Director, Optimization & Strategic Initiatives
AbbVie
August 08, 2026
Remote friendly (Florham Park, NJ)
United States
$160,500 - $305,000 USD yearly
Operations
The Director, Optimization & Strategic Initiatives is responsible for leading enterprise-wide optimization efforts and strategic transformation initiatives that advance customer engagement, analytics, and operating model evolution. Key partner across Marketing, Analytics & Performance Excellence (APEX), Brand Excellence, Customer Engagement Strategy & Innovation, Medical, Commercial Operations, and Technology to drive execution of AI-enabled, data-driven business capabilities.
Strategic Transformation Leadership
- Lead enterprise and franchise-level initiatives to improve commercial effectiveness, customer engagement, and organizational performance.
- Translate strategies into roadmaps, operating models, governance structures, and measurable outcomes.
- Evaluate opportunities, identify capability gaps, and develop transformation strategies.
- Build business cases and executive recommendations to support investment and change.
- Champion new ways of working and foster innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
LOOP Optimization & Readiness
- Drive implementation and continuous optimization of LOOP capabilities across brands/therapeutic areas.
- Partner with Integrated Brand Teams (IBTs) across planning, content, customer journey orchestration, measurement, and execution.
- Assess readiness and identify opportunities, risks, dependencies, and interventions.
- Embed LOOP principles into annual planning and business processes.
- Monitor readiness milestones and support roadmap execution.
Business Process Excellence
- Simplify, standardize, and optimize processes across Commercial, Medical, and Analytics.
- Lead cross-functional process redesign for efficiency, scalability, and customer impact.
- Develop governance models, best practices, and operating procedures.
- Integrate initiatives into enterprise planning and ways of working (including 1Path).
Analytics, Measurement & Continuous Improvement
- Establish closed-loop measurement frameworks to evaluate initiative effectiveness.
- Partner with analytics/data science/BI to create actionable insights.
- Define KPIs, success metrics, and executive dashboards.
- Use customer/field/market/operational data to drive continuous improvement.
- Translate insights into recommendations improving customer experience and performance.
Data, Technology & AI Enablement
- Collaborate with Technology/Data/Digital to advance AI-enabled capabilities and data-driven decisions.
- Prioritize and operationalize platforms/tools supporting optimization.
- Assess data availability, technology readiness, and insight gaps.
- Drive adoption of capabilities enhancing personalization, omnichannel execution, and measurement.
Stakeholder Leadership
- Influence and align senior stakeholders across Marketing, Medical, Commercial Excellence, Analytics, Operations, and Technology.
- Facilitate executive governance and strategic planning discussions.
- Lead cross-functional teams/workstreams without direct authority.
- Develop executive communications on progress, risks, and business impact.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA/MPH/MS or related) preferred.
- 10+ years in analytics, business strategy, commercial operations, marketing excellence, consulting, transformation, or related.
- Proven success leading complex, cross-functional strategic initiatives.
- Strong business acumen connecting strategy, operations, analytics, and execution.
- Experience with organizational transformation, change management, and process optimization.
- Exceptional executive communication and stakeholder management; ability to influence senior leaders.
- Strong analytical/problem-solving skills leveraging data for decisions.
Preferred
- Pharmaceutical/biotech/healthcare/life sciences experience.
- Omnichannel engagement, customer strategy, commercial excellence, or customer experience programs.
- Knowledge of AI-enabled business processes and advanced analytics.
- Experience with enterprise operating model transformations and large-scale change.
Leadership Competencies
- Strategic thinking; enterprise leadership; cross-functional influence; change leadership; process excellence; customer-centric mindset; data-driven decision making; innovation & continuous improvement; team development & coaching; executive presence.
Strategic Transformation Leadership
- Lead enterprise and franchise-level initiatives to improve commercial effectiveness, customer engagement, and organizational performance.
- Translate strategies into roadmaps, operating models, governance structures, and measurable outcomes.
- Evaluate opportunities, identify capability gaps, and develop transformation strategies.
- Build business cases and executive recommendations to support investment and change.
- Champion new ways of working and foster innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
LOOP Optimization & Readiness
- Drive implementation and continuous optimization of LOOP capabilities across brands/therapeutic areas.
- Partner with Integrated Brand Teams (IBTs) across planning, content, customer journey orchestration, measurement, and execution.
- Assess readiness and identify opportunities, risks, dependencies, and interventions.
- Embed LOOP principles into annual planning and business processes.
- Monitor readiness milestones and support roadmap execution.
Business Process Excellence
- Simplify, standardize, and optimize processes across Commercial, Medical, and Analytics.
- Lead cross-functional process redesign for efficiency, scalability, and customer impact.
- Develop governance models, best practices, and operating procedures.
- Integrate initiatives into enterprise planning and ways of working (including 1Path).
Analytics, Measurement & Continuous Improvement
- Establish closed-loop measurement frameworks to evaluate initiative effectiveness.
- Partner with analytics/data science/BI to create actionable insights.
- Define KPIs, success metrics, and executive dashboards.
- Use customer/field/market/operational data to drive continuous improvement.
- Translate insights into recommendations improving customer experience and performance.
Data, Technology & AI Enablement
- Collaborate with Technology/Data/Digital to advance AI-enabled capabilities and data-driven decisions.
- Prioritize and operationalize platforms/tools supporting optimization.
- Assess data availability, technology readiness, and insight gaps.
- Drive adoption of capabilities enhancing personalization, omnichannel execution, and measurement.
Stakeholder Leadership
- Influence and align senior stakeholders across Marketing, Medical, Commercial Excellence, Analytics, Operations, and Technology.
- Facilitate executive governance and strategic planning discussions.
- Lead cross-functional teams/workstreams without direct authority.
- Develop executive communications on progress, risks, and business impact.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA/MPH/MS or related) preferred.
- 10+ years in analytics, business strategy, commercial operations, marketing excellence, consulting, transformation, or related.
- Proven success leading complex, cross-functional strategic initiatives.
- Strong business acumen connecting strategy, operations, analytics, and execution.
- Experience with organizational transformation, change management, and process optimization.
- Exceptional executive communication and stakeholder management; ability to influence senior leaders.
- Strong analytical/problem-solving skills leveraging data for decisions.
Preferred
- Pharmaceutical/biotech/healthcare/life sciences experience.
- Omnichannel engagement, customer strategy, commercial excellence, or customer experience programs.
- Knowledge of AI-enabled business processes and advanced analytics.
- Experience with enterprise operating model transformations and large-scale change.
Leadership Competencies
- Strategic thinking; enterprise leadership; cross-functional influence; change leadership; process excellence; customer-centric mindset; data-driven decision making; innovation & continuous improvement; team development & coaching; executive presence.