Associate Director - Drug Product Design and Development

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 – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.

The Drug Product Design and Development (DPDD) group within the Small Molecule CMC organization at AbbVie is responsible for the design and development of drug products that enable the delivery of AbbVie’s candidate synthetic molecules in dosage forms to support various stages of clinical evaluation, from proof of concept to pivotal studies and life cycle innovation. DPDD collaborates with cross functional teams to devise an integrated and phase appropriate drug product development strategy, design and execute studies to develop bioavailable, stable and manufacturable drug products, and ensure timely delivery of clinical supplies. DPDD is also accountable for optimizing formulation and manufacturing processes to develop commercializable drug products for Phase 3 clinical studies, meeting the needs of the patients we serve and ensuring consistent production of high-quality drug products.

Job Description:

AbbVie's DPDD organization is seeking a highly motivated and talented leader with experience and expertise in developing drug products for a Associate Director/Principal Research Scientist II/ position to join our team based in North Chicago, IL. The candidate will work with cross-functional teams to develop drug delivery and formulation strategies, lead the design, characterization and understanding of formulations/processes, as well as explore delivery technologies for therapeutic peptides.  In this role, the candidate will play a crucial role as a project lead within dynamic, engaging, and cross functional teams with the ability to apply expertise and leadership skills to advise teams, solve complex problems and drive innovation. The candidate is also expected to foster productive collaborations and demonstrate effective communication within scientific teams and senior CMC management. 

Responsibilities:

• Leads a team of scientists to perform development studies to deliver drug products.
• Develops and implements a strategy that aligns with functional goals and key scientific objectives.
• Identifies emerging scientific trends from internal and external sources and incorporates relevant opportunities into longer-term functional strategies.
• Champions the development, implementation, and promotion of innovative drug delivery technologies.
• Serves as a proactive, responsible, and collaborative scientific leader on cross functional development project teams and supports drug product development.
• Builds strong relationships and collaboratively drives activities with other functional units.  
• Prepares and delivers concise scientific presentations and publications within and outside of AbbVie.
• Participates in internal and external initiatives/working groups to influence scientific thinking and approaches in the industry.
• Responsible for compliance with all applicable AbbVie policies and procedures.
• Understand and adhere to corporate standards regarding code of conduct, safety, and GXP compliance.
• Proactively advises and shares knowledge and expert opinions with subordinates, peers, and senior management.

*This position will be required to sit on-site 3 days / week* 

• Ph.D. (8+ yr experience), Master (14+ yr experience) or Bachelors (16+ yr experience) in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Material Sciences or related field.
• Strong theoretical background and practical experiences in formulation design and pharmaceutical technologies.
• Experience in developing oral peptide for clinical/commercial drug products is highly desirable.
• A comprehensive understanding of strategies and technologies for oral delivery of peptides is preferable.
• A proven track of record in drug product development experience.
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements for oral drug products.
• Demonstration of creative 'out of the box' thinking to solve complex technical problems and champion new technologies to drive changes in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills for effective leadership and stakeholder collaboration.
• Experience in managing cross-functional teams.

Key Competencies:

• Delivers business results while also positioning AbbVie for long-term success.
• Builds strong relationships with peers and collaborates cross-functionally with partners outside of team to enable higher performance.
• Learns fast, grasps the "essence”, and can change course quickly where indicated.
• Raises the bar and is never satisfied with the status quo.
• Creates a learning environment, open to suggestions and experimentation for improvement.
• Embraces the ideas of others, nurtures innovation and manages innovation to reality.

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 short-term incentive programs. ​

• This job is eligible to participate in our long-term incentive programs​

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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, serving our community and embracing diversity and inclusion.  It is AbbVie’s policy to employ qualified persons of the greatest ability without discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected group status.

US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html 

US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more:

https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html