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Transformation Senior Process Engineer- API

AbbVie · North Chicago, IL · Full time · Engineering

Posted Aug 26, 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'd work with little supervision as the technical authority. When do you decide something is beyond you and bring in help?

What they are checking: Whether they know the limits of their own expertise and bring in specialists early, which matters when the role carries real technical authority.

How do you hand a design over to the people who will run it?

What they are checking: Whether they involve operators early and hand over clear documentation and training, since a design only works if the people running it understand it.

What would you do

What do you consider when sizing equipment for a process that may change before startup?

What they are checking: Whether they design with flexibility and sensible margins for a process that may still change, without oversizing equipment and wasting capital.

A vendor's equipment does not perform as specified during commissioning. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they hold vendors to the specification with documented evidence and clear escalation, rather than accepting poor performance to keep the schedule moving.

This is one of five transformation roles posted at once on the same capital project. Why the process engineering seat rather than the engineering lead or automation lead?

What they are checking: Whether they understand how this seat differs from the engineering and automation leads, and genuinely want the hands-on process design work it involves.

About the work

This role is technical lead for process and equipment design on a capital project for active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing. Walk me through a process design you led.

What they are checking: Whether they have led process and equipment design as the technical authority, which this role expects on a large pharmaceutical capital project.

How do you take a process from development data to an equipment specification?

What they are checking: Whether they can turn lab and pilot data into equipment requirements, accounting for scale-up effects that change how a process behaves.

Active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing involves solvents, reactions and containment. How does that shape a design?

What they are checking: Whether they account for solvent handling, reaction hazards and containment in design, since these drive safety, environmental and operator exposure decisions in API plants.

How do you design for cleaning and changeover, not just for making the product?

What they are checking: Whether they design for cleaning and changeover from the start, because hard-to-clean equipment slows production and creates contamination risk for years.

How do you balance capital cost against operating cost in a design decision?

What they are checking: Whether they weigh upfront capital against long-term operating cost over the plant's life, rather than choosing the cheapest option on the day.

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The full job description

As published by AbbVie.

The Operations Transformation organization's mission is to accelerate future-ready Operations through purposeful transformation and drive excellence through new technology and enhanced cross-functional collaboration. The Strategic Capital Deployment team leads AbbVie Operations' long-term strategic investments and investment roadmaps, while executing large-scale capital projects through optimized delivery, technology adoption, and cross-functional collaboration. The Transformation Senior Process Engineer will serve as the technical lead for process and equipment design on a Strategic Capital Project. They are accountable to the Project Engineering Lead and Project Director and will be responsible for driving the design decisions, equipment specifications, design accuracy, and risk management for the project. An engineering professional who, working with little or no supervision, applies scientific knowledge, engineering knowledge, mathematics, and ingenuity to complete assignments related to a specific technical field or discipline. A Senior Engineer has general knowledge of other related disciplines beyond their own area of expertise. Responsibilities • Responsibilities of this engineering grade level inherently include and expand upon the responsibilities established for lower engineering grade levels. • Responsible for compliance with applicable policies and procedures. Ensures quality and effectiveness of key results of major projects within function through sound design, early risk assessments, and implementation of fallback strategies. Has full awareness of the potential consequences (defects and failure modes) of design changes to established processes. Mitigates risk within functions through sound design, early risk assessments and implementation of fallback strategies. • Independently plans and conducts high business impact projects within engineering specialty in the Drug Product Manufacturing or Packaging areas. Responsible for achieving the project's financial targets in support of business objectives. Maintains project controls and reporting for cost, scope, and schedule. • Develops execution strategy including procurement; balances multiple demands; understands the business needs and has a thorough knowledge of the customer and cGMP needs when developing a project scope. Incorporates business foresight of emerging technological trends. • Facility, Equipment, and Utilities SME responsibilities during Regulatory Agencies Audits. Responsible of preparing documentation packages and presenting information in front of regulatory agents. • Produces unique and cost-effective results. Establishes alternate use possibilities and incorporates flexibility; balances system costs with benefits provided; oversees design work of internal and external consultants, Creates/modified designs for intermediate problems. Integrates financial with technical data. Analyzes complex interdisciplinary problems and identifies their impact; establishes probabilities; draws conclusions reflecting broad business needs. • Represents engineering on corporate task forces. Identifies full range of customer/client needs and proposes solutions to address them; makes alterations in products or services to better meet (recognized or unrecognized) customer need. Monitors the improvement of other engineer and may participate in the evaluation of assigned staff/project team members and in the identification of development needs. May supervise other engineers or technicians. • Bachelors Degree in Engineering, science, or closely related discipline is desired, or equivalent technical experience plus demonstrated competence, with a desired 6+ years of significant engineering and/or operational experience. A post-graduate education/degree is desired, and may contribute towards the desired years of experience. • Has demonstrated competency within a discipline. • Possesses a strong technical knowledge and application of concepts, practices, and procedures. Works on problems of complex scope where analysis of situations or data involves multiple competing factors. Demonstrates judgment within defined procedures and practices to determine appropriate action. • Interacts well with diverse groups within engineering and maintains strong working relationships with internal and external collaborators. Listens to and understands others' points of view and articulates tactfully and respectfully one's own perspective orally, in writing, and in presentations. • Possesses interpersonal skills to negotiate and reconcile differences in a fast paced, goal driven environment. • Has a technical background in health care, medical devices, pharmaceutical, biologics, or similar industries (preferred). • Has demonstrated competency with financial systems and in fiscal control. 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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