Director, Engineering. HVAC & Mechanical

AbbVie•North Chicago, IL

3d•$160,500 - $305,000

About The Position

The Director HVAC Mechanical provides enterprise-level discipline leadership, technical governance and project enablement for HVAC, mechanical static and rotating systems, Building Management Systems, facility interfaces, reliability, maintainability and sustainability within AbbVie Strategic Investments Engineering. The role sets direction and standards, advises on technical decisions, supports front-end engineering and strategic capital investment delivery, and promotes safe, compliant, reliable, scalable and business-aligned engineering solutions across facilities, capacity programs, technology platforms and infrastructure projects. The Director partners with Strategic Investments, project delivery teams, manufacturing operations, quality, EHS, validation/CQV, digital/automation, site engineering and external engineering partners. Working primarily through influence in a global matrix, the role leads technical governance, risk-based decisions, stakeholder alignment and issue escalation; supports operational readiness and lifecycle performance; and builds engineering capability through coaching, mentoring, knowledge sharing and continuous improvement. The position is the senior HVAC and mechanical advisor to the VP Global Engineering and project leadership.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science or a relevant technical discipline.
Typically 12+ to 15+ years of relevant engineering, manufacturing, capital project, technical operations or regulated manufacturing experience.
Demonstrated technical capability in HVAC, mechanical static and rotating systems, facility interfaces, reliability, maintainability, sustainability and project delivery support.
Ability to work across global functions, manufacturing sites, project teams, suppliers, vendors and external engineering partners.
Strong communication, risk management, technical judgment, stakeholder engagement and structured problem-solving skills.
Technical knowledge of HVAC systems, zoning, pressure cascades and environmental control strategy.
Technical knowledge of mechanical static and rotating equipment, facility systems integration and Building Management Systems enablement.
Capabilities in reliability and maintainability, strategic capital investment support, engineering governance and standards, technical risk management and project execution support.
Stakeholder management and vendor/partner technical coordination skills.
GMP and regulated manufacturing awareness.
Operational readiness and handover support capability.
Strategic thinking, enterprise mindset and matrix leadership, including influence without direct authority.
Ability to make risk-based decisions, escalate issues and communicate technical recommendations clearly to executive audiences.
Commitment to collaboration, capability building, mentoring, knowledge sharing, continuous improvement, safety, quality and compliance.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree where relevant.
Experience supporting pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, medical device, API, peptides, biologics, sterile or similarly regulated manufacturing environments.

Responsibilities

Establish, maintain and deploy engineering standards, technical practices and governance expectations for HVAC, mechanical static and rotating systems, Building Management Systems, facility interfaces, reliability, maintainability, sustainability and project delivery support.
Drive consistent application of technical standards, design principles, lessons learned and engineering playbooks across regions, sites and capital projects.
Ensure discipline strategies support long-range strategic investment objectives, technical capability needs and major capital program priorities.
Provide governance and escalation for technical decisions with material safety, quality, compliance, cost, schedule, operability or lifecycle impact.
Provide engineering leadership for new facility builds, major capacity programs, technology platform deployments, critical infrastructure solutions and lifecycle asset strategies.
Support front-end engineering, facility concept development, investment option evaluation, manufacturing capability assessments and site/platform planning.
Partner with Strategic Investments and project leadership to integrate technical assumptions, deliverables, risks and resource needs into capital program plans.
Apply global lessons learned and network standards to improve project quality, speed, reliability and readiness across the portfolio.
Define and influence HVAC, mechanical and Building Management Systems design strategies, including system architecture, capacity planning, environmental control philosophy, critical utility interfaces, alarm and monitoring requirements, maintainability and operational readiness.
Lead or support technical decision-making across strategic programs, capital projects and technology platforms.
Ensure engineering deliverables support safety, quality, compliance, operability, maintainability, reliability, sustainability and operational readiness.
Provide technical governance for HVAC zoning, pressure cascade concepts, temperature and humidity control, ventilation strategy, cleanroom and controlled-environment interfaces, mechanical utilities, energy performance and BMS integration.
Coordinate technical input from project teams, site subject-matter experts, external engineering partners, vendors and cross-functional stakeholders.
Drive timely resolution of technical issues and escalate decisions with broader project, network or business impact.
Partner with manufacturing operations, quality, validation/CQV, EHS, site engineering, MS&T, supply chain, finance and related engineering disciplines.
Integrate discipline decisions with manufacturing strategy, network capacity, technology platform deployment, regulatory expectations and site handover needs.
Facilitate collaboration across regions, sites and project teams to promote consistency across the global network.
Represent Strategic Investments Engineering in relevant technical reviews, project forums and risk discussions.
Share engineering best practices, lessons learned and technical knowledge across sites, regions and projects.
Build capability through coaching, mentoring, technical review discipline and development of reusable engineering practices.
Promote engineering excellence, safety, quality, reliability, collaboration, accountability and proactive risk management.
Support continuous improvement of standards, templates, knowledge management and project delivery approaches.
Set and communicate a global vision, strategy and multi-year roadmap for HVAC, mechanical and Building Management Systems across the strategic investment portfolio.
Serve as accountable enterprise discipline leader and senior technical advisor, endorsing, challenging or escalating material technical decisions and departures from approved standards.
Translate complex technical issues into executive-ready recommendations that define options, risks, trade-offs, required decisions and business impact.
Lead through influence, establish decision rights, align stakeholders and hold owners accountable for commitments and outcomes.
Support long-range manufacturing strategy, strategic investment planning and technical capability development.
Build a global technical community and succession pipeline through coaching, mentoring, talent development, standards governance, knowledge management and cross-functional collaboration.
Model leadership in safety, quality, integrity, inclusion, constructive challenge, disciplined execution and continuous improvement.