Director of CRO and Strategic Partnerships, Oncology Early Development

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North Chicago, IL, USA
Hybrid
161K-305K Annually
Expert/Leader
Healthtech • Pharmaceutical
The Role
Leads AbbVie Oncology Early Development’s strategic partnerships with CROs, preferred site networks, innovation partners, and vendors. Oversees partnership strategy, governance, performance KPIs, risk mitigation, stakeholder alignment, process improvement, and innovation adoption. Serves as the escalation point for vendor issues and influences cross-functional teams across clinical development, regulatory, medical writing, quality, CMC, and precision medicine. Manages global relationships and supports operational excellence across the oncology development portfolio.
Summary Generated by Built In
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 www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

Job Description

Purpose:

  • The Directorof CRO and Strategic Partnerships will lead strategic and cross-functional partnerships across OED, connecting external innovation, site networks and emerging capabilities to OED priorities. Serve as a business and operational lead for key partnerships, including CRO relationships, OED’s preferred site network, while driving process improvement, innovation adoption and alignment across AbbVie. Shape the strategic partnership framework and drives global, complex, cross-functional process and productivity improvement projects for Oncology Early Development (OED) aligned with the organization’s strategic objectives. Accountable for oversight of Oncology Early Development partnership portfolio, including full-service CRO partnerships, driving the alignment and implementation of business strategies for sourcing that define the value of the procured services. Drive business priorities through partnership governance and cross-functional alignment and ensures efficient process are in place to deliver on both business and relationship goals. Acutely aware of emerging and changing practices, technologies, regulations, policies and approaches with outsourced services and influences stakeholders to implement innovative solutions which result in efficiencies.  

Responsibilities:

  • Accountable for strategic partnerships within OED - including CRO relationships, OED’s preferred site network, and other key vendors - to advance early oncology strategies.
  • Manage OED’s preferred site network, including strategy development, site engagement, key stakeholder management, content updates, and delivery of network ambitions aligned with OED's and AbbVie’s evolving site engagement ambitions.
  • Support pilot-to-scale activities and engage innovation partners to operationalize innovation across OED.
  • Develop and maintain successful relationships with strategic partners and senior leaders throughout the organization.
  • Serve as the primary point of contact between vendors and OED and is the point of escalation for teams to promote partner accountability, mitigate risks, deliver operational efficiencies aligned with strategic direction of the relationship.
  • Effectively communicate progress/concerns, issues/risks across partnership portfolio that potentially impact projects, systems or processes and ensures effective solutions are implemented.
  • Successfully establish strong relationships, working in partnership with and influences all levels of management and cross-functional team members: scope of influence extends across OED and AbbVie, including Regulatory Affairs, Medical Writing, QA, CMC, Precision Medicine, and Therapeutic Area Medical Directors.
  • Proficient understanding of the internal and external business environments and oversees vendor performance (including through KPIs) aligned with strategic objectives of the vendor relationships.
  • Establish OED’s partnership strategy and lead team and Sr. Leaders to develop and maintain successful and healthy vendor relationships supporting OED’s strategic objectives through team building, partnership health surveys, etc.
  • Develops collaborative relationships with cross-functional stakeholders and vendors to identify and implement efficient, high-quality, compliant business processes (including executing and facilitating Joint Oversight committee) with a focus on continuous improvement and innovation.
  • Drive the effectiveness of AbbVie's CRO partnerships through standardized governance, performance and KPI oversight, vendor issue trend analysis, and proactive risk mitigation, partnering with CROs and study teams to continuously improve delivery and operational excellence across the portfolio.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree (or ex-US equivalent) in a relevant field such as business economics or
    health administration, Master preferred.
  • Must have 12+ years of clinical development experience (and/or applicable work
    experience); including 6+ years (and/or applicable work experience); working with global
    third-party vendors.
  • Demonstrate a high level of core, technical and leadership competencies including
    leading a global team.
  • Demonstration of successful coaching/mentoring and people management (remote management
    experience preferred).
  • Excellent cross-functional partnership and communication skills; demonstrated leadership of working across an organization to achieve objectives and meet timelines
  • Considered a Subject Matter Expert and competent in the application of standard business and clinical trial procedures (Oversight, contracts, SOPs, ICH, Global Regulations, Ethics and Compliance)
  • Critical thinker with the ability to see the “big picture” to drive long-term strategy for function and vendor portfolio.
  • Solid written and oral communication skills; able to synthesize complex concepts and deliver messages clearly.
  • Expert with analyzing complex business problems and implementing innovative solutions.
  • Ability to clearly craft compelling business cases, sell new ideas and influence functional line and vendor direction.

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 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 and serving our community.  Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled. 

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

Skills Required

  • Bachelor’s degree or international equivalent in a relevant field, such as business economics or health administration
  • Master’s degree
  • 12 or more years of clinical development or applicable work experience
  • 6 or more years working with global third-party vendors
  • Experience leading a global team
  • Successful coaching, mentoring, and people-management experience
  • Remote management experience
  • Excellent cross-functional partnership and communication skills
  • Leadership experience working across an organization to achieve objectives and meet timelines
  • Subject matter expertise in business and clinical-trial procedures, oversight, contracts, SOPs, ICH, global regulations, ethics, and compliance
  • Critical-thinking skills and ability to develop long-term functional and vendor-portfolio strategy
  • Strong written and oral communication skills, including synthesizing complex concepts
  • Expertise analyzing complex business problems and implementing innovative solutions
  • Ability to develop compelling business cases, promote new ideas, and influence functional and vendor direction

AbbVie Compensation & Benefits Highlights

The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about AbbVie and has not been reviewed or approved by AbbVie.

  • Retirement Support Retirement programs are portrayed as a standout, with a dollar‑for‑dollar 401(k) match up to 6% and an additional annual company contribution based on age and service. Feedback suggests this materially boosts perceived total compensation for many U.S. employees.
  • Parental & Family Support Paid parental and caregiver leave are emphasized, including up to 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave for all parents and 4 weeks of paid caregiver leave in the U.S. Feedback suggests these policies are a meaningful differentiator for employees balancing family needs.
  • Leave & Time Off Breadth Time off is described as extensive, with tiered vacation that scales with tenure, 17 company holidays, and two paid volunteer days in the U.S. Feedback suggests the breadth of leave contributes notably to overall benefits satisfaction.

AbbVie Insights

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The Company
HQ: North Chicago, IL
50,000 Employees
Year Founded: 2013

What We Do

AbbVie is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on creating medicines and solutions that put impact first — for patients, communities, and our world. We aim to address complex health issues and enhance people's lives through our core therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, aesthetics and other areas of unmet need.

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