Director, Construction API

AbbVie•North Chicago, IL

19h•$160,500 - $305,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Construction provides senior leadership and owner’s oversight for all construction activities associated with a ~$500 million pharmaceutical capital project. The role is responsible for ensuring safe, compliant, and efficient construction execution while maintaining strict alignment with the company’s capital governance, quality systems, and regulatory expectations. Functioning as the owner’s on-site construction authority, the Director of Construction leads the construction management organization and oversees EPC/CM partners and trade contractors. The role ensures that construction activities are executed safely, delivered on schedule and within approved capital budgets, and meet the quality and compliance standards required for pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. This position plays a critical role in integrating construction with engineering, procurement, commissioning, qualification, validation, and operational readiness to enable successful facility start-up. The incumbent will report to Strategic Projects Director in the Operations Transformation organization.

Requirements

BS, Engineering or equivalent technical degree required.
20+ years of experience as a construction leader, preferably in the biopharmaceutical industry in the United States
Proven leadership experience in construction management of mega-capital projects ($500MM+)
Proven inclusive management and leadership capabilities of large cross-functional teams and the ability to effectively interact and communicate with senior leadership and executives from strategic partners and authorities
Demonstrated experience managing Engineering, EPC/EPCM contractors and global equipment vendors
Results-oriented leadership with outstanding negotiation skills and risk-based decision making is required
Ability to mentor and develop next generation of leaders

Responsibilities

Serve as the owner’s senior construction leader responsible for execution of all site construction activities.
Lead the owner’s construction management organization including construction managers, field engineers, and site supervision.
Provide governance and oversight of EPC/CM contractors and trade contractors to ensure alignment with project objectives.
Take active part in constructability studies and provide inputs for the optimal construction strategy during design.
Establish construction execution strategies, site procedures, and performance expectations.
Ensure effective coordination between engineering, procurement, construction, CQV, and operations teams.
Drive accountability across contractors to meet project commitments.
Champion a Zero Incident safety culture consistent with corporate EHS standards and ensure full compliance with OSHA regulations and corporate safety management systems.
Oversee contractor safety programs, audits, and incident investigations. Lead proactive hazard identification and mitigation initiatives across all construction activities.
Monitor safety performance and implement corrective actions where necessary.
Provide executive oversight of the integrated master project schedule with emphasis on construction milestones and critical path activities.
Ensure contractors develop and maintain realistic and achievable schedules aligned with project objectives.
Monitor progress, productivity, and performance metrics.
Lead schedule risk assessments and mitigation strategies.
Implement schedule recovery plans where necessary.
Maintain oversight of construction budgets, commitments, and cost forecasts with accurate cost reporting and financial transparency across contractors.
Monitor cost performance against approved capital authorization by identifying cost risks and implement mitigation strategies.
Drive value engineering and cost optimization initiatives where available.
Lead the construction change management process in accordance with corporate capital governance procedures.
Review and evaluate contractor change requests and claims, Negotiate commercial impacts and ensure proper documentation, maintain governance and control over construction costs throughout the project
Lead construction risk reviews with project leadership and contractors, Maintain a construction risk register and ensure mitigation strategies are implemented and develop contingency plans for critical construction risks.
Ensure construction execution meets project specifications, corporate engineering standards, and regulatory requirements.
Support construction readiness for commissioning, qualification, and validation (CQV) activities.
Ensure proper documentation, inspections, and testing in accordance with quality systems.
Coordinate closely with Quality Assurance, CQV, and validation teams to support regulatory readiness.
Ensure construction activities support timely turnover to commissioning and qualification teams.
Coordinate system completion, mechanical completion, and turnover documentation while supporting startup readiness and operational handover planning.
Support capital governance processes including stage-gate approvals and project reviews.
Provide regular reporting to senior leadership on safety, schedule, cost, risk, and construction performance.
Manage capital expenditure including cost forecasting, change management, and financial reporting