Project Director / Manufacturing Director, Operations
AbbVie · Durham, NC
- Level
- Director+
- Team
- Production
- Travel
- 50%
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 12+ years
- Industry
- Pharma & life sciences
- Posted
- Today
The role in 30 seconds
A director-level production role at AbbVie (pharma & life sciences) in Durham, NC. In this role, you will provide leadership and direction for a manufacturing operation of a large site (drug substance, drug product, biologics and/or aseptic sterile fill finish) delivering multiple products, technically complex products, and in support of.
- They ask for
- 12+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- FDA / GMP
- Day to day
- about 50% travel
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 26, 2026
Production Engineer roles in North Carolina: typical posted base $98k–$145k.
Median of the low and high ends of 6 live postings that list pay, out of 36 production engineer openings in North Carolina, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
North Carolina plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 35 other live production postings in North Carolina.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- More than usual (12+ vs 8+)
Typical $96k–$136k, from 5 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 8+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Team leadership 47%
- Lean 47%
- Six Sigma 28%
- EHS / safety 22%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for New product launch, 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 Production team at AbbVie
We found 3 people at this company and state: 3 in this kind of role. 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 Jaclyn → (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?
- The posting says about 50% travel. Between which sites?
- 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 Durham
2 other open roles at this site · 3 people we found in production roles at AbbVie.
- Director, Engineering, Technical Expert Sterile Fill · Manufacturing · Director+
- Associate Director, Engineering · Manufacturing · Director+
Full description from AbbVieAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Key Responsibilities
- ◆Partnering with the leadership team, help build and establish the site - from recruiting the key talent needed for your team to establishing operational readiness
- ◆Create operational and financial goals, budgets and objectives for the assigned manufacturing area. Manage budget of typically $60MM or more, ensure performance levels to maximize operations.
- ◆Apply a high level of scientific analysis and decision-making to influence the design and ongoing optimization of manufacturing processes. Provide leadership to teams when troubleshooting manufacturing issues; consults and advises cross-functional teams to ensure processes and approaches result in efficient, high quality products.
- ◆Drive and lead the assigned manufacturing area to meet the site business strategies; accountable for operating expenses, payroll and capital expenditures for manufacturing area projects and programs.
- ◆Guide development and implementation of business strategies to achieve budget expectations as well as drive cost reduction efforts; implement actions to adapt and transform the organization in order to meet changing business needs.
- ◆Ensure staff members are provided training and coaching to build technical knowledge and capability.
- ◆Responsible for synthesizing action plans, timelines and budgets for project and product goals and adjusting these plans accordingly to effectively respond to changing demands of the business.
- ◆Develop and manage staff through hiring, managing performance, developing talent and providing clear expectations.
- ◆Ensure all labor and equipment performance measures are met. Responsible for completing established goals, prioritizing project work and controlling and coordinating all activities and improvement efforts across manufacturing areas.
- ◆Manage the employee relations climate to ensure that our AbbVie Way is realized and an environment exists where all employees have the opportunity to develop to their maximum potential.
- ◆Coach managers in the organization and establish clear expectations with them and all employees regarding responsibilities, goals and behaviors and champion and model exceptional AbbVie performance and talent management practices.
- ◆Bachelor’s Degree required in a related technical field such as Chemical Engineering: advanced technical degree (Master’s or Doctorate Degree) strongly preferred
- ◆12+ years’ experience including: work as an individual contributor building technical expertise and proved project management skills. Progressively increased responsibility and performance as supervisor, department manager and leader of diverse teams in Operations (Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Engineering, etc.)
- ◆8+ years expeirence in a simiilar drug substance, drug product, biologics and/or aseptic sterile fill finish environment is required
- ◆You will have demonstrated your ability to lead successful teams in prior roles and experience in partnering cross functionally in a GMP manufacturing environment
- ◆Business acumen coupled with functional leadership experience is required to ensure effectiveness and high performance in a complex operation
- ◆Travel up to 50% during the initial start up phase of the project
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Show full description ↓Show less ↑
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.
We are now recruiting our Project Director / Manufacturing Director, Operations as part of the core start up leadership team.
In this role, you will provide leadership and direction for a manufacturing operation of a large site (drug substance, drug product, biologics and/or aseptic sterile fill finish) delivering multiple products, technically complex products, and in support of new product introductions, readiness for launch.