Director - Protocol Optimization (Hybrid)

Company Description

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.

Job Description

The Director, Protocol Optimization & Trial Simplification will lead the strategic direction, adoption, and impact of the Protocol Optimization & Trial Simplification (POTS), a key enterprise system designed to improve protocol quality across AbbVie’s clinical trials. The role combines system ownership with cross-functional leadership, ensuring POTS drives meaningful change in how studies are designed—with a focus on simplicity, feasibility, and reduced site/patient burden. This leader will shape the future of protocol design at AbbVie, partnering across Clinical Development, Clinical Operations, and enabling functions to embed smarter decision-making into the earliest stages of study planning

Responsibilities:

• Define and evolve the strategic vision and roadmap for POTS as a key enterprise tool
• Lead investment and expansion strategy—deciding where and how to scale (e.g., which disease areas or study types to prioritize)
• Champion the system internally, leading change management and building organizational belief in its value
• Serve as the business owner and primary decision-maker for system enhancements, feature prioritization, and long-term direction
• Partner closely with BTS, vendors, and user communities to ensure effective design, delivery, and user experience
• Lead AbbVie’s efforts to drive better protocol design at scale, reducing unnecessary complexity and improving feasibility
• Embed POTS into core study planning workflows by engaging with study teams, TAHs, and functional area leaders
• Identify systemic challenges (e.g., overuse of certain endpoints, redundant assessments) and design targeted interventions using POTS and related enablers
• Serve as the enterprise voice for protocol quality, simplicity, and executional burden reduction -Represent CAP in cross-functional forums and governance bodies related to study planning and protocol development.
• Act as a strategic partner to Clinical Development, Patient Inclusion, SSU, CSM, Data Sciences, and others to integrate operational perspectives into protocol design -Use system-generated insights and user feedback to continuously inform cross-functional strategy
  
  

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Minimum 12 years of experience in the pharmaceutical, biotech, or healthcare industry, with strong exposure to clinical trials, operations, and analytics
  
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree (e.g., PharmD, PhD, MBA) preferred
• Experience with investment prioritization, agile product development, or user-centered design is a plus
  
  

Other Required Skills:

• Demonstrated success leading enterprise tools or initiatives, with experience in product strategy, user adoption, or platform governance
• Strong understanding of protocol design, clinical feasibility, and operational execution
• Ability to lead change, influence without authority, and build coalitions across diverse stakeholders
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with a strategic mindset
  
  

Additional Information

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.
• 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 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.

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