Senior Director, Category Management and Procurement – Development (Clinical, Operations, Medical, Regulatory & HEOR)

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.

Role Overview

The Senior Director, Category Management and Procurement– Development is a global leadership role responsible for setting and executing category strategy across Development. This position owns end-to-end category management and portfolio execution for Development R&D spend, ensuring speed, rigor, and scalability while enabling scientific innovation.

As a key member of the R&D Procurement leadership team, this role serves as the single point of accountability for all Development categories, partnering closely with R&D leaders, the Chief Procurement Officer, and cross-functional stakeholders. The Senior Director leads a global team of category professionals and plays a central role in transforming procurement into a best-in-class organization—driving value, simplifying execution, and building durable capabilities that support both near-term portfolio needs and long-term growth.

Success in this role requires deep category expertise in R&D (Development, and adjacent areas), a strong bias for action, and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving, ambiguous environment where speed and quality of execution matter equally.

Key Responsibilities

Category & Portfolio Leadership

• Serve as the single point of accountability to the VP of R&D Procurement and the CPO for all Development R&D categories.
• Own and lead global category strategies that balance speed of execution, risk management, value creation, and long-term scalability.
• Ensure category strategies are directly aligned to the R&D portfolio, enabling timely delivery of programs across development stages.
• Provide procurement oversight and execution leadership for the R&D portfolio, ensuring priorities are clear and resources are deployed where they matter most.

Strategy, Value & Execution

• Lead the development and execution of robust Category Management Plans that deliver measurable value, synergies, and operational efficiency.
• Drive continuous improvement across people, process, governance, systems integration, and reporting.
• Translate complex analysis into clear strategic insights, financial impact, and executive-ready recommendations.
• Maintain P&L accountability for the portfolio, including budget management, value delivery, and financial performance tracking.

Stakeholder Engagement & Alignment

• Act as a trusted thought partner to R&D leadership, ensuring procurement strategies anticipate scientific needs and enable innovation rather than constrain it.
• Proactively solicit feedback from internal customers and address gaps in service, execution, or alignment.
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships grounded in transparency, accountability, and enterprise-first decision making.

People Leadership & Transformation

• Lead, coach, and develop a global team of category managers, building deep capability and a strong succession pipeline.
• Foster an inclusive, high-performance culture that encourages ownership, learning, and constructive challenge.
• Play a visible leadership role in transforming R&D Procurement—simplifying how work gets done, strengthening governance, and raising the bar on performance and professionalism.
• Champion AbbVie’s Ways We Work by modeling open dialogue, decisive leadership, adaptability, and accountability.

Metrics for Success

• Category Management Plan quality and execution in support of the R&D portfolio
• Delivery of people, process, governance, and value-creation goals
• Achievement of operational budget and P&L commitments
• Service level performance and internal customer satisfaction
• Supplier performance across balanced scorecards
• Organizational capability, engagement, and talent development

 

• 12+ years of strategic sourcing and procurement experience; 5+ years in pharmaceutical or life sciences preferred
• Demonstrated expertise in R&D procurement, particularly Clinical and Development categories or equivalent
• Proven experience leading global teams and complex category portfolios
• Bachelor’s degree required; background in science, business, finance, supply chain, engineering, or related field preferred
• MBA or relevant MS degree strongly preferred
• Professional certification in procurement, supply chain, or Six Sigma desirable
• Experience with procurement systems such as SAP and Ariba preferred
• Strong understanding of global procurement best practices, international business, and contract law
• Prior experience with transformation initiatives and change management strongly valued

Leadership Capabilities

• Strategic thinker with a strong execution mindset and bias toward action
• Exceptional communicator and influencer across functions, levels, and geographies
• Proven ability to lead through ambiguity, make timely decisions, and adapt plans as priorities evolve
• Strong analytical and financial acumen with the ability to quantify and communicate value
• Culturally agile leader who values inclusion and thrives in a global organization

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 postingbased 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 orless 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 short-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 paidand 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. 

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