Director, Automation

AbbVie

Confirmed live yesterday High trust

Quick summary

Work type: On-site
Location: Durham, NC
Salary: $160,500–$305,000 / yr
Posted: 8 days ago
Freshness: Confirmed live yesterday
Closes: Sep 3, 2126
Nearby: 99+ roles within 25 mi

Market check

Salary context

Competitive pay

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $224k

This role $233k

$143k most similar roles pay here $322k

This role pays more than 54% of similar roles. Most pay $184,187–$264,500 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $233k versus about $224k for comparable roles.

Based on 240 similar postings.

Employer

About AbbVie

AbbVie is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and delivering innovative medicines and solutions in immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care. Its products include Humira, Skyrizi, and Rinvoq.

AbbVie currently has 297 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $109,500–$208,500 across 271 roles with salary data.

Most-posted roles

View all roles at AbbVie

At a glance

TL;DR · Director, Automation

Role Posting Log in to save

The Director, Automation holds global responsibility for the operation and maintenance of automated process control systems within the Manufacturing and Engineering Services organization. This leader manages a virtual Community of Practice and a team of global engineers to ensure consistent service delivery, data integrity, and compliance across all manufacturing sites. Key responsibilities include designing strategic technical programs, overseeing training initiatives, managing global sourcing contracts, and driving innovation in cost reduction and user interface standardization. The role requires deep expertise in distributed control systems, SCADA, PLC, instrumentation, and OSI-PI technologies while addressing pharmaceutical and biotechnology regulatory expectations. Candidates must possess a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and extensive experience leading large-scale capital projects and technical teams to solve complex problems related to system risks, mitigation strategies, and the long-term evolution of automated process control infrastructure.

Skills

DCS PLC SCADA OSI-PI Automation Engineering Data Integrity Network Security Instrumentation Process Control Systems

What you'll do

Manage the global operations and maintenance of automated process control systems.
Design and implement strategic technical programs to ensure consistent service delivery and compliance.
Lead a global team of engineers and a virtual Community of Practice for automation.
Serve as the primary point of contact for data integrity, system risks, and technology investments.
Oversee the development and implementation of technical training programs for automation staff.
Support global sourcing for contracts related to DCS, PLC, SCADA, and other control systems.
Research and implement initiatives for cost reduction, reliability improvement, and user interface standardization.
Provide audit support to site teams to ensure consistent practices and remediation.

What we're looking for

A B.S. in Engineering is required.
Minimum of 15 years of technical experience in Automation Engineering.
Demonstrated expertise in running large global initiatives or large capital projects.
Minimum of 5 years leading technical teams, preferably on a regional or global scale.
Experience leading virtual teams and rolling out regional or global initiatives.
Subject matter expertise in distributed control systems (DCS), SCADA systems, PLC, and instrumentation/controls.
Understanding of pharmaceutical/biotechnology operational best practices and regulatory expectations.
Thorough understanding of data integrity and network security is highly desirable.

Save