External Innovation, Alliances

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas including immunology, oncology and neuroscience - and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio.

As Director, External Innovation, Alliances, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and managing AbbVie’s most strategic external collaborations—from discovery through commercialization—with a strong focus on partnerships with China Biotechs. You will lead alliance management for complex, high-value partnerships that advance AbbVie’s pipeline. As the primary bridge between AbbVie and its partners, you will foster transparency, strategic alignment, and a shared vision for success. You will proactively anticipate challenges, resolve issues, and create the conditions for collaboration that drive scientific and business impact.

In this role, you will lead strategic business reviews at key contractual decision points, delivering clear, data-driven recommendations to senior leadership. When necessary, you will negotiate amendments or restructure existing alliances to ensure long-term value creation and performance. You will also play a key role in supporting due diligence and business development, assessing, structuring, and negotiating new partnership opportunities that strengthen AbbVie’s global pipeline and enterprise strategy.

This is a high-visibility, high-impact position for a strategic, proactive, and globally minded leader: a relationship builder and problem solver who thrives at the intersection of science, business, and collaboration, and who is motivated by the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in patients’ lives worldwide.

Responsibilities

• Lead and Champion Strategic Alliances: Drive alignment between AbbVie and local partners to ensure shared vision, effective governance, and seamless execution of programs across discovery, development, and commercialization.
• Strengthen Relationships: Build and maintain trusted partnerships in China—leveraging Mandarin fluency and cultural fluency to foster collaboration and joint problem-solving.
• Lead Strategic Reviews and Governance: Manage governance forums, including Joint Steering Committees, to drive data-informed decision-making, assess alliance performance, and provide recommendations to senior leadership at key contractual inflection points.
• Engage and Influence Executive Leadership: Partner directly with AbbVie’s Global Alliances and team members across R&D, Commercial, and Corporate Business & Strategy Office to shape partnership strategy, influence business decisions, and resolve complex issues with agility and foresight.
• Be a Strategic, Enterprise-Level Advisor: Provide forward-looking insights to leadership on alliance health, strategic opportunities, and risk mitigation—helping AbbVie make data-driven, value-maximizing decisions across its portfolio.
• Advance the Portfolio: Align cross-functional teams and partners around integrated development strategies that combine scientific excellence with operational execution to accelerate milestones and value creation.
• Support Business Development and Due Diligence: Collaborate with the Ventures, Search & Evaluation and Business Development to evaluate, structure, and negotiate new collaborations; support due diligence and integration planning, ensuring strategic fit and executional readiness.
• Negotiate and Optimize Partnerships: Proactively identify opportunities to refine alliance terms, negotiate amendments, or restructure partnerships to enhance scientific and commercial success while sustaining long-term strategic value.
• Drive Continuous Improvement: Implement and refine processes, tools, and communication frameworks that foster transparency, consistency, and operational excellence across partnerships.
• Promote Excellence and Partnering Culture: Establish best-in-class alliance practices, mentor team members, and represent AbbVie externally as a partner of choice in the global biopharma community.

Qualifications

• 5-10 years of pharmaceutical development, alliance management or business development work experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industries required / 5+ with masters / 3+ with PhD.
• Proven track record of success leading complex, cross-border alliances.
• Strong Project management/ leadership skills to lead/manage multifunctional teams, with proven ability to align and influence VP- and executive-level stakeholders.
• Ability to drive projects to deliver timely results and follow through on commitments.
• Master or Ph.D. degree in related scientific field. Overseas education background is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in a 0 to 1 environment.
• Capable of quickly building up network and collaborating with key stakeholders / potential partners internal and externally.
• Deep understanding of drug R&D and/or commercialization across early and late-stage programs.
• Highly motivated with strong organizational and communication skills, excellent work ethic.
• Self-starter who anticipates challenges, drives progress independently, and navigates ambiguity with sound judgment and creativity.

AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community.