Project Director Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Illinois
Illinois project directors find strong sponsorship demand across Chicago's financial services, healthcare, and technology sectors. Major employers like Accenture, United Airlines, Abbott, and Morningstar have active sponsorship programs. Beyond Chicago, Peoria and Downers Grove offer opportunities in manufacturing and infrastructure, making Illinois one of the more active Midwest states for sponsored project director roles.
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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.
PURPOSE:
The Project Director will drive transformational performance in delivery of Peptide API projects in the United States through adoption of best-in-class technology, cross-functional alignment with Operations and external functions, seamless execution and delivery of projects with manufacturing sites and reduce overall project timeline to deliver products to patients. Adoption of first-time process technologies and modality with a change readiness mindset is critical to this role. This role requires cross-functional collaboration with other functions during all phases of the development of strategic projects. The incumbent will provide key technical inputs to business development activities involving external pipeline and new modalities, in addition to ensuring manufacturing capacity for product growth and internal pipeline. The incumbent will report to VP, Strategic Capital Deployment in the Operations Transformation organization.
Responsibilities:
- Lead a team of professionals to achieve the charter, priorities and milestones of strategic peptide manufacturing project within the US.
- Lead and manage complex and strategically critical capital projects to ensure timely delivery of project milestones in a compliant and efficient manner.
- Responsible for compliance to AbbVie EHS standards and ensure Zero incidents or non-conformances during construction of all the projects.
- Develop strategies to efficiently deliver concept studies, basic and detailed design, procure capital equipment and contract construction services.
- Drive transformation across all phases of the projects to deliver best-in-class technology, efficiency in execution to reduce the overall project line up to 20% from the baseline, introduce AI and digitalization in various aspects of project management and development.
- Direct all phases of the project development from initiation of the business case/Request for Capital through contract negotiation, cost accountability and program execution ensuring adherence to company standards, competitive pricing, and manufacturing schedules, if in a brownfield development.
- Responsible to meet the key intent of the projects – best-in-class design, on time delivery, delivery of scope on or below budgeted cost and conformance to quality requirements.
- Develop and implement comprehensive risk management strategies to mitigate potential issues during development of projects.
- Drive KPIs to measure and monitor performance of strategic projects in the US, effectively communicate performance and risks to the steering committees and ensure top-tier governance of the projects.
- Collaborate with internal teams including procurement, quality assurance, PDS&T, ME&C and R&D to ensure alignment and efficiency in decisions that impact project priorities. Partner with AbbVie stakeholder groups to facilitate resolution of process, technical or quality issues.
- Develop a sourcing strategy with procurement and be responsible to manage relationships with consultants, Architectural/Engineering firms, construction contractors including participation in project review meetings, contract negotiations and dispute resolution.
- Develop estimates and plans along with any technical and financial analysis such as ROI/NPV for new projects to be planned.
- Develop Long Range Plans that include capital and project estimates and scope required to support internal manufacturing of pipeline products or established products that need new or additional manufacturing capacity.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- BS, Engineering or equivalent technical degree; Master’s degree in Engineering or MBA preferred
- Minimum of 15+ years of experience as a Senior Engineering / Projects / Operations Leader across multiple technologies.
- In-depth technical and operational expertise across majority of AbbVie manufacturing technologies including Biologics BDS/BDP, Small Molecule API/OSD, Medical Device, and Packaging Operations.
- Proven inclusive management and leadership capabilities of large cross-functional teams and the ability to effectively interact and communicate with senior leadership and executives from strategic partners and authorities.
- Outstanding negotiation skills and knowledgeable and experienced functional responsibility of diverse functions required for successful operations including Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Engineering and Financials.
- Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams in a global matrixed organization. Ability to lead change and deliver results across a matrix organization.
- Business acumen and direct financial planning/budgeting experience required including P&L responsibility. Highly articulate with strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to mentor and develop next generation of leaders.
- Frequent travel to project sites within the US and to design reviews/workshops outside the US will be required.
- Key Stakeholders: ME&C, PDS&T, R&D, Procurement, Global Engineering, EHS, Facilities, AI and Digital Transformation, Government Affairs.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law:
- 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.
- We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.
- 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.
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Project Director Job Roles in Illinois
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Search Project Director Jobs in IllinoisProject Director Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for project directors in Illinois?
Large employers with established sponsorship programs include Accenture, Deloitte, Hyatt, United Airlines, Abbott Laboratories, and Morningstar, all headquartered or with major operations in Illinois. Healthcare systems like Northwestern Medicine and Rush University Medical Center also sponsor project directors regularly. Companies in manufacturing and infrastructure, such as Caterpillar (headquartered in Deerfield) and Exelon, are active sponsors as well.
Which visa types are most common for project director roles in Illinois?
The H-1B visa is the most common visa for project directors in Illinois, since the role typically requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a relevant field like business administration, engineering, or information technology. L-1A visas are also used when candidates are transferred intracompany into a managerial capacity. Candidates from Australia, Canada, and Mexico may qualify for E-3 visa or TN visas respectively, depending on their specific job duties.
Which cities in Illinois have the most project director sponsorship jobs?
Chicago accounts for the large majority of project director sponsorship opportunities in Illinois, driven by its concentration of consulting firms, financial institutions, healthcare systems, and technology companies. Suburban areas like Downers Grove, Lisle, and Schaumburg also have active sponsorship employers, particularly in manufacturing and IT services. Peoria sees some sponsorship activity through large industrial employers like Caterpillar.
How to find project director visa sponsorship jobs in Illinois?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically by visa sponsorship availability, making it straightforward to find project director roles in Illinois where employers are actively sponsoring. Rather than sorting through general job boards and guessing at sponsorship willingness, Migrate Mate surfaces roles where sponsorship is confirmed, saving significant time for candidates targeting Chicago's consulting, healthcare, and technology sectors.
Are there any state-specific or role-specific factors that affect project director sponsorship in Illinois?
Illinois does not have state-level visa programs, so federal H-1B prevailing wage requirements apply. Project director roles typically fall into higher DOL wage levels due to their supervisory and strategic scope, which means employers must meet elevated prevailing wage thresholds when filing. Chicago's dense concentration of Fortune 500 companies and large consulting offices creates more sponsorship infrastructure than most Midwest markets, which can work in candidates' favor.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored project director jobs in Illinois?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.