Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic workforce planning and resource management for clinical study execution.
- Company: AbbVie is a pioneering biopharmaceutical company dedicated to innovation and transforming lives.
- Benefits: Enjoy a collaborative culture, professional growth opportunities, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
- Why this job: Join a high-performance team that values continuous learning and empowers future leaders.
- Qualifications: Requires a Bachelor's degree and 10 years of clinical research experience, with strong leadership skills.
- Other info: AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer committed to integrity and community service.
The predicted salary is between 54000 - 84000 £ per year.
The Director, Study Management Association Organization (SMAO) plays a pivotal role in driving operational excellence across AbbVie's clinical study execution. The Director, SMAO ensures that we have the right talent pipeline and resource planning strategies in place to deliver best-in-class study execution. This role is accountable for the comprehensive strategic resource planning and capability development of the SMAO organization. This includes setting the geographic footprint strategy, rigorous resource forecasting, and dynamically shifting resources to support evolving business priorities. It also includes the cultivation of an upskilling curriculum designed to continuously elevate SMA capabilities. This experienced, adept, and inspirational people manager reports to a Clinical Study Leadership (CSL) Vice President and is a people leader for up to 15 SMAO Line Managers and approximately 200 indirect reports.
Job Description:
- Spearhead strategic workforce planning and resource management to maintain business continuity, respond agilely to changes, and meet or exceed organizational deliverables and goals across the portfolio.
- Develop and implement a robust, white glove role-focused training program to standardize skills, elevate performance, and enable exemplary study execution from each SMA.
- Cultivate an inclusive, innovative community that promotes continuous learning, empowers professional career growth, and develops leadership skills in the future leaders of AbbVie.
- Drive a high-performance culture by implementing an evergreen performance feedback process focused on setting clear expectations, coaching, providing growth opportunities, and proactive performance management.
- Nurture strategic partnerships across the matrix environment to inspire cohesive teamwork, enhance collaboration and productivity, and increase the likelihood of achieving aggressive execution targets.
- Adeptly communicate strategy and drive stakeholder alignment as a respected leadership voice.
- Apply structured problem-solving to navigate complex challenges, leverage data to drive decisions, and reconcile diverse perspectives to drive business deliverables.
- Contribute expertise to developing operational policies and procedures including Quality Systems Documents (QSDs), change management, and the SMAO training curriculum.
- Identify opportunities and champion initiatives within SMAO/CSL/CDO that drive organizational efficiencies, optimize processes, and adopt best practice.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree required, degree in healthcare, life sciences or scientific field preferred.
- Minimum of 10 years of relevant clinical research experience in the pharmaceutical/biotech setting and/or relevant clinical research organization.
- At least 5 years of direct people management experience.
- Proven record of successfully leading and developing high-performing teams whilst managing multiple priorities in a fast‐paced environment.
- Exceptional ability to inspire, influence, and build trust across the matrix.
- Strong collaboration, coaching/mentoring, and leadership experience.
- Excellent communicator able to clearly articulate vision and convey complex information.
- Strong analytical skills and strategic problem-solving mindset. Ability to evaluate complex issues from multiple perspectives and implement solutions to solve root cause problems.
- Ability to adapt easily to rapidly changing needs, requirements and situations while modeling AbbVie’s leadership attributes. High integrity, ethics and commitment to AbbVie's values and leadership principles.
- Extensive working knowledge of GCP and regulatory environment for drug development.
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.
Director SMA employer: AbbVie Inc
Contact Detail:
AbbVie Inc Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Director SMA
✨Tip Number 1
Network with professionals in the clinical research field, especially those who have experience in leadership roles. Attend industry conferences or webinars to connect with potential colleagues and learn about the latest trends in study management.
✨Tip Number 2
Familiarise yourself with AbbVie's values and leadership principles. Understanding their culture will help you align your approach and demonstrate how you can contribute to their high-performance environment during interviews.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare to discuss specific examples of how you've successfully led teams and managed resources in a fast-paced environment. Highlight your strategic problem-solving skills and ability to adapt to changing priorities.
✨Tip Number 4
Showcase your knowledge of GCP and the regulatory environment for drug development. Being well-versed in these areas will demonstrate your expertise and readiness for the responsibilities of the Director SMA role.
We think you need these skills to ace Director SMA
Some tips for your application 🫡
Understand the Role: Thoroughly read the job description for the Director SMA position. Identify key responsibilities and qualifications that AbbVie is looking for, and think about how your experience aligns with these requirements.
Tailor Your CV: Customise your CV to highlight relevant clinical research experience, people management skills, and any specific achievements that demonstrate your ability to lead high-performing teams in a fast-paced environment.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Write a cover letter that not only outlines your qualifications but also conveys your passion for driving operational excellence and fostering a high-performance culture. Use specific examples to illustrate your leadership style and strategic thinking.
Showcase Your Communication Skills: In both your CV and cover letter, emphasise your exceptional communication abilities. Provide examples of how you've effectively articulated complex information and inspired collaboration across teams in previous roles.
How to prepare for a job interview at AbbVie Inc
✨Understand the Role Thoroughly
Before your interview, make sure you have a deep understanding of the Director SMA role. Familiarise yourself with the key responsibilities such as strategic workforce planning and resource management. This will help you articulate how your experience aligns with their needs.
✨Showcase Leadership Experience
Given that this position involves managing up to 15 line managers and 200 indirect reports, be prepared to discuss your leadership style. Share specific examples of how you've inspired teams, managed performance, and developed talent in previous roles.
✨Demonstrate Problem-Solving Skills
The role requires strong analytical skills and a strategic problem-solving mindset. Prepare to discuss complex challenges you've faced in the past and how you navigated them. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses.
✨Communicate Your Vision
As a respected leadership voice, you'll need to effectively communicate strategy and align stakeholders. Practice articulating your vision for the SMAO organisation and how you would drive collaboration and innovation within the team.
