AbbVie Posted October 14, 2026

Study Start-Up Specialist

Hoofddorp, NH Full-time
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AbbVie is the source of truth for this posting and owns the application process. We surface normalized context and market comparison you won't find on the original listing.

About this opportunity

Company Description

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. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at  www.abbvie.com . Follow @abbvie on  LinkedIn,   Facebook ,  Instagram ,  X  and  YouTube.

Job Description

At AbbVie, we discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that address complex health challenges and improve people’s lives. We are committed to making a meaningful difference for patients and communities worldwide.

As a Country Study Start-Up Specialist, you will lead country- and site-level start-up and maintenance activities for assigned clinical trials. Working with cross-functional teams, you will support timely, high-quality site activation while ensuring compliance with applicable regulations, guidelines, and AbbVie policies.

Key Responsibilities

Lead start-up and maintenance activities for assigned studies and sites, ensuring timely delivery, quality, and compliance with approved plans.

Develop country and site activation plans, prioritize activities, and support risk assessment and mitigation with Clinical Operations, Study Start-Up, Contract Management, Clinical Trial Supplies, Regulatory Affairs, and other relevant teams.

Identify and communicate issues that may affect delivery and recommend solutions.

Participate in study start-up meetings and provide updates on assigned studies and sites.

Collect, review, and maintain essential documents in accordance with applicable standards, including ALCOA principles.

Prepare and submit ethics committee and other local document packages, including informed consent forms, patient materials, and safety documentation.

Coordinate country submissions, approvals, clinical supplies, and other site activation requirements.

Collaborate with Contract Managers, Site Monitors, and Clinical Study Management Leads to support timely site activation.

Review comments on informed consent forms and coordinate required updates and approvals.

Initiate clinical supply shipments and complete investigational product release activities.

Issue site green-light letters and activate sites in applicable systems.

Maintain accurate records in Vault SSU and update country and site intelligence databases and essential document lists.

Track study and site performance metrics and provide regular updates to relevant stakeholders.

Support audit and inspection readiness and ensure compliance with AbbVie policies, ICH Good Clinical Practice, and applicable local requirements.

Contribute to process improvements and support the training and mentoring of new team members.

Qualifications

Fluency in Dutch language required.

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification; a health-related degree in medicine, science, nursing, or pharmacy is preferred.

At least 1–2 years of clinical research experience.

Experience working with remote or virtual teams.

Working knowledge of ICH Good Clinical Practice and the applicable country’s regulatory environment.

Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.

Strong analytical, critical-thinking, interpersonal, and communication skills.

Ability to build trust and work effectively with diverse stakeholders.

Flexible, adaptable, and proactive approach to problem-solving.

Experience in clinical trial or study start-up management, particularly within the designated region, is preferred.

Our Culture

At AbbVie, we foster an inclusive and collaborative culture where people are encouraged to bring their authentic selves to work, share ideas, and grow together. You will be part of a supportive team working toward a shared purpose: improving patients’ lives.

This role offers a hybrid working arrangement, with flexible hours and the opportunity to work from home. You will typically work from the office 2–3 days per week, depending on your FTE, as part of a great and collaborative team.

Additional Information

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.

US & Puerto Rico only - to learn more, visit  https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/equal-employment-opportunity-employer.html

US & Puerto Rico applicants seeking a reasonable accommodation, click here to learn more:

https://www.abbvie.com/join-us/reasonable-accommodations.html

Job details

Seniority
Not listed
Function
Clinical Research
Therapeutic area
Not listed
Location
Hoofddorp, NH
Employment type
Full-time

How this role compares

Computed from every other active Clinical Research role in our database, not just this employer's listings.

We currently track 339 comparable Clinical Research roles across 26 biopharma companies.

339Comparable roles tracked
313Currently active
26Companies hiring similar roles
48Countries represented

Salary context

73 of 339 peers report a salary range (USD, annualized)

Peers share this role's job function. This posting doesn't list a seniority level, so peers aren't narrowed by seniority either -- the range below may span more levels than usual.

This roleSubject Not listed on this posting
Lowest disclosed · Lab Assistant · IQVIA $25,300/yr – $52,700/yr
Highest disclosed · Senior Director, Head of Study Start Up · Merck KGaA $298,700/yr – $465,900/yr
Peer group range $39,000 – $382,300 (median $132,650)

Where these roles are based

Top locations among the 339 comparable roles

United States86
China53
United Kingdom25
Canada12
Spain11
Brazil10

+ 42 more countries

Seniority mix

232 of 339 peers have a known seniority level

Associate107
Senior59
Manager46
Principal6
Director5
Senior Director3
Associate Director3
Executive/VP2
Intern/Fellow/Postdoc1

Therapeutic area mix

23 of 339 peers have a known therapeutic area; the rest are genuinely unlabeled, not hidden

Oncology17
Neuroscience4
Immunology1
Rare Disease1

Similar opportunities

The closest matches from our peer group, ranked by how similar they are, not how well you'd qualify for them -- treat this as market context, not a guaranteed shortlist; a weak match is labeled as one below.

40%similar
Johnson & Johnson Irvine, United States
Same function Same country
40%similar
Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals Inc. Cambridge (US), United States
Same function Same country
40%similar
AbbVie Madrid, MD Manager
Same function Same country
40%similar
AbbVie
Same function Same country

Open in 3 locations

North Chicago, United StatesFlorham Park, United StatesIrvine, United States
40%similar
AbbVie Madrid, MD
Same function Same country
40%similar
Incyte Wilmington, Delaware Senior Director
Same function Same country

Notify me about similar jobs

Get an email when we spot other openings like this one – same job function, comparable seniority, roles you'd actually want to see.

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How we calculate "similar"

No black box, no LLM guesswork: a deterministic score built from four normalized attributes. Here's this role's own peer group at different match levels, so you can see the mechanism, not just the result.

Every comparison starts from the same 100-point budget: 25 for working in the same function, 40 for the same therapeutic area, 20 for the same or adjacent seniority, 15 for the same country. A dimension we can't confirm on both sides contributes nothing, never a guess, never a free pass.

40%
Clinical Research Leader
Johnson & Johnson · Irvine, United States · Seniority not listed
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Site Management Lead
AbbVie · North Chicago, IL · Seniority not listed
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Site Management Lead - (Clinical Research)
AbbVie · Madrid, MD · Seniority not listed
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
40%
Director, Medical - Clinical Research Scientist
Lilly · Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America · Director
Function Therapeutic area Seniority Country
Unmatched or unknown dimensions score exactly the same: 0 points, never a partial guess. A role we know almost nothing about beyond its function bottoms out at 25%; it never inflates to 100% just because there's little to compare against. Seniority uses a defined ladder (Associate → Manager → Associate Director → Senior → Principal → Director → Senior Director → Executive/VP) so "Director" and "Senior Director" count as adjacent, but "Director" and "Executive/VP" do not.