Director, Global Automation Engineering

Job description

Position Summary The Director, Global Automation Engineering is AbbVie's enterprise-wide authority for automation architecture, process control systems, and digital infrastructure across the global manufacturing network. This executive-level role carries full financial accountability for approximately $100 million in annual automation operating spend and provides strategic and technical leadership to a high-performing, enterprise-distributed team of automation and capital project engineers. The Director is accountable for the development and execution of AbbVie's enterprise automation strategy, governing automation investments for a portfolio exceeding $3 billion over a five-year horizon. This leader establishes, owns, and continuously advances AbbVie's Factory of the Future automation vision — embedding its requirements into every new capital project and site modernization program to ensure consistent, compliant, and cutting-edge automation solutions are delivered across the enterprise. The role serves as Design Authority for all automation and digital systems enterprise-wide, providing governance over standards, specifications, vendor qualification, and operational readiness throughout the full project lifecycle. As a member of AbbVie's senior engineering leadership community, this role exerts direct influence on enterprise technology direction, regulatory strategy, and long-range digital transformation. Key Responsibilities 1. Strategic Automation Leadership • Serve as AbbVie's enterprise automation authority and senior-most engineering leader for automation, process control, and digital infrastructure across all manufacturing sites globally. • Define, own, and continuously evolve AbbVie's Factory of the Future automation strategy, ensuring its requirements are embedded in every new capital project, site modernization program, and technology investment decision. • Exercise Design Authority for automation and digital systems across the enterprise manufacturing network, ensuring all technical decisions align with enterprise strategy, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices. • Provide owner-side leadership for automation architecture, process control systems, and digital infrastructure supporting pharmaceutical manufacturing capital projects with a total portfolio value exceeding $3 billion. • Drive enterprise-wide harmonization of automation standards, specifications, and engineering practices across all AbbVie manufacturing sites, eliminating fragmentation and reducing compliance risk. • Deliver executive-level technical direction on automation technology selection, platform architecture, and long-range digital infrastructure roadmaps in support of enterprise business objectives. 2. Capital Project Ownership & Oversight • Lead and provide owner-side oversight for automation scope across AbbVie's enterprise capital project portfolio, with full financial accountability for approximately $200 million in automation capital spend. • Define automation deliverables, design requirements, and technical specifications for all capital projects, ensuring alignment with GxP, cybersecurity, and data integrity requirements from project inception through operational handover. • Govern the selection, qualification, and performance management of automation vendors, system integrators, and engineering contractors enterprise-wide across all capital programs. • Ensure Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), commissioning, qualification, and verification (CQV) activities are executed to the highest quality and regulatory standards at every project site. • Oversee operational readiness and startup support for automation systems on all major capital projects, ensuring seamless transition from project completion to sustained manufacturing operations. 3. Technical Systems Ownership & Governance • Own end-to-end automation architecture and enterprise-wide technical governance for Distributed Control Systems (DCS), Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), batch automation, SCADA, OSI-PI / data historian platforms, Environmental Monitoring Systems (EMS), Building Automation Systems (BAS), and associated digital infrastructure. • Provide strategic oversight of cybersecurity programs for Operational Technology (OT) environments enterprise-wide, ensuring compliance with AbbVie cybersecurity policy, OT/IT convergence frameworks, and applicable regulatory requirements. • Champion data integrity across all automated systems, ensuring design, validation, and lifecycle management practices meet current regulatory expectations including FDA 21 CFR Part 11, EU Annex 11, and GAMP 5. • Lead the development and governance of enterprise automation standards, specifications, User Requirement Specifications (URS), Functional Design Specifications (FDS), and engineering best-practice libraries applicable across all sites. • Drive integration of automation systems with enterprise digital platforms, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), ERP, and cloud-based data solutions in support of AbbVie's Factory of the Future strategy. 4. People Leadership & Organizational Development • Build, lead, develop, and retain a high-performing enterprise team of automation engineers, capital project engineers, and site automation leads operating across a matrixed, globally distributed organization. • Foster a culture of technical excellence, continuous improvement, innovation, and accountability throughout the enterprise automation function. • Establish clear performance expectations, structured development pathways, and robust succession plans to ensure long-term organizational capability and resilience. • Mentor and coach engineers at all career stages, with particular emphasis on cultivating next-generation automation leadership talent across the enterprise network. • Manage enterprise-level resource planning, workload allocation, and staffing strategies to meet the dynamic demands of a large global capital por