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Associate Director, Central Monitor - Hybrid

AbbVie · North Chicago, IL · Full time · Research

Posted Apr 30, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time central data review caught an issue a site visit would have missed.

What they are checking: Whether they have real experience finding meaningful signals in trial data, which is the value central monitoring adds over site visits.

How do you develop managers into leaders? Give me an example of someone you grew.

What they are checking: Building a leadership talent pipeline as a manager of managers.

Tell me about a process improvement you led in clinical operations.

What they are checking: Whether they actively improve how clinical work gets done, rather than only maintaining existing processes as they are.

How do you build a growth mindset and inclusive culture on a team that is spread across locations?

What they are checking: Whether they build a healthy, inclusive culture across locations, since distributed teams can drift apart without deliberate leadership.

What would you do

One of your managers is consistently missing delivery timelines. How do you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they handle underperformance fairly and supportively, since managing managers well shapes the whole team's delivery and morale.

A study team pushes back on a risk your team flagged. How do you resolve it?

What they are checking: Whether they can hold a data-based position respectfully when study teams push back, because flagged risks can affect patient safety.

About the work

How does central monitoring de-risk a clinical study, and how is it different from on-site monitoring?

What they are checking: Whether they understand how central data review reduces study risk, since this role leads that function across clinical programs.

How would you build a staffing strategy for central monitoring across a growing portfolio?

What they are checking: Whether they can plan staffing sensibly for a growing portfolio, so the team keeps up without burning people out.

Which KRIs and quality tolerance limits would you set for a large phase 3 study?

What they are checking: Whether they know how to set practical risk indicators and limits for large studies, which drives where the team focuses attention.

How do you measure the quality and efficiency of a central monitoring team?

What they are checking: Whether they measure their team's quality and efficiency in clear ways, so the function can show its value and improve.

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The full job description

As published by AbbVie.

The Central Monitoring Associate Director is responsible for bringing science to life by leading a cross-functional team of Central Monitoring Managers charged with de-risking assigned clinical studies and thereby advancing AbbVie clinical research and development programs. The Central Monitoring Associate Director is accountable for service delivery results (quality, efficient, on-time and on-objective delivery) and for the building and strengthening the talent pipeline for today’s needs and for the leaders of tomorrow. The Associate Director of Central Monitoring role is a manager of manager position that will be filled when organizational size requires this level to manage span of control. Responsibilities: • Responsible for maximizing the value and efficiently utilizing AbbVie’s most valuable resource (staff) in the front-line Central Monitoring space. Leads, manages, and supervises a combined team of Central Monitoring Managers with delivery responsibilities for a portfolio of studies. • Creates an internal leadership talent pipeline and mentors/coaches team members on their leadership journey • Fosters a growth mindset within the team based on inclusive collaboration, innovation, learning and continuous improvement that delivers successful outcomes for the study, the team, the individual and the business. • Develops the central monitoring staffing strategy and tactics in support of assigned clinical research programs, to ensure execution is with quality and efficiency, on-time, and in line with company objectives. • Executes and manages the central monitoring staffing strategy including fluidly adjusting plans in support of project priorities and/or timelines plan. • Recruits, hires, and trains the front-line Central Monitoring Leadership team, including therapeutic area training, compliance training and study management-specific knowledge as required to perform assigned tasks. • Manages the performance cycle including expectation setting, objective setting (both tactical and stretch opportunities to ensure continuous growth), the provision of constructive and timely feedback (informal & formal, direct feedback as well as feedback from CDO business partners) reviews and management of any performance issues to resolution. • Interacts with and influences all levels of management and cross-functional team members in Clinical Development Operations to achieve high standards of output from front-line Central Monitoring Leadership staff. **This is a hybrid based role working on-site T-TH. Candidates must be local to Lake County, IL; Irvine, CA or Florham Park, NJ and work on-site 3 days a week. • Education & Experience • Bachelors degree in related field, may include life sciences, risk-based discipline. • Minimum of 10 years of clinically related experience or data trend analysis experience, at least 5 years people management experience (remote experience preferred). • Experience working in an RBQM-model or similar experience with risk-based monitoring required. • Experience/exposure to drug development, operations, risk management, successful decision-making, strategic execution • Make Possibilities Real • Proven leadership skills in a cross-functional global team environment. • Experience in managing remote/virtual teams and an ability to influence and align stakeholders, while modeling and driving AbbVie’s leadership attributes. • Ability to remove obstacles and provide support that enables direct reports to achieve results. • Able to successfully coach and mentor both with direct reports and in a matrix environment. • Clear & Courageous • Respectfully provides transparent, accurate and timely feedback to help direct reports improve performance. • Analytic & Critical Thinking Skills • Strong analytical and critical thinking skills and the ability to evaluate complex issues from multiple perspectives and drive SMART SURE decision making and timely outcomes. • Ability to anticipate and address critical issues; and develop contingency plans in a proactive manner. • Interpersonal & Communication Skills • Acts with integrity in accordance with ABBVIE code of business conduct. • Evangelist for RBQM within the organization, promoting value of early detection in de-risking studies. • Strong English language skills—spoken, written, and conversational. • Lead dynamic meetings and create engaging presentations. • • Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate persuasively and with clarity, flexibility, and adaptability to changing requirements, resourcefulness, and creativity. Demonstrated proactive and positive team player. • Able to maintain calm, cool, collected, and competent composure in high pressure situations in order to ensure successful hand-off to stakeholders responsible for taking action. • Open and receptive to the gift of feedback in the pursuit of continuous improvement. • Organizational Skills • Exhibits strong planning and organizational skills and high level of flexibility in a dynamic environment with competing projects and deadlines. • Computer Skills • Comfortable with use/operation of data analytics and visualization tools for oversight. • Competent with Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams). 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 posting based 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 or less 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 paid and 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. US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more: https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html

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