Associate Director, AI Strategy & Operations

Role Summary

The Associate Director of AI Strategy and Operations leads the development, governance, and execution of AbbVie’s enterprise AI strategy and priority use cases across functions such as drug discovery, clinical development, operations, and commercial. The role acts as a strategic thought partner, coordinating external AI advisory activities and driving operational excellence aligned with business objectives and patient impact.

Responsibilities

• Enterprise AI Strategy: Develop and execute the enterprise AI strategy, partnering with the Director to align with AbbVie’s business objectives.
• Functional and Business Unit AI Strategies: Help functional and business unit leaders develop and refresh their AI strategies, incorporating the latest AI innovations and identifying opportunities to accelerate strategic priorities.
• External AI Advisory Board: Oversee AbbVie’s external AI advisory board, coordinating across functions and BUs to gather topics and questions for advisory board meetings and applying insights across enterprise strategies.
• Deep AI Expertise: Apply expertise in machine learning, generative AI, agentic AI, and physical AI to contribute to innovative biopharma solutions.
• Operational Excellence: Establish and execute governance and operational frameworks, ensuring cross-functional communication and integration across business units.
• Measurement and Reporting: Monitor, analyze, and report on the progress and impact of AI initiatives.
• Cross-cutting Enablers: Provide thought leadership and support in cross-cutting capabilities including technology enablement, responsible AI, and data readiness.

Qualifications

• Required: Education & Strategy Experience: Degree fields in Computer Science, Statistics, AI/ML, Physics, Math, Chemistry, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, or similar; Bachelor’s: 9+ years in strategy OR Master’s: 8+ years in strategy OR PhD: 4+ years in strategy; Must include work with life sciences or tech companies on AI; 2–3 years at a top consulting firm.
• Required: Technical Knowledge: Broad understanding of current AI and ML technologies; effective project management and teamwork skills; ability to communicate across management levels and thrive in cross-functional settings; key competencies include AI/ML experience, enterprise thinking, time management, project management, strong interpersonal skills, and adaptability to changing requirements.
• Preferred: Advanced degree in a computational field; Professional experience at a product-focused technology company (e.g., Big Tech, start-ups).

Additional Requirements

• This role requires at minimum three (3) days onsite in the respective AbbVie office.