Sr. Director, Global Engineering and Construction

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:

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
 

The Senior Director, Global Design and Construction is accountable for the enterprise‑wide technical leadership, financial stewardship, and execution governance of Capital Projects for Abbott’s Global Facilities, Utilities, and Infrastructure portfolio supporting Manufacturing, Warehousing, Commercial, and R&D operations. The role leads a globally distributed organization of approximately 50 engineering and project management professionals and contractors across North America, Latin America, EMEA, and APAC, with direct P&L responsibility of approximately $55MM and capital delivery accountability ranging from $1B to 2.5B across Abbott’s businesses.  Acting as Abbott’s engineering design and construction authority, the role owns the full lifecycle delivery of complex, high‑risk capital programs including greenfield facilities, large‑scale expansions, infrastructure and utility systems, and mission‑critical manufacturing environments. Responsibilities span including site master planning, A&E selection and oversight, construction management, contract development and administration, field engineering governance, commissioning, qualification, and operational handover—ensuring projects are delivered safely, compliantly, on schedule, and within approved financial commitments.

In addition, this role is responsible for serving as the final technical authority for facilities, utilities, and infrastructure design and execution worldwide. This includes direct leadership of senior subject‑matter experts in mechanical systems, electrical and power distribution, automation and controls, architecture, fire protection, metallurgy, and industrial utilities. The role establishes global technical strategies for standardization, innovation, lifecycle cost optimization for new infrastructures and expansion, to support new product introductions, margin improvement initiatives, and long‑term asset sustainability. Through close partnership with Business Operations Teams, IT, EHS, Security, Purchasing, Risk Management, Corporate Real Estate, and businesses site leadership, the position ensures consistent application of engineering rigor across regions and delivery models. The scale of fiscal responsibility, technical complexity, and execution risk inherent to this role requires deep, hands‑on engineering and constructions expertise, demonstrated success delivering large capital programs, and the credibility to make independent technical and investment decisions at the executive level.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide enterprise‑level leadership for a globally deployed organization of approximately 50 engineers and project professionals and contractors across North America, Latin America, EMEA, and APAC, accountable for regulated facilities, utilities, and infrastructure delivery supporting pharmaceutical, medical device, and diagnostics businesses.

• Own full operating P&L accountability for a global engineering services budget of approximately $55MM and direct capital execution accountability ranging from $1B to $2.5B USD across multiple business units and geographies.

• Serve as Abbott’s enterprise engineering design and construction authority for facilities, utilities, and infrastructure, with final technical decision rights spanning conceptual design, detailed engineering, construction execution, and commissioning.

• Direct front‑end planning and capital project development activities including feasibility studies, site selection, master planning, basis of design development, scope definition, and execution strategy selection to establish robust project foundations.

• Lead the end‑to‑end technical governance of complex capital programs, including greenfield sites, major expansions, utility central plants, and infrastructure upgrades from FEP‑1 through FELP‑3, construction, and operational readiness.

• Engage and influence executive leadership through clear communication of capital strategy, risks, investment options, and engineering recommendations.

• Own and lead Abbott’s Technical Center of Excellence, providing authoritative engineering and construction leadership across mechanical systems, electrical power distribution, automation and controls, architecture, fire protection, metallurgy, industrial utilities, and building systems.

• Function as global owner and steward of Abbott Engineering Standards, accountable for their technical integrity, constructabil