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Senior Director, Finance

AbbVie · North Chicago, IL · Full time · Finance

Posted Aug 6, 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

You would ensure results comply with AbbVie policy, Sarbanes-Oxley and generally accepted accounting principles, and enhance internal controls. Tell me about a control weakness you found and closed.

What they are checking: Whether they have personally found and fixed a control gap, which shows they own compliance instead of leaving it to auditors.

Tell me about a time you had to tell a senior leader that a program's spending would not fit the plan.

What they are checking: Whether they deliver unwelcome budget news early, clearly and with options, because finance only earns trust by being honest about overruns.

This is a senior director seat in North Chicago supporting research and development finance, alongside several other AbbVie finance roles posted at once. Why the research side rather than commercial?

What they are checking: Whether they truly want research finance and understand how it differs, rather than taking whichever senior finance opening came first.

What would you do

You would drive the plan, update, latest best estimate and long-range plan cycles. How do you get research and development leaders to commit to numbers when the science is uncertain?

What they are checking: Whether they can get firm numbers from scientists facing real uncertainty, using ranges and stated assumptions rather than forcing false precision.

How do you develop contingency plans when performance is tracking behind?

What they are checking: Whether they spot shortfalls early and bring options to leaders, instead of simply reporting a miss after it happens.

How do you present research and development financial performance to leaders who think in programs rather than cost centers?

What they are checking: Whether they can frame financial results around programs and milestones, so scientific leaders understand and actually use the numbers.

About the work

This role leads financial reporting and planning for research and development finance. What makes research and development finance different from commercial finance?

What they are checking: Whether they understand that R&D spend runs for years before any revenue, so planning and tracking must follow programs and milestones.

You would lead the monthly, quarterly and annual close. How do you shorten a close without losing accuracy?

What they are checking: Whether they have practical ways to speed up the close, like automation and earlier reconciliations, without letting accuracy slip.

You work with internal and external audit through all audit cycles. How do you make an audit uneventful?

What they are checking: Whether they prepare documentation and answers ahead of time, so audits go smoothly and do not pull the team off its work.

What do you look at to tell whether research and development spend is productive rather than just large?

What they are checking: Whether they think about what R&D spending delivers, like milestones and pipeline progress, rather than only keeping costs in line.

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The full job description

As published by AbbVie.

Position Overview The primary objective of this position is to provide financial leadership and business support for R&D Finance. Specifically, this position is responsible for all consolidated financial planning and reporting, internal controls, and leadership. In addition, this position provides strategic business partnership to the Vice President Controller or R&D Finance. Core Responsibilities • Financial Reporting and Internal Control : • Lead the monthly, quarterly and annual close / reporting processes ensuring accurate and timely reporting of monthly financial results in accordance with GAAP and reporting requirements from Division, Global and Corporate requirements. • Develop effective reporting, monitor performance and support development of contingency plans as necessary to deliver results with clear and concise commentary. • Work closely with the external and internal audit teams to complete all audit cycles effectively and implementing any audit recommendations according to due dates as applicable. • Drive to continue to enhance internal controls and ensure financial results are recorded in compliance with AbbVie financial policies, SOX and GAAP. • Financial Planning and Analysis : • Proactively lead the planning processes [Plan, UPD, LBE and LRP] ensuring accurate and timely integration of sales forecast, pricing and investment resourcing, ensuring senior management input to meet overall Division / Global / Corporate deadlines and deliverables. • Coordinate across the division timelines, requirements, targets, financial presentations, and financial results for all Corporate planning requirements. • Lead the finance team that provides direct financial support to all of the support organizations within the division. • Ensure financial planning and reporting deliverables are accurate, clear and concise for Executive level review and approval. • Strategic Business Partnership: • Provide proactive leadership across overall Financial Planning and Reporting function by effectively communicating / interfacing with Senior management, business unit controllers and other cross functional teams with R&D Finance as well as all external customers encompassing Global and Corporate FP&A communities. • Be a strategic partner to the Vice President – R&D Finance and provide clear and concise output deliverables that are Executive management ready. • Decision Support / Special Projects -- Provide analyses for ad hoc or other business presentations that lend insight into key business drivers enabling senior management to adapt more appropriate tactics / strategy to meet both short- and long-term objectives. • Leadership • Build an effective network within the R&D Finance teams to facilitate navigation and alignment throughout the complex matrix environment. • Identify, nurture and develop key talent with an eye towards future leadership roles within various areas of the organization. • Acclimate to US forecasting cycles and consider areas for future process improvements as part of a key member of the planning processes, along with DHQ and members of the extended finance leadership team. • Demand Management & Pricing (as applicable): Partner with Demand Planning/Pricing teams to monitor and maintain the stability of AbbVie product in the U.S. supply channel, ensure the equitable allocation of product to customers and provide business insights on purchase and pricing trends across AbbVie’s key brands. • Effectively lead and develop a team of professionals with direct reports. Required: • 15+ years progressive accounting or finance experience • Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or Finance • Excellent verbal and written communication skills • Experience in leading and motivating a team in a dynamic business environment to successfully achieve results and on-time deliverables • Ability to solve business problems through the proactive identification of issues and subsequent collection, analysis, and interpretation of related data • Experience supporting senior operating management, with executive presence and ability to challenge the status quo while building relationships • Experience working independently as well as team environments and integrating activities across multiple functions / divisions Preferred: • MBA in Accounting or Finance and / or CPA • US Commercial experience and knowledge of the financial planning process • Solid understanding of automated accounting/financial systems such as TM1, desktop productivity and mainframe accounting applications 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 thisposting 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 anduntil 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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