Associate Director, Protective Services & Special Events

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 – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Tik Tok.

Purpose
The Associate Director of Protective Services and Special Events is a senior Global Security leader accountable for the strategic direction, oversight, and risk management of all major company events worldwide. With deep expertise in public safety and large-scale event operations, this role ensures the safety and security of participants, executives, and assets through proactive threat assessment and development of resilient event security architectures. The position collaborates cross-functionally with Global Security, Legal and Compliance, HR, Business Support Group, Event Planners, AbbVie business functions, and Executive Leadership to deliver exceptional, compliant events while systematically mitigating risks using a Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR)-inspired event risk rating framework.

Responsibilities

• Direct the security planning and operational execution – in collaboration with event planners – for high-impact internal and external events (e.g., product launches, scientific summits, international conferences), leading multi-disciplinary event security teams.
• Develop and implement dynamic security plans, including access management, emergency response protocols, and tailored executive protection strategies for events of varying complexity and risk levels.
• Utilize a structured event risk rating methodology, modeled after SEAR standards, to assess and classify each event based on threat, profile, and vulnerability factors; develop tailored mitigation strategies and allocate resources commensurate with the assigned risk level.
• Lead pre-event security risk and vulnerability assessments in collaboration with Protective Intelligence, leveraging intelligence sources and collaborative partnerships with law enforcement, government agencies, and specialized event security vendors.
• Oversee event incident management, real-time intelligence monitoring requirements, and response plans, ensuring readiness to address evolving threats during events.
• Ensure event safety and security practices are compliant with regulatory requirements (e.g., PhRMA Code, FDA rules), internal policies, and global standards.
• Manage vendor relationships and contract requirements for security service providers and secure transportation, maintaining a focus on professionalism, compliance, and cost-effectiveness.
• Champion crisis communication procedures, staff training on emergency protocols, and promote situational awareness for all event stakeholders.
• Implement a continuous improvement framework by reviewing post-event debriefs, security performance analytics, and adjusting protective strategies accordingly.
• Serve as the company’s lead security executive at events, representing Global Security leadership and acting as primary escalation point for safety and protective matters.

• Bachelor’s degree (minimum) in criminal justice, public safety, business, or risk management; advanced degree strongly preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive leadership in event management and/or corporate/public sector security, including at least 5 years overseeing high-profile, large-scale events in regulated industries (e.g., pharmaceutical, life sciences).
• Documented success in designing and executing risk mitigation programs for major executive events using structured risk rating methodologies (such as SEAR).
• Deep understanding of international threat environments, security best practices, regulatory compliance, and crisis leadership.
• Demonstrate strong leadership and collaboration skills during high-stress events.
• Exceptional cross-functional leadership, communication, and decision-making skills under pressure.
• Willingness and ability to travel worldwide and to adapt strategies to changing local and global security risks.

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 short-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. ​

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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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