The Director of Partnership and Program Management is accountable for leading the global team of program and partnership managers who co-lead cross functional teams focused on the development of drug-device combination products and medical devices. The Director ensures that the strategy and plans defined for assigned programs are aligned with the needs of the patient and customer and the business objectives of the CMC and Asset team.  This position reports to the Senior Director of Device Technology and Program Management, Device and Combination Product Development.

Summary of Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

The Director will be accountable to functional leadership under the Device & Combination Product Development organization.  Team members are accountable to the CMC team, the CMC Product Development Director and departmental senior leadership to deliver on the development strategy, plans and budget defined for the project portfolio.  

Responsibilities include:

• Establishing and maintaining robust and consistent external and internal collaborations.
• Providing guidance on project management principles, strategies, and best practices to the PM team:
  • Co-leadership of drug delivery system product development projects
  • Tactical and strategic management of external device partners including acting as a key interface, managing the project governance process and forward-looking evaluation of potential partners
  • Representing the R&D organization to cross functional leadership through effective and timely communication
  • Ensuring effective use of meetings by clearly defining objectives, agendas, and attendees, and capturing minutes, decisions and action items for dissemination.
• Effective and efficient resource allocation and forecasting for future growth
• Driving continuous improvement on program/project management processes and tools

External Partnerships: The Director ensures Program Managers lead the team in managing the relationship and performance of key external device development partners.  This includes establishing an effective and efficient governance process, such as defining key interfaces, establishing meeting cadences, performance monitoring, project scope/change control, issue escalation, risk management, and financial tracking.  The Director will ensure timely and efficient communication regarding partner performance to the broader AbbVie organization as required. The Director will provide accurate and timely estimates for resourcing, budgeting, and forecasting.  

Functional Management: The Director directly manages a global group of Program Managers through efficient assignment and distribution of project responsibilities, establishing team norms and best practices, support of opportunities for professional development, and actionable and timely feedback on performance.  This includes a focus on continuous improvement of the group’s competency in project and program management and product development related processes.  

Impact on AbbVie: This role has broad influence and impact on the development of AbbVie assets. Devices and combination products are often technically complex, involve multiple sub-systems, and must meet global industry and regulatory requirements.  The Director must frequently interact with cross functional senior leadership and key internal stakeholders through effective communication and influence.