Senior Director, Category Management and Procurement – Development (Clinical, Operations, Medical, Regulatory & HEOR)

Role Overview

The Senior Director, Category Management and Procurement– Development is a global leadership role responsible for setting and executing category strategy across Development. This position owns end-to-end category management and portfolio execution for Development R&D spend, ensuring speed, rigor, and scalability while enabling scientific innovation.

As a key member of the R&D Procurement leadership team, this role serves as the single point of accountability for all Development categories, partnering closely with R&D leaders, the Chief Procurement Officer, and cross-functional stakeholders. The Senior Director leads a global team of category professionals and plays a central role in transforming procurement into a best-in-class organization—driving value, simplifying execution, and building durable capabilities that support both near-term portfolio needs and long-term growth.

Success in this role requires deep category expertise in R&D (Development, and adjacent areas), a strong bias for action, and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving, ambiguous environment where speed and quality of execution matter equally.

Key Responsibilities

Category & Portfolio Leadership

• Serve as the single point of accountability to the VP of R&D Procurement and the CPO for all Development R&D categories.
• Own and lead global category strategies that balance speed of execution, risk management, value creation, and long-term scalability.
• Ensure category strategies are directly aligned to the R&D portfolio, enabling timely delivery of programs across development stages.
• Provide procurement oversight and execution leadership for the R&D portfolio, ensuring priorities are clear and resources are deployed where they matter most.

Strategy, Value & Execution

• Lead the development and execution of robust Category Management Plans that deliver measurable value, synergies, and operational efficiency.
• Drive continuous improvement across people, process, governance, systems integration, and reporting.
• Translate complex analysis into clear strategic insights, financial impact, and executive-ready recommendations.
• Maintain P&L accountability for the portfolio, including budget management, value delivery, and financial performance tracking.

Stakeholder Engagement & Alignment

• Act as a trusted thought partner to R&D leadership, ensuring procurement strategies anticipate scientific needs and enable innovation rather than constrain it.
• Proactively solicit feedback from internal customers and address gaps in service, execution, or alignment.
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships grounded in transparency, accountability, and enterprise-first decision making.

People Leadership & Transformation

• Lead, coach, and develop a global team of category managers, building deep capability and a strong succession pipeline.
• Foster an inclusive, high-performance culture that encourages ownership, learning, and constructive challenge.
• Play a visible leadership role in transforming R&D Procurement—simplifying how work gets done, strengthening governance, and raising the bar on performance and professionalism.
• Champion AbbVie’s Ways We Work by modeling open dialogue, decisive leadership, adaptability, and accountability.

Metrics for Success

• Category Management Plan quality and execution in support of the R&D portfolio
• Delivery of people, process, governance, and value-creation goals
• Achievement of operational budget and P&L commitments
• Service level performance and internal customer satisfaction
• Supplier performance across balanced scorecards
• Organizational capability, engagement, and talent development

• 12+ years of strategic sourcing and procurement experience; 5+ years in pharmaceutical or life sciences preferred
• Demonstrated expertise in R&D procurement, particularly Clinical and Development categories or equivalent
• Proven experience leading global teams and complex category portfolios
• Bachelor’s degree required; background in science, business, finance, supply chain, engineering, or related field preferred
• MBA or relevant MS degree strongly preferred
• Professional certification in procurement, supply chain, or Six Sigma desirable
• Experience with procurement systems such as SAP and Ariba preferred
• Strong understanding of global procurement best practices, international business, and contract law
• Prior experience with transformation initiatives and change management strongly valued

Leadership Capabilities