Associate Director, Business Development & Acquisitions

AbbVie•North Chicago, IL

2d•$141,500 - $268,500

About The Position

The Associate Director will support AbbVie’s Licensing & Acquisitions strategy by identifying and evaluating external business opportunities from technical, CMC, and operations perspectives. The role leads cross-functional teams through assessment and due diligence, working with the Search and Evaluation function, Legal, and partners across Clinical, Regulatory, Operations, Quality, and Commercial. The individual translates findings into clear recommendations and proposals for senior management, informs deal structure and risk mitigation, and helps move agreed opportunities toward timely execution of legal agreements with external parties.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree with 10+ years of CMC experience across multiple functions, or a Master’s degree with 8+ years, or a PhD with 6+ years, sufficient to manage global teams and CMC activities including science, technology, quality, regulatory/compliance, budget, and resources.
Strong scientific writing and verbal communication skills.
Working knowledge of regulatory requirements and familiarity with relevant research instrumentation and techniques.
Understanding of pharmaceutical theory and the drug development process.
Interdisciplinary CMC experience and expertise.
Negotiation, influencing, and leadership skills, entrepreneurial thinking, and sound business judgment.
Solid grasp of drug development, regulatory, and commercialization processes, with the scientific knowledge to objectively evaluate pharmaceutical business opportunities.
Project management and leadership skills to guide multifunctional teams in evaluating opportunities and producing high-quality analyses, delivering on time and following through on commitments.
Strong communication skills to convey business strategies and capabilities internally and externally, present recommendations clearly and concisely, and foster cross-functional dialogue.
Strong networking skills to engage industry decision makers and stay current on emerging opportunities.
Proven negotiation and influencing skills in deal settings, including creatively resolving issues with partner companies to close win-win deals.
Strong financial acumen and analytical skills to interpret financial evaluations and support fact-based decisions.

Nice To Haves

Experience with biologics; manufacturing and/or development experience desired.

Responsibilities

Advise on building asset-specific development plans aligned with clinical and commercial timelines.
Identify technical gaps and risks in available CMC data.
Work with functional leaders in cross-functional teams to make decisions on business opportunities.
Help lead assessment and due diligence with the Search and Evaluation function, including managing interactions with external parties, overseeing evaluation processes and timelines, and preparing timely recommendations and proposals for senior management based on technical and commercial assessments.
Research and evaluate licensing and acquisition targets that fit AbbVie strategy and support sustainable growth, assessing scientific, commercial, and financial viability.
Contribute to deal structure and risk mitigation in line with AbbVie objectives and functional management.
Keep key internal stakeholders informed of negotiation status and prepare opportunity assessments and executive summaries with Legal and other relevant functions.
Network with potential external parties to raise awareness of AbbVie’s capabilities and Licensing & Acquisition objectives.
Advance projects efficiently and effectively, and recommend dropping weak ideas early.
Present orally and in writing to senior management to seek approval for new opportunities.