Senior Director, Procurement

Role Summary

Senior Director, Procurement to build, lead, and scale the procurement function. Develop procurement strategy, oversee sourcing for all GxP and non-GxP categories, and ensure value, quality, and compliance in external spend. Requires deep biotech/biopharma outsourcing experience and the ability to implement efficient procurement processes in a high-growth environment, with experience in Coupa or similar P2P systems preferred.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Procurement Leadership
  Develop and own the enterprise-wide procurement strategy aligned with Business Owners, Finance, Legal and Quality
• Establish and refine the procurement operating model, policies, and processes suitable for a virtual/outsourced biotech
• Build strong business partnerships with functional leaders to anticipate sourcing needs and drive proactive planning
• Implement category management strategies for clinical operations, CROs, CDMOs, CMO services, clinical supply, professional and consulting services, R&D services, IT, and corporate spend

• Sourcing & Vendor Management
  In coordination with Business Owners, Legal, & QA, support end-to-end sourcing activities, including RFP development, vendor evaluation, negotiation, selection, and contract award
• Manage strategic vendor relationships, ensuring performance, transparency, and alignment with program and portfolio goals
• Oversee contract lifecycle management in collaboration with Legal, Clinical Operations, and Quality
• Drive cost savings, risk mitigation, and improved service levels through strategic negotiations and performance management

• Operational Excellence
  Lead or co-lead the implementation of Coupa (or similar P2P solution), including process design, user training, supplier enablement, and change management
• Build scalable procurement processes and tools (e.g., purchase requisitioning, supplier onboarding, contract management, spend analytics)
• Establish KPIs and dashboards for spend visibility, supplier performance, cycle times, and total cost of ownership
• Partner with Finance to support budgeting, forecasting, accruals, and financial controls
• Ensure procurement processes and supplier management activities comply with GxP, SOX, and internal policies, in collaboration with QA, Finance, and IT, particularly for clinical and CMC-related activities

• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  Work closely with Clinical Operations to support study-level vendor selection, contracting, and budget management
• Collaborate with CMC and Supply Chain teams on sourcing of drug substance, drug product, packaging, labeling, and distribution partners
• Partner with Quality to ensure suppliers meet regulatory and audit requirements and are inspection-ready
• Support commercial readiness procurement processes as the company moves toward potential launch
• Coordinate with Legal to streamline contracting and define commercial positions, risk tolerance, and compliance requirements

Qualifications

• Required
  Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Life Sciences, or related field; advanced degree or MBA a plus
• 10+ years of procurement/sourcing experience, with at least 5 years in biotech or biopharma
• Demonstrated experience in virtual/outsourced R&D or clinical development models
• Strong expertise in outsourcing for CRO, CDMO/CMO, clinical supply, and scientific services
• Proven success leading negotiations for complex, high-value development programs
• Ability to build processes and systems from early-stage structure through late-stage scale-up
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and relationship-building skills

• Preferred
  Experience with Coupa or another P2P system, ideally including implementation or major optimization projects
• Experience in late-stage clinical development and/or commercial readiness
• Familiarity with GxP requirements and supplier quality frameworks
• Leadership experience building or managing a small but high-performing team