Manager, Partnerships

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 114,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Nourish the world and your career as part of the Nutrition team at Abbott.

Our business develops science-based nutrition products for people of all ages, from helping babies and children grow, to keeping adult bodies strong and active. Millions of people around the world count on our leading brands – including Similac®, PediaSure®, Pedialyte®, Ensure®, Glucerna® – to help get the nutrients they need to live their healthiest life.

The R&D Partnership Manager serves as a key liaison between Abbott Nutrition (AN) and external innovation partners. This role manages the full lifecycle of externally sourced innovation opportunities - from initial discovery and assessment through development integration or strategic partnerships. The position requires scientific background & senior level leadership stake holder management combined with business acumen to identify, evaluate, and champion valuable external innovations that align with Abbott's strategic priorities.

What You’ll Do

• Filter and disposition external ingredient, product, and acquisition opportunities from diverse sources brought through various conduits within Abbott, including direct engagement
• Independently navigate the AN Process for consideration of externally sourced innovation opportunities & spearhead internal assessment of opportunities, involving R&D and Cross-Functional SMEs as warranted
• Coordinate opportunity types including novel ingredients, ingredients new to AN, new claims for existing ingredients, technologies, products, and companies
• Lead non-confidential engagement with external entities, ensuring appropriate AN SME involvement & liaise with external parties throughout the assessment process
• Progress qualified opportunities to Commercial stakeholders when/as appropriate including primary decision makers
• Manage preliminary assessments, determining when to advance to full cross-functional assessment
• Participate in New Product Development projects when supplier/partnership needs dictate
• Initiate and facilitate the legal agreement process as required for platform collaborations
• Contribute to decision-making regarding collaboration, licensing, acquisition, investment, and supply relationships
• Facilitate CDAs, MTAs, and further engagement documentation as required
• Collaborate with external partners including raw material suppliers, packaging converters, industry trade associations, academia, etc. to assess the competitive landscape and identify business solutions.
• Establish and assess partnerships, contracts, Statements of Work (SOW), Master Services Agreements (MSA), Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA), Memorandums of Understanding (MOU), etc.
• Complete business case project justification including technical feasibility assessments, project budgeting, packaging / raw material cost modeling, market sensitivity analyses, financial assessment and scenario planning.
• Establish and implement procedures, processes, tools for assessing business impacts and mitigating risks.
  
  

Education And Experience You’ll Bring

• Advanced degree in a scientific or business discipline
• 10 years of experience in R&D or Supply chain with focus on nutrition, pharmaceutical, or healthcare industry
• Good understanding of ingredient assessment, intellectual property & procurement processes.
• Experience with cross-functional project management
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills
• Ability to effectively liaise between technical, commercial, and external stakeholders
• Proven analytical skills for evaluating commercial value propositions
• Understanding of Abbott Nutrition's product portfolio and innovation strategy
• Ability to quickly assess and prioritize external opportunities against strategic objectives
• Excellent networking skills to build and maintain relationships with innovation sources
• Ability to navigate complex organizational structures and influence without direct authority
• Sound judgment in determining which opportunities warrant further investment of resources
  
  

The base pay for this position is $127,300.00 – $254,700.00. In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.