Director, Neuroscience Strategic Management, Chief of Staff

About the Role

The Director, Neuroscience Strategic Management serves as Chief of Staff to the Vice President, Neuroscience Discovery Research. In this role, the individual partners closely with the VP and leadership team to advance strategic priorities, strengthen organizational effectiveness, and drive execution of key initiatives across the Neuroscience organization. The Chief of Staff acts as a trusted advisor and operational leader, helping translate strategy into action by coordinating cross-functional efforts, aligning stakeholders, tracking progress against objectives, and facilitating effective decision-making.

The role requires strong business acumen, organizational agility, and the ability to navigate complex environments while fostering collaboration across functions, sites, and leadership teams. Success in this role requires strategic thinking, strong communication and influencing skills, operational excellence, and the ability to drive outcomes through others.

This position will be located in Cambridge, MA. Applicants should be willing to relocate if not already located in the Greater Boston Area.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the VP, Neuroscience Discovery Research, to support the development, communication, and execution of organizational priorities and strategic initiatives.
• Drive operational excellence across the Neuroscience organization through effective planning, governance, and execution.
• Support leadership team effectiveness by facilitating agenda development, decision-making processes, follow-up actions, and alignment on key priorities.
• Coordinate and monitor progress of high-impact cross-functional initiatives, identifying risks, dependencies, and opportunities to accelerate delivery.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the VP by providing objective analysis, recommendations, and actionable insights to support informed decision-making.
• Foster collaboration across Discovery Research functions, disease areas, and sites to drive alignment and execution.
• Partner with functional leaders to support organizational planning, resource prioritization, change management, and business process improvements.
• Help identify and coordinate strategic external engagements, collaborations, and partnership opportunities aligned with Neuroscience priorities.
• Develop executive communications, presentations, and materials that clearly articulate business priorities, progress, and recommendations.
• Partner closely with Finance, Business Management, and Discovery Research leadership to support organizational planning and operational objectives.
• Capture and share best practices, lessons learned, and organizational insights to improve effectiveness and strengthen collaboration across teams.

Requirements

• Advanced degree (MS, PhD, PharmD, or equivalent) in Neuroscience or a related scientific discipline.
• Minimum 8–10 years of experience within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare, consulting, or related industries.
• Experience in one or more of the following areas: research and development, program management, business operations, strategic planning, alliance management, or management consulting.
• Demonstrated success leading complex cross-functional initiatives and driving execution in matrixed organizations.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing materials for senior leadership audiences.
• Proven ability to influence stakeholders and build productive relationships across functions and organizational levels.
• Experience supporting senior executives or leadership teams.
• Experience in organizational transformation, operational improvement, or change management initiatives.
• Familiarity with Discovery Research processes and the drug discovery environment.

Leadership Capabilities

• Demonstrates sound judgment, professionalism, and discretion when handling sensitive matters.
• Builds trust and credibility through collaboration, accountability, and consistent delivery.
• Effectively influences without direct authority and drives alignment across diverse stakeholders.
• Balances strategic thinking with operational execution and attention to detail.
• Anticipates challenges, identifies practical solutions, and proactively drives resolution.
• Thrives in a fast-paced environment and effectively manages multiple priorities.
• Communicates complex concepts clearly and concisely to a variety of audiences.
• Promotes a culture of continuous improvement, learning, and collaboration.

Pay

The compensation range described is the range of possible base pay compensation that AbbVie 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 AbbVie may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.

This job is eligible to participate in AbbVie’s long-term incentive programs.

Benefits

• Comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick).
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) to eligible employees.