Project Leader, Oncology Early Development

We are searching for a Project Leader to join Oncology Early Development (OED). This is a unique opportunity to lead innovative first in-class, cutting edge programs, combined with the opportunity to lead and mentor cross-functional teams that are responsible for the development of oncology early development therapeutic programs. The successful candidate will collaborate and partner with cross-functional subject matter experts across AbbVie sites and be accountable for advancement of programs from GLP toxicology to clinical proof of concept milestones.
In this role, you will report to the Head of OED Project Leadership and will join an experienced team with a strong track record in developing oncology assets. As the OED Project Leader (PL), you will lead decision-making and be a champion for your programs. You will represent the teams/programs at governance and to internal and external stakeholders. To be successful in this role, you need a deep understanding of oncology drug development and must be able to lead cross-functional teams in developing and executing strategies to achieve clinical proof-of-concept and advance the programs to registration enabling studies. As the OED PL, you will present program progress and strategies to senior management for endorsement in governance forums. The focus will be to deliver and leverage high-quality scientific and clinical data to inform strategy and advance or terminate the programs consistent with its prioritization in the overall portfolio. You will be a scientific and strategic leader for your programs.

• Experience leading a team in a cross-functional environment, preferably with global scope.
• Establishes close ongoing ties with all team members and supporting teams, to ensure appropriate empowerment and delegation, and maintaining aligned efforts. Maintains a function-neutral position in prioritizing actions and making decisions, with an eye toward optimizing asset value in a timely and high-quality fashion. Coaches and mentors team members as appropriate.
• Ensures timely, multidirectional, and comprehensive interactions with Pipeline Governance at prespecified milestones and as significant program issues or opportunities arise. Reviews and analyzes emerging data objectively to drive team toward recommendations that highlight opportunities, address potential risks, and proactively provide appropriate mitigations.
• Along with the PM, ensures that meeting agendas, background materials, and minutes are complete and available in a timely manner, with pending decisions clearly outlined, to enable the AST to focus on strategy and decision-making, and to enable optimal communication of issues to supporting teams, team members, and functions.
• Relevant experience (minimum of 5 years; 8+ years preferred) in an academic, hospital, or pharmaceutical/biotech setting.
• Bachelors Degree required; Doctoral-level degree highly preferred.
• Strong scientific background in oncology drug development (basic, translational, and/or clinical); and experience in designing and/or conducting oncology clinical trails.
• Ensures that the AST continually validates the viability of the program from a scientific and commercial perspective. Develops clear, prospective Go/No-Go decision points and serves as a champion for the program, using objectivity and judgment to analyze, interpret, and present data to Pipeline Governance and senior management.
• Serves as AST representative to appropriate cross-functional teams.
• Excellent oral and written English communication skills.
• Represents the AST at interactions with external parties (e.g., Advisory Boards, regulatory interactions) when these engagements require broad cross-functional contributions.
• Has a deep understanding of the role and value of each function on the team, to know how to solicit timely input. Collaborates with AST functions to ensure program is appropriately resourced and stays within allocated budget, and champions requests for incremental resources when appropriate. Works continually with supporting teams to ensure that executed plans are consistent with the Target Product Profile (TPP) and PDP, tracking progress in conjunction with the Project Manager (PM).
• Ability and willingness to respectfully challenge team members and functions in order to assess fully all opportunities, options, risks and mitigations.
• Chairs an Asset Strategy Team (AST). In this capacity, serves as the enterprise leader who is the project’s primary point of contact for Pipeline Governance and senior management.
• Stays abreast of professional information, industry trends, and emerging technology through conferences, medical literature, and other available training, to augment expertise in drug development and the pharmaceutical industry. Works with team members to maintain a comprehensive and up-to-date understanding of the competitive environment in the field and to assess for potential impact on ongoing programs.
• Ability to delegate appropriate accountability and decision-making to supporting teams and functions.
• Leads the effort to articulate and present an integrated cross-functional strategy for all aspects of product development, consistent with the overall strategy articulated by Pipeline Governance and the Therapeutic Executive Committee. Maintains primary accountability for ensuing deliverables, including a functionally aligned Asset Strategy/Plan and Product Development Plan (PDP).
• Strong collaboration, facilitative leadership, executive function, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to lead and motivate team members from across functional areas; must be able to lead through and bring out the best in others.
• Is a scientific leader and drives the science-based strategy for the program.
• Ability to objectively exercise judgment and create pragmatic solutions to address complex cross-functional problems, and be accountable for obtaining stakeholder advice to make informed decisions, in order to move a program forward in the face of uncertainty or incomplete date.

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 including disability/vets. It is AbbVie’s policy to employ qualified persons of the greatest ability without discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a disabled veteran, recently separated veteran, Armed Forces service medal veteran or active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran or a person’s relationship or association with a protected veteran, including spouses and other family members, or any other protected group status. We will take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified minorities, women, individuals with a disability, disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, Armed Forces service medal veterans or active-duty wartime or campaign badge veterans. The Affirmative Action Plan is available for viewing in the Human Resources office during regular business hours.