Senior R&D Strategic Outsourcing Manager

Role Summary

The Senior R&D Strategic Outsourcing Manager serves as a Category Manager within the Strategic Sourcing and Procurement department, supporting the Category Lead and managing the operations of their assigned category and vendor pool. The role may include administrative/HR responsibilities for direct reports. The primary focus is on Clinical Services outsourcing for Development Operations and related R&D functions, coordinating with Clinical Research Organizations and related vendors to optimize spend, relationships, and risk.

Responsibilities

• Support and provide thought leadership to category strategy development, optimization and management with SS&P leadership and business units
• Build trusted stakeholder relationships to understand priorities and challenges and identify sourcing opportunities
• Lead or support vendor evaluation activities (RFIs/RFPs), vendor presentations, demonstrations, bid defenses, and vendor awards; contribute to process development
• Lead or support vendor contracting processes with negotiation of scope, budgets, and payment schedules; manage PO lifecycle
• Negotiate contracts involving larger dollar amounts
• Identify and develop complex pricing and contracting options, including annual pricing and rate cards
• Collaborate with Strategic Supplier Relationship teams to manage cost, schedule, and performance of major contracts
• Represent SS&P in stakeholder and supplier meetings, including regular Business Reviews
• Manage and grow relationships with current and prospective vendors
• Represent SS&P at applicable project team meetings
• Work with Legal to ensure contract terms address business needs and protect interests; manage end-to-end SOW and contract workflow using CLM systems
• Collaborate with Procurement Operations, FP&A, and other functions for vendor financial accruals, forecasts, and reporting
• Partner with FP&A and Accounting to support accrual and forecasting processes
• Support department initiatives and continuous improvement; lead SS&P processes
• Maintain audit inspection readiness as applicable
• Represent SS&P in internal team meetings
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in related discipline with nine (9) years of related experience; or Master’s degree with seven (7) years; or Doctoral degree with two (2) years; or equivalent
• Experience in the pharmaceutical and/or biotechnology industry required
• Experience in pharmaceutical/biotechnology R&D outsourcing, purchasing, supplier relationship management, and/or procurement required
• Supervisory/management experience preferred

Skills

• Strong knowledge of pharmaceutical/biotechnology R&D outsourcing concepts, processes, and industry practices
• Strong knowledge of outsourcing financial processes (budgeting, accruals, forecasting, invoicing, etc.)
• Working knowledge of R&D contracts, including terms, exhibits, and data privacy
• Familiarity with regulatory requirements (FDA, MHRA, EMA, ICH GCP) and financial regulations (SOX, GAAP)
• Negotiation, change management, and stakeholder collaboration skills
• Self-starter with the ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Strategic thinking, analytical, financial, problem-solving, and organizational skills
• Strong communication and presentation skills across levels
• Attention to detail and ability to deliver high-quality outputs
• Ability to build relationships and influence without direct authority
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office; experience with contract lifecycle management systems (e.g., Ariba, Agiloft) and Jira Service Management preferred

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in related discipline; advanced degrees as noted in Qualifications

Additional Requirements

• Travel: May include occasional travel to other Exelixis locations and vendor sites (< 5%)