Job Description
The Associate Director, Patient Engagement is the strategic owner of AbbVie’s patient engagement platform capability — encompassing large-scale vendor partnerships, platform modernization, and cross-functional collaboration on business process and operational systems. This role defines how patients experience support across the care journey, from initial access through ongoing engagement, and ensures the platforms that power that experience are scalable, compliant, and continuously improving.
Success means building a best-in-class patient engagement capability that is ahead of brand and operational needs, trusted by senior partners, and executed through strong vendor and technology stakeholder relationships, disciplined governance, and a highperforming team. Key Responsibilities Platform Strategy & Modernization
- Own the multi-year patient engagement platform strategy across all therapeutic areas and patient support programs
- Lead the migration of a large-scale patient engagement platform from an external vendor environment to an internal AbbVie-hosted model; managing timeline, risk, scope, and business readiness end-to-end
- Define and evolve platform governance frameworks, operating standards, and roadmap investment priorities that scale across the portfolio
- Drive an innovative mindset toward digital engagement, continuously evaluating emerging technologies and solutions appropriate for a regulated patient services environment Vendor & Budget Accountability
- Serve as primary executive owner of a large-scale strategic vendor relationship —managing contractual obligations, SLAs, QBRs, and partner accountability
- Own platform budget planning, including multi-year investment decisions, cost optimization opportunities, and ROI tracking
- Establish and monitor system KPIs and performance metrics benchmarked against SLAs, ensuring vendor delivery meets quality and compliance standards
- Build strong, open partnerships with strategic vendors grounded in shared expectations, transparent communication, and mutual accountability Business Process & Operational Collaboration
- Partner with the Telephony Platform Owner on cross-platform integration strategy, ensuring patient engagement systems and call center operations function as a seamless, connected experience
- Participate in operational sessions to surface platform dependencies, align priorities, and resolve cross-functional friction points between patient engagement, intake, and telephony capabilities Enterprise Collaboration & Stakeholder Alignment
- Lead senior-level relationships across Marketing, BTS, Legal, Compliance, Patient Engagement, Access & Reimbursement, and Enterprise Strategy
- Translate complex business requirements and platform interdependencies into clear strategic narratives for VP-level and above stakeholders
- Represent Patient Engagement platforms in enterprise-wide initiatives; including new product launches, system integrations, and enterprise compliance programs -
- Establish and maintain consistent communication cadences (QBRs, status updates, leadership dashboards) that keep all partners aligned on progress, priorities, and risk Team & Capability Leadership
- Lead, develop, and retain a high-performing team; prioritize team workloads and conduct impact assessments to ensure efforts deliver intended value
- Proactively identify risks and architect mitigation strategies that remove barriers and drive program progression
- Build a culture of accountability, agile execution, user-centric design, and continuous improvement
- Champion change management, bringing stakeholders along through platform transitions and new ways of working
Qualifications
- B.A./B.S. in Business, Communications, Marketing, or related field
- 8+ years of professional experience in pharma or patient services; 3+ years in a leadership role
- Deep expertise in patient engagement, hub operations, or related patient services functions (access & reimbursement, nursing services, specialty pharmacy)
- Proven experience managing large-scale vendor relationships and platform budgets in a regulated healthcare environment
- Demonstrated success leading platform migrations or large-scale technology transitions — from requirements through go-live and operational handoff
- Working knowledge of Salesforce Health Cloud or Life Sciences Cloud strongly preferred
- Familiarity with telephony platforms (e.g., Five9) and cross-platform integration patterns
- Strong understanding of pharmaceutical patient services regulations in the U.S.
- Project Management Professional (PMP) certification a strong plus
- Executive-ready communication skills; able to distill complex, technical content into compelling business narratives
- Highly analytical with the ability to interpret data and drive action; understanding of MDM and data integration methodologies a plus Key Competencies
- Strategic leadership — sets vision, shapes team structure, and drives long-term capability development
- Vendor management — owns multi-million-dollar relationships with discipline and partnership
- Stakeholder influence — builds credibility and drives alignment across a highly matrixed organization without direct authority
- Agile execution — applies agile principles from requirements through launch, with a relentless focus on user experience and quality
- Change leadership — a skilled change agent who brings teams and partners through complex transitions with clarity and confidence
Company Description
About AbbVie 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.
For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com . Follow @abbvie on LinkedIn, Facebook , Instagram , X and YouTube.