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Associate Director, Innovation

AbbVie · North Chicago, IL · Full time · Research

Posted Aug 27, 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

This role drives strategic innovation on the company's highest priority commercial assets with asset leaders. Walk me through a strategic initiative you drove on a product.

What they are checking: Whether they have personally driven strategic work on a commercial product, since this role leads initiatives on key brands.

What does innovation mean in a commercial pharmaceutical context, as opposed to a slogan?

What they are checking: Whether they hold a practical, grounded idea of commercial innovation in pharma, rather than repeating buzzwords from the posting.

You'd work end to end from idea through execution. Which end are you stronger at, and how do you handle the other?

What they are checking: Whether they know honestly where their strengths lie between strategy and execution, and how they cover their weaker side.

An initiative you are leading is not working. When do you stop it?

What they are checking: Whether they are willing to stop their own initiatives when evidence says so, which saves resources and builds credibility.

How do you keep an innovation group from becoming a slide factory?

What they are checking: Whether they hold a clear view on how innovation groups fail, and how to keep this one focused on real outcomes.

What would you do

The group partners with the executive team on mission-critical questions. How do you scope a question that arrives vague from a senior leader?

What they are checking: Whether they can turn vague senior questions into clear, workable problems, which is essential when supporting the executive team.

How do you get an asset team to adopt something your group came up with?

What they are checking: Whether they can win adoption from asset teams for centrally created ideas, since central groups have influence but no direct control.

How do you tell a genuinely new idea from a repackaged one?

What they are checking: Whether they can separate truly new ideas from repackaged ones, which keeps an innovation group focused on real value.

The posting states North Chicago or South San Francisco with at least three days onsite and twenty-five percent travel. Which site, and does that travel work for you?

What they are checking: Whether the named locations, onsite days and travel truly fit their life, so the arrangement is sustainable from the start.

About the work

You'd optimize the value of a portfolio of current and future assets. How do you compare an in-market brand against a pipeline asset for investment?

What they are checking: Whether they can compare very different assets fairly for investment, which is the hardest part of managing a portfolio.

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The full job description

As published by AbbVie.

The Innovation, Insights & Transformation (IIT) group partners closely with the AbbVie executive team to advance key strategic priorities across the organization. The work of this team plays a vital role in shaping AbbVie's continued growth and success. As Associate Director, Innovation, you will partner with leaders across AbbVie to optimize the value of our portfolio of current and future assets. The team is seeking a high-performing individual who has demonstrated an interest and expertise in the biopharma industry and strong desire to advance our strategic agenda and support mission-critical initiatives that will make a difference for AbbVie’s patients. Location & Travel: • North Chicago, IL or South San Francisco, CA offices with a minimum three (3) days onsite hybrid • 25% travel required Responsibilities: • Drive end-to-end strategic innovation and execution on AbbVie’s highest priority commercial assets in partnership with the program-leading Asset Strategy Team and content-focused deliverable teams. Areas of focus include strategic planning, scenario evaluation, operational acceleration, and data-driven problem solving spanning the breadth of drug development (e.g. product development & manufacturing, trial design, evidence package evaluation, clinical operations). • Support strategic initiatives that address mission-critical questions and position AbbVie for future success. • Lead individual modules within complex, cross-functional initiatives, including driving the problem-solving process, supporting research and analytics, and distilling pragmatic recommendations for management consideration. • Monitor, understand, and prioritize external trends of relevance to the enterprise and help determine how AbbVie should prepare and/or respond. • Help communicate our strategy across AbbVie. • Bachelors or equivalent degree required. Advanced degree (e.g., PharmD, PhD, MD, MBA) highly preferred. • Minimum years of experience required: 6+ with Bachelors, 4+ with Masters, and 2+ with Doctorate. • Professional consulting experience within biotechnology and/or pharmaceuticals highly preferred. • Strong problem-solving skills. • Strong communication skills. Can comfortably lead meetings with mid/senior-level management. • Experience managing large projects within a complex matrixed pharmaceutical organization, either as an external consultant or an internal cross-functional lead. • Demonstrated ability to engage senior leadership to drive alignment on a strategic vision and facilitate decision making on critical issues • Capability building / Change management skills – leverage empathy and coaching with functional stakeholder to achieve organizational buy-in and long-lasting changes. • Highly collaborative, genuinely enjoys working hand-in-hand with the businesses to develop solutions that advance AbbVie’s overall mission. • Drive, energy, and passion to advance AbbVie’s mission. 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 long-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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