Director, Automation & Digital Transformation, Biologics Drug Substance Development
About the role
The Director, Automation & Digital Transformation will lead the Automation and Digital Transformation organization within Biologics Drug Substance Development and serve as the strategic leader for AbbVie's Lab-in-a-Loop vision.
Responsibilities
Develop and execute a comprehensive automation, data, AI, and digital transformation roadmap for Biologics Drug Substance Development.
Define and advance the organizational vision for Lab-in-a-Loop, integrating experimental automation, predictive modeling, digital twins, and AI-enabled decision support.
Establish a future-state digital architecture that enables seamless connectivity of scientific workflows, instrumentation, laboratory systems, manufacturing systems, and knowledge repositories.
Ensure alignment of automation and digital initiatives with biologics development priorities and enterprise digital strategies.
Benchmark emerging technologies, industry best practices, and competitive capabilities to maintain AbbVie's leadership position in digital biologics development.
Lead and develop a high-performing Automation & Digital Transformation team consisting of automation engineers, digital scientists, data scientists, software developers, and technology specialists.
Establish talent and capability strategies to build critical future skills in AI, advanced analytics, process modeling, laboratory automation, and data engineering.
Foster a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, collaboration, and data-driven decision making.
Mentor leaders and technical experts while ensuring sustainable organizational growth and succession planning.
Drive implementation of closed-loop experimental platforms integrating automation, high-throughput experimentation, mechanistic modeling, machine learning, and process optimization.
Champion adoption of digital twins, predictive analytics, advanced process control concepts, and AI-enabled scientific workflows.
Identify and prioritize high-value use cases that accelerate development timelines and improve process robustness.
Partner with scientific teams to translate emerging technologies into scalable business capabilities.
Lead enterprise collaboration and influence, serving as the primary business leader representing Biologics Drug Substance Development in partnerships with BTS, Information Research, Data & Digital Science, Manufacturing, Quality, Operations, and external technology partners.
Influence senior leadership investment decisions and develop business cases supporting strategic digital and automation initiatives.
Drive governance processes for digital investments, technology prioritization, data standards, and capability deployment.
Represent AbbVie externally through industry consortia, conferences, collaborations, and strategic partnerships.
Lead development of integrated data platforms supporting end-to-end data capture, contextualization, visualization, analytics, and knowledge management.
Establish data governance, standards, and business processes that ensure high-quality, reusable scientific data.
Partner with enterprise teams to ensure secure, compliant, and sustainable digital solutions.
Manage technology roadmaps, budgets, resource allocation, and multi-year investment strategies.
Deliver measurable improvements in development speed, process understanding, productivity, decision quality, and organizational effectiveness.
Qualifications
M.S or PhD in Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Biotechnology, Data Science, Computer Science, Life Sciences, or related scientific discipline.
15+ years of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or advanced technology industry experience, including significant experience in biologics process development, manufacturing sciences, digital transformation, or related functions.
Demonstrated leadership experience managing multidisciplinary scientific and technical organizations.
Proven success leading large-scale digital transformation, automation, data science, or technology-enabled business initiatives.
Deep understanding of biologics drug substance development, manufacturing processes, analytical workflows, and CMC development.
Experience implementing laboratory automation, robotics, automated experimentation, and digital laboratory solutions.
Strong knowledge of AI/ML methodologies, advanced analytics, cloud computing, and model-based development approaches.
Experience developing and deploying enterprise data platforms and digital ecosystems.
Demonstrated success leading organizational change and driving adoption of new technologies.
Knowledge of process modeling, digital twins, advanced process control, and model-informed development approaches.
Experience managing complex portfolios, budgets, and strategic investments.
Critical Success Factors
Visionary leader capable of defining and executing transformational strategies that deliver measurable business outcomes.
Strong executive presence with demonstrated ability to influence senior leaders across multiple organizations.
Exceptional leadership, talent development, and organizational management capabilities.
Strong business acumen with experience developing investment strategies and business cases.
Proven ability to lead in matrixed environments and build alignment across diverse stakeholders.
Demonstrated expertise in change management and adoption of transformational technologies.
Ability to balance long-term strategic objectives with near-term business delivery.
Passion for innovation and advancing the future of biologics development through automation, digital technologies, and AI.