with applicable law.

About AbbVie

AbbVie develops pharmaceuticals and medical devices. They provide products and services to therapeutic areas including immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women's health, and gastroenterology.

AbbVie Careers

Joining AbbVie means becoming part of a global team dedicated to making a remarkable impact on patients' lives. At AbbVie, our employees are united in the pursuit of groundbreaking innovation and are committed to transforming the future of healthcare with leading-edge science.

Work You’ll Do

At AbbVie, you’ll collaborate with some of the brightest minds in the industry to solve challenging problems that have a high impact on society. Our culture fosters growth and embraces leadership and diversity training, ensuring that every team member can thrive.

Explore Job Opportunities

AbbVie offers a wide range of job opportunities and career paths, providing a platform where professionals can propel their careers forward. From research and development to marketing and sales, the potential to make a significant impact is limitless.

Internship Programs

Kickstart your career with an AbbVie internship. Our programs provide invaluable industry experience and a chance to develop essential skills in a real-world setting. Interns at AbbVie are considered integral members of the team and are given tasks that are both challenging and rewarding.

Professional Growth and Development

We believe in nurturing our team's professional growth through comprehensive training programs, leadership development opportunities, and continuous learning. Our commitment to your career growth is reflected in our robust offerings that enhance your skills and knowledge.

Benefits and Culture

AbbVie is dedicated to supporting our employees' well-being both inside and outside of work. Our benefits package includes health, financial, and social benefits that are designed to support the diverse needs of our employees. Our inclusive culture encourages collaboration and innovation, fostering a workplace where all can excel.

Hiring Process

Our hiring process is designed to ensure a match that will be beneficial both for the company and for your career aspirations. From resume submission to interview, each step is an opportunity to showcase your skills and fit with the AbbVie team.

Networking and Career Advancement

At AbbVie, networking doesn’t just enhance your career; it propels it. We encourage our employees to engage internally and externally to build relationships that foster personal and professional growth.

Join Our Team

Search open positions that match your skills and interests. We are looking for passionate, curious, and innovative team players who are ready to make a difference.

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Explore AbbVie Jobs

Whether you’re seeking to advance your career in a dynamic and empowering environment, or looking for a place where you can innovate, lead, and contribute to something bigger, AbbVie is the place for you. Join us in our mission to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow.
Learn more about AbbVie
Size
50,000 employees
Market Cap
$288.5 billion
Industry
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
Net Income
$4.6 billion
Founded
2013
5 Year Trend
+17%
Revenue
$45.8 billion
NASDAQ
ABBV
* Ladders Estimates

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