Director, Construction
AbbVie
August 08, 2026
On-site
North Chicago, IL
$160,500 - $305,000 USD yearly
Operations
Purpose:
- Provide senior leadership and owner’s oversight for all construction activities for a ~$500M pharmaceutical capital project, ensuring safe, compliant, efficient execution aligned with capital governance, quality systems, and regulatory expectations. Integrate construction with engineering, procurement, CQV, validation, and operational readiness. Reports to Strategic Projects Director.
Responsibilities:
- Serve as the owner’s senior construction leader; lead construction management organization and oversee EPC/CM and trade contractors.
- Provide governance/oversight, conduct constructability input, establish execution strategies/site procedures, and coordinate engineering, procurement, construction, CQV, and operations.
- Champion Zero Incident safety culture; ensure OSHA/EHS compliance; oversee contractor safety programs, audits, and incident investigations; drive hazard identification/mitigation.
- Oversee integrated master schedule (milestones/critical path); ensure realistic contractor schedules; monitor progress and productivity; lead schedule risk assessments and recovery.
- Manage construction budgets/cost forecasts; monitor cost performance; drive value engineering; lead change management; review/assess change requests/claims and negotiate commercial impacts.
- Lead construction risk reviews; maintain construction risk register and contingency planning.
- Ensure execution meets specifications, engineering standards, and regulatory requirements; support CQV readiness, quality documentation/testing, inspections, and turnover to commissioning.
- Support capital governance stage-gate approvals and provide regular reporting to senior leadership.
Qualifications:
- BS in Engineering (or equivalent technical degree) required.
- 20+ years as a construction leader (preferably biopharmaceutical, US) and mega-capital project experience ($500MM+).
- Proven leadership across large cross-functional teams; experience with EPC/EPCM contractors and global equipment vendors.
- Strong negotiation skills, risk-based decision making, and ability to mentor leaders.
- Travel within the US and internationally for reviews/workshops/visits to vendor facilities required.
- Provide senior leadership and owner’s oversight for all construction activities for a ~$500M pharmaceutical capital project, ensuring safe, compliant, efficient execution aligned with capital governance, quality systems, and regulatory expectations. Integrate construction with engineering, procurement, CQV, validation, and operational readiness. Reports to Strategic Projects Director.
Responsibilities:
- Serve as the owner’s senior construction leader; lead construction management organization and oversee EPC/CM and trade contractors.
- Provide governance/oversight, conduct constructability input, establish execution strategies/site procedures, and coordinate engineering, procurement, construction, CQV, and operations.
- Champion Zero Incident safety culture; ensure OSHA/EHS compliance; oversee contractor safety programs, audits, and incident investigations; drive hazard identification/mitigation.
- Oversee integrated master schedule (milestones/critical path); ensure realistic contractor schedules; monitor progress and productivity; lead schedule risk assessments and recovery.
- Manage construction budgets/cost forecasts; monitor cost performance; drive value engineering; lead change management; review/assess change requests/claims and negotiate commercial impacts.
- Lead construction risk reviews; maintain construction risk register and contingency planning.
- Ensure execution meets specifications, engineering standards, and regulatory requirements; support CQV readiness, quality documentation/testing, inspections, and turnover to commissioning.
- Support capital governance stage-gate approvals and provide regular reporting to senior leadership.
Qualifications:
- BS in Engineering (or equivalent technical degree) required.
- 20+ years as a construction leader (preferably biopharmaceutical, US) and mega-capital project experience ($500MM+).
- Proven leadership across large cross-functional teams; experience with EPC/EPCM contractors and global equipment vendors.
- Strong negotiation skills, risk-based decision making, and ability to mentor leaders.
- Travel within the US and internationally for reviews/workshops/visits to vendor facilities required.