Project Director, Infrastructure

Job Description

New to North Carolina. Known for pursuing breakthroughs in medicine.

Ready to join our team?

At AbbVie, we bring together talented people and innovative science to develop medicines that help patients. Now, we’re bringing that commitment to Durham, North Carolina, with a new manufacturing campus that will expand our ability to produce medicines and create opportunities in the Research Triangle.

The campus will integrate advanced manufacturing, laboratory technologies and AI to support the production of immunology, oncology and neuroscience medicines. The first phase will include manufacturing facilities, next-generation laboratories, a warehouse, administrative offices and employee wellness facilities.

To learn more about this investment, please visit https://www.abbvie.com/abbvie-north-carolina-manufacturing.html

We are now recruiting our Project Director, Infrastructure as part of the core start up leadership team .

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

This job provides operational and process leadership for the Facilities Engineering area by leading short to medium-term planning and execution, and is accountable for meaningful career development conversations and regular coaching and feedback.

Lead infrastructure strategy across multiple sites and guides planning and design priorities for facilities and utility systems.

Oversees cross-site practices for utilities management and building systems performance, reinforcing consistent operational standards and service expectations.

Directs renovation and infrastructure programs through site leadership, aligning scope, sequencing, and constraints to portfolio priorities.

Drives consistent execution of safety and regulatory requirements for facilities work, ensuring risks, findings, and corrective actions are addressed to closure.

Develops site leaders and engineers by reinforcing disciplined planning routines, stakeholder alignment cadence, and traceable decision and action documentation.

Responsible for leading and optimizing operational aspects across teams, as well as implementing workforce and succession plans to meet business needs.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Deliver the Durham campus infrastructure portfolio

• Lead infrastructure projects—including campus development, utilities, the Spine, warehouse, laboratory, administrative, office, and support buildings—from planning through design, construction, commissioning, and handover. Balance campus priorities and coordinate interfaces and dependencies across infrastructure projects and adjacent scopes. Ensure design inputs, project interfaces, and vendor-provided information are effectively integrated, and that the overall program meets approved objectives for scope, schedule, cost, delivery, and quality.
• Own integrated project planning and performance

Establish and maintain integrated plans, budgets, schedules, milestones, and performance measures across the infrastructure portfolio. Identify risks, constraints, and decision points early; develop and implement mitigation plans; and provide stakeholders and leadership with clear, timely updates on progress, changes, and emerging issues.

• Contribute to design development led by Global Engineering

Represent the infrastructure scope as an active partner in the design effort led by Global Engineering. Bring campus requirements, operational needs, constructability, maintainability, and local conditions into design decisions. Coordinate design reviews and stakeholder input, integrate interfaces across project scopes, and help resolve design issues while maintaining alignment with project objectives.

• Lead procurement and contractor selection

Develop and execute procurement plans for project services, materials, and construction. Establish selection criteria, coordinate bid and proposal evaluations, and assess vendor capabilities and delivery risks. Recommend vendors and contractors whose technical, commercial, schedule, quality, and campus-specific strengths best meet project requirements.

• Develop and implement the contracting strategy

Develop and apply contracting approaches that support effective project delivery across the Durham campus. In collaboration with relevant stakeholders, determine appropriate contract packaging, delivery models, commercial terms, and risk allocation. Oversee contract formation and administration, promoting clear scope definition and effective change control, performance monitoring, and issue resolution.

• Manage scope and construction execution in partnership with the Construction Director

Partner with the Construction Director to define, validate, and control project scope from design through construction. Coordinate interfaces among designers, contractors, vendors, campus stakeholders, and other projects. Assess proposed changes for their impact on cost, schedule, quality, and delivery, and support timely decisions that protect project outcomes. Work with the Commissioning and Start-up team and Operations personnel to prepare the infrastructure scope for safe start-up, commissioning, and qualification.

Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related field required with at least 15 years of relevant experience; advanced degree or relevant professional credentials preferred.
• Extensive experience leading complex, multidisciplinary capital projects or programs from planning and design through construction, commissioning, and handover.
• Strong technical expertise in cGMP manufacturing, utilities and design principles. Experience in implementation of Factory of the future concepts preferred.
• Experience in managing scope, schedule, cost, quality, risk, procurement, and contractor performance.
• Proven ability to lead and develop managers responsible for multiple project packages and to work effectively in matrixed organizations with engineering, construction, commissioning, operations, procurement, and other cross functional teams.

Core Skills and Capabilities

• Program and project leadership: Sets direction across a portfolio, establishes clear priorities, and maintains alignment between package-level execution and overall program objectives.
• Commercial and contracting acumen: Develops procurement and contracting strategies; evaluates delivery models, contract packages, commercial terms, and risk allocation; and oversees contractor performance and change management.
• Financial and schedule management: Uses budgets, forecasts, integrated schedules, milestones, and performance measures to monitor delivery and address variances.
• Risk and decision management: Identifies risks, constraints, and interfaces early; develops practical mitigation plans; and escalates issues with clear recommendations.
• Design and technical integration: Partners with Global Engineering and other technical teams to integrate campus and operational requirements, constructability, maintainability, vendor inputs, and project interfaces.
• Construction and commissioning readiness: Understands construction execution and works across construction, commissioning, start-up, qualification, and operations teams to support safe, effective transition to service.
• Leadership and talent development: Provides direction, coaching, and mentorship to package managers; builds accountability and collaboration; and develops team capability.
• Communication and stakeholder influence: Communicates complex issues clearly, facilitates timely decisions, and builds productive relationships with senior leaders, technical teams, contractors, vendors, and campus stakeholders.
• Continuous improvement: Applies sound project-management practices and lessons learned to improve delivery consistency, performance, and outcomes across the portfolio.

Additional Information

Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law: ​

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