Senior Director Process Engineering Peptides API (Hybrid, IL)
AbbVie · North Chicago, IL
- Level
- Director+
- Team
- Process
- Experience asked
- 15+ years
- Industry
- Pharma & life sciences
- Posted
- 8 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A director-level process role at AbbVie (pharma & life sciences) in North Chicago, IL. Establish, maintain and deploy global engineering standards, technical practices and governance expectations for biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy process engineering strategy, process platform deployment, process package design, technical.
- They ask for
- 15+ years
- Tools it names
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), EHS / safety
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Process Engineer roles in Illinois: typical posted base $78k–$107k.
Median of the low and high ends of 9 live postings that list pay, out of 19 process engineer openings in Illinois, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Illinois plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 18 other live process postings in Illinois.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- More than usual (15+ vs 5+)
Typical $78k–$107k, from 9 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Lean 53%
- Root cause 47%
- Six Sigma 42%
- SPC 37%
- FMEA 32%
- Cost reduction 26%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for EHS / safety, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Process team at AbbVie
We found 2 people at this company and state: 1 in this kind of role, 1 leaders. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
Write to Chris → (free) - 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: AbbVie in North Chicago
5 other open roles at this site · 2 people we found in process roles at AbbVie.
- Production Specialist I · Production · Specialist
- Senior Director, Manufacturing Strategy · Manufacturing · Director+
- Lead AI Automation Engineer · Controls · Manager
- Associate Director, Midwest Project Engineering · Manufacturing · Director+
- Global Process Engineer (Aseptic) · Process
Full description from AbbVieAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Position Summary
The Sr Director Process Engineering Peptides API sets enterprise direction and senior technical governance for process engineering strategy, process platform deployment, process package design, technical assurance, manufacturing technology interfaces and project delivery for biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy manufacturing within AbbVie Strategic Investment.
The role supports Strategic Investments through engineering leadership, technical expertise, standards development, technical governance and project execution support across multiple manufacturing sites, strategic investments and technology platforms.
The role supports engineering activities associated with peptides manufacturing facility investments, new production capabilities, strategic capacity creation, advanced manufacturing platforms and new technology deployments across the Strategic Investment portfolio.
The role partners with Strategic Investments, manufacturing sites, operations, quality, EHS, validation / CQV and external engineering partners to deliver technically robust and business-aligned engineering solutions.
requirements
and technical guardrails for new biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy technologies, including
requirements
for consistent design, deployment, qualification, operation and scale-up across Strategic Investments.
- ✓Ensure discipline strategies support AbbVie’s long-range Strategic Investment objectives, strategic investment programs and adoption of new technologies across future manufacturing platforms.
- ✓Provide governance and escalation for technical decisions with material safety, quality, compliance, cost, schedule, operability or lifecycle impact.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Strategic Investment Context
- •Strategic Investment provides engineering leadership, technical governance, standards development and project execution support across AbbVie’s Strategic Investments and strategic capital portfolio.
- •The organization supports new biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy manufacturing facilities, new platform deployments, strategic capacity creation, advanced biologics and CGT manufacturing capabilities and standards development for emerging technologies across Strategic Investments.
- •Strategic Investment roles are expected to promote common standards, transfer lessons learned across regions and sites, and enable consistent engineering delivery across strategic capital investments.
Strategic Investment Governance and Standards
- •Establish, maintain and deploy global engineering standards, technical practices and governance expectations for biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy process engineering strategy, process platform deployment, process package design, technical assurance, manufacturing technology interfaces and project delivery.
- •Drive consistent application of technical standards, design principles, lessons learned and engineering playbooks across regions, sites and capital projects.
- •Define enterprise standards, engineering
Strategic New Technology and Capital Investment Support
- •Provide engineering leadership for strategic capital investments, including new biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy facility builds, technology platform deployments, new production capabilities, strategic capacity projects and lifecycle technology upgrades.
- •Support front-end engineering, facility concept development, investment option evaluation, manufacturing capability assessments and site / platform planning activities for biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy assets.
- •Partner with Strategic Investments and project leadership to ensure technical assumptions, deliverables, risks and resource needs are integrated into capital program plans.
- •Apply Strategic Investment lessons learned and standards to improve project quality, speed, reliability and readiness across the portfolio.
Technical Leadership and Delivery
- •Lead or support technical decision-making for biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy process engineering strategy, process platform deployment, process package design, technical assurance, manufacturing technology interfaces and project delivery across multiple manufacturing sites, capital projects and technology platforms.
- •Ensure engineering deliverables support safety, quality, compliance, operability, maintainability, reliability, sustainability and operational readiness.
- •Coordinate technical input from project teams, site SMEs, external engineering partners, vendors and cross-functional stakeholders.
- •Drive timely resolution of technical issues and ensure suitable escalation when decisions have broader project, network or business impact.
Cross-Functional Integration
- •Partner with Strategic Investments, manufacturing operations, quality, validation / CQV, EHS, site engineering, MS&T, supply chain, finance and related engineering disciplines.
- •Ensure discipline decisions are integrated with biologics drug substance and cell and gene therapy manufacturing strategy, network capacity, technology platform deployment, regulatory expectations and site handover needs.
- •Facilitate collaboration across Strategic Investments, sites and project teams to avoid fragmented solutions and drive consistency across the strategic capital portfolio.
- •Represent Strategic Investment in technical reviews, project forums and risk discussions relevant to assigned scope.
Capability Building and Continuous Improvement
- •Share engineering best practices, lessons learned and technical knowledge across sites, regions and projects.
- •Build capability through coaching, mentoring, technical review discipline and development of reusable engineering practices.
- •Promote a culture of engineering excellence, safety, quality, reliability, collaboration, accountability and proactive risk management.
- •Support continuous improvement of Strategic Investment standards, templates, knowl