
Scientific Director / Senior Medical Director, US Medical Affairs-Rheumatology
Mettawa, IL · HybridFull-time$182K/yrSeen 6 days agoSeen in employer's feed 6 days ago
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At a glance
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Job overview
The Scientific Director / Senior Medical Director provides medical and scientific strategic and operational input for AbbVie’s Rheumatology RA/JIA/GCA therapeutic area. The role supports evidence generation, clinical studies, scientific communications, medical education, patient safety, and cross-functional brand and market-access strategies. It is based at the Mettawa office with a hybrid schedule requiring three onsite days per week.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Benefits
Full job description
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, (https://www.linkedin.com/company/abbvie/) Facebook, Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/abbvie/) , X (https://twitter.com/abbvie) and YouTube. (https://www.youtube.com/user/AbbVie)
Job Description
Position is based at the Mettawa IL office and will follow a hybrid schedule of 3x/week onsite.
The Scientific Director / Senior Medical Director, Medical Affairs provides specialist medical and scientific strategic and operational input into core medical affairs activities for AbbVie’s Rheumatology RA/JIA/GCA Therapeutic Area. Responsibilities include engaging with health-care professionals and providers; generating clinical and scientific data to enhance the therapeutic benefit and value of our RA asset; educational initiatives (medical education, scientific communications, and value proposition) and safeguarding patient safety (risk minimization activities and safety surveillance activities). Works closely with sales, marketing, and commercial teams to provide strategic medical input into core brand (product) strategies, and to support medical affairs, marketing activities (promotional material generation and product launches) and market access.
Responsibilities:
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Initiates medical affairs activities, generation and dissemination of data supporting the overall scientific strategy.
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Responsible from Medical Affairs for the design, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of scientific content of protocols, Investigator Brochures, Clinical Study Reports and regulatory submissions and responses.
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Has overall responsibility for oversight of the Medical Affairs-led clinical studies, monitoring overall study integrity and review, interpretation and communication of accumulating data pertaining to safety and efficacy of the molecule. As the SD Study Lead, is responsible for oversight of study enrollment and overall timelines for key deliverables.
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Provides in-house clinical expertise for the molecule and disease, coordinating appropriate scientific activities with internal stakeholders as they relate to ongoing clinical projects. May participate in due diligence or other business development activity. As required by program needs, contributes partnering with Discovery colleagues on the design and implementation of translational strategies.
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Acts as a clinical interface and actively solicits opinion through leader interactions related to the molecule and disease area; partners with Medical Affairs, Commercial and other functions in these activities as required, consistent with corporate policies, to ensure that broad cross-functional perspectives are incorporated into Clinical Development Plans and protocols as appropriate.
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May assist in the development of scientifically accurate marketing materials, medical education programs, advisories, and symposia. Assists with the scientific review, development, approval, execution, and communication of affiliate/area/global medical affairs sponsored or supported clinical research activities.
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May interact with and coordinates appropriate scientific and medical activities with internal stakeholders (i.e., commercial, clinical operations, discovery, statistics, regulatory, etc…) as they relate to on-going medical affairs projects. Serves as the scientific team interface for key regulatory discussions.
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Provide scientific/medical education to investigators, clinical monitors, and Global Project Team members related to therapeutic area or disease specific information. Keeps abreast of professional information and technology through conferences and/or medical literature and acts as a therapeutic area resource.
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Ensures budgets, timelines, compliance requirements are factored into programs' scientific activities..
Qualifications
Position will be commensurate with experience and education.
Scientific Director Qualifications:
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Advanced Degree PhD or PharmD. Additional post doctorate experience highly preferred.
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Strong Medical Affairs capability (7-10 years), with a proven track record across core medical affairs activities (data generation, scientific communications, KOL engagement, and cross-functional strategy). Typically 10-15 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry or equivalent.
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Knowledge of evidence generation strategy (real-world evidence, investigator-initiated and company-sponsored studies, registries; brand strategy development, scientific communications development, medical insights, and promotional review
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Knowledge of clinical trial methodology, data analysis and interpretation, regulatory requirements governing clinical trials and experience in development strategy and the design of protocols.
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Proven leadership skills in a cross-functional global team environment.
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Must possess excellent oral and written English communication skills.
Senior Medical Director Qualifications:
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Medical Doctorate (M.D.) degree or equivalent (D.O. or non-US equivalent of M.D). Relevant therapeutic specialty in an academic or hospital environment preferred. Completion of residency and/or fellowship is preferred.
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Minimum of 2 years of clinical trial or medical affairs experience in the pharmaceutical industry or academia or equivalent. 3+ years of experience is preferred.
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Knowledge of evidence generation strategy (real-world evidence, investigator-initiated and company-sponsored studies, registries; brand strategy development, scientific communications development, medical insights, and promotional review
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Knowledge of clinical trial methodology, data analysis and interpretation, regulatory requirements governing clinical trials and experience in development strategy and the design of protocols.
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Proven leadership skills in a cross-functional global team environment.
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Must possess excellent oral and written English communication skills.
Additional Information
Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law:
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The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.
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We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.
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This job is eligible to participate in our long-term incentive programs.
Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole and absolute discretion, consistent with applicable law.
AbbVie is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives and serving our community. Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled.
US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html
US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more:
https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html
Salary: $182,000
How this job compares
Set against the 890 open Medical Affairs jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 10, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$182K/yr
- Illinois median$169–227K/yr24 salary ranges
- US median$170–236K/yr651 salary ranges
This rate, $182K, is close to the Illinois median midpoint ($186K) — in the middle half of Medical Affairs salary ranges in Illinois.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 28 open Medical Affairs jobs in Illinois and 890 across the US. 17% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in Illinois
- AbbVie (this employer)10 open
- Abbott4 open
- Otsuka America Pharmaceutical Inc.3 open
- Experience
- This posting asks for at least 2 years of experience; Medical Affairs postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years at the median (702 postings).
- Education
- 453 of the 890 open Medical Affairs jobs (51%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 10, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.
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