Director II - Information Research (IR) Business Operations & Academic Partnerships

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

Job Description

The Director II, Information Research Business Operations & Academic Partnerships is a senior enterprise leader responsible for end-to-end operational, financial, and strategic enablement of the Information Research (IR) organization within Business Technology Solutions (BTS).

This role shapes how IR plans, funds, governs, communicates, and scales its impact, while also extending IR’s capabilities through academic partnerships and external ecosystems. The Director II acts as a primary advisor and delegate to IR senior leadership, driving alignment across IR, BTS, R&D, Finance, Procurement, Quality, and external partners.

The position leads multiple people managers, and key capability areas, with accountability for organizational performance, talent development, and enterprise outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Business & Operations Leadership

• Provide senior level leadership for IR business operations, defining enterprise grade management routines, governance models, and performance standards.

• Set strategic direction for IR operational enablement, ensuring alignment to BTS, R&D, and AbbVie enterprise priorities.

• Lead IR annual strategic planning, long range planning (LRP), capital planning, and ongoing cost strategy with an enterprise lens.

• Establish and evolve IR demand management, prioritization, and investment allocation frameworks at scale.

Financial Stewardship & Portfolio Governance

• Serve as the primary accountable owner for IR functional and project budgets across portfolios and global teams.

• Lead IR level financial forecasting, scenario modeling, and dynamic funding strategies.

• Partner with IR senior leadership team, Finance, and BTS leadership to manage budget performance, risks, and tradeoffs.

• Govern portfolio management processes, project health reporting, spend transparency, and forecast-to-actuals rigor across IR.

Strategic Resource Management Strategy

• Own IR’s supplier strategy and governance model, including software, hardware, scientific content, and professional services vendors.

• Oversee R&D IT’s preferred provider pool alignment and strategic sourcing decisions.

• Provide oversight of EKA operations, content lifecycle management, and compliance including copyright consultation.

• Ensure supplier performance, value realization, and risk management across the IR portfolio.

• Lead IR’s third-party resource management, including contractual and financial oversight for managed services provider and project management resources.

Change Leadership & Enterprise Communications

• Set the vision and strategy for IR change management, enabling largescale transformation and adoption.

• Own IR communications governance, ensuring consistent, effective enterprise messaging across platforms and audiences.

• Lead senior leadership level communications, organizational readiness strategies, and major engagement campaigns.

• Drive transparency, trust, and alignment across IR, BTS, and R&D through disciplined communication practices.

Academic Partnerships & External Ecosystem Leadership

• Define and execute IR’s academic partnerships strategy, positioning AbbVie as a leader in academic collaboration and early talent engagement.

• Expand and govern partnerships with universities and institutions supporting AI/ML, software engineering, analytics, research, and business systems.

• Oversee student contracting models, academic consulting engagements, vendor evaluations, and research collaborations.

• Ensure academic partnerships deliver measurable business value, capability expansion, and talent pipelines.

Leadership, Talent & Influence

• Lead and develop a multilayer leadership team, and senior individual contributors.

• Represent IR at the enterprise level in governance forums, steering committees, and cross company initiatives.

• Drive complex, high impact initiatives that span organizations, geographies, and disciplines.

• Serve as a role model for AbbVie leadership behaviors, talent development, and inclusive leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 11+ years of experience OR Masters Degree with 10+ years experience OR PhD with 6+ years experience in business operations, financial management, portfolio leadership, or strategy within a complex, global organization.

• Demonstrated experience operating at the executive or enterprise leadership level.

• Proven ability to lead leaders and manage large, complex portfolios and programs.

• Deep expertise in financial planning, LRP, capital management, and vendor governance.

• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence across senior leadership teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting R&D, technology, data, or research organizations.

• Experience building and governing academic or external partnerships.

• MBA or advanced degree strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated success leading enterprisescale change and transformation.

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 thisposting 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 anduntil 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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