Senior Director of Medical Research

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 115,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

     

JOB DESCRIPTION:

WORKING AT ABBOTT:

At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and family, be your true self and live a full life. You’ll also have access to:

• Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.
• Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.
• An excellent retirement savings plan with high employer contribution
• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree
• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries around the world and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.
• A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as a best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

THE OPPORTUNITY:

The Sr. Director of Medical Research is a senior scientific and medical leader within Abbott Core Diagnostics, responsible for advancing medical research, biomarker strategy, and clinical‑utility evidence across six major biological systems: Infectious Diseases & Immunology, Neurology, Endocrinology, Homeostasis, Cardiac & Pulmonary, and Hematology. This role integrates biomarker science, clinical research, translational insights, and medical affairs partnership to drive scientific innovation that strengthens Abbott’s diagnostic leadership.

WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON:

• Develop and execute an integrated global medical research strategy across all six systems, ensuring alignment with Core Lab R&D and Abbott Diagnostics business priorities.
• Provide expert scientific and medical leadership by identifying unmet needs, defining medical‑evidence priorities, and guiding system‑level innovation.
• Lead end‑to‑end biomarker strategy for each system—from early biological discovery through assay development, evidence generation, and clinical‑utility validation.
• Direct translational research that links mechanistic biology to clinical evidence, incorporating molecular pathology, fluid‑based biomarkers, system-level biology, and other scientifically relevant methods.
• Guide scientific communication including publications, abstracts, symposia content, and system‑specific medical education.
• Build and maintain strong global relationships with academic institutions, KOLs, scientific societies, consortia, and policy‑shaping organizations relevant to the six systems.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary team of physician‑scientists, biomarker researchers, and medical research staff.
• Foster a culture of scientific rigor, innovation, collaboration, and cross‑system excellence.
• Serve as the budget owner for the Medical Research organization, ensuring effective planning, resource allocation, and investment in high‑value scientific initiatives.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• MD and/or PhD in biomedical or clinical discipline.
• 10+ years of medical, technical, or scientific experience with expertise in clinical or medical research.
• Demonstrated success in academic research (publications, grants, scientific leadership).
• Expertise in protein chemistry, genetics/genomics, and health outcomes; ability to integrate across multiple biological systems.
• Significant experience leading biomarker strategy, including assay development, interpretation, and clinical integration.
• Proven ability to lead large scientific teams and build high‑performing, cross‑functional organizations.
• Strong communication skills suitable for executive, scientific, and external audiences.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience across multiple therapeutic systems, especially infectious diseases, neurology, endocrinology/metabolism, cardiovascular/pulmonary, hematology, and homeostatic physiology.
• History of coll