Global Category Lead/ Procurement - The Fountain Group

The Global Category Lead/Associate Director, Procurement position will have responsibilities for categories within the Commercial organization and is responsible for category management, strategic sourcing, supplier management and benchmarking. This individual will be responsible for the strategic vision and multi-year plan of key categories and needs to understand the business/company strategic objectives and business requirements to maximize value. In addition, this individual will support various Commercial spend initiatives requiring strong business partnering and supply-base collaboration. The role requires extensive Commercial category experience; Biotech/Pharma experience is a plus.

Specific Responsibilities

Leads two or more category strategies (i.e. agency/creative, digital, media, commercial operations, market research, patient assistance) and is responsible for operational execution and KPI/SLAs.

Set strategy and oversee complex sourcing events, including preparation and review of bids, negotiation planning & execution, through contract closure.

Leads or supports quarterly stakeholder business reviews (VP level).

Identifies process improvement opportunities and leads or support continual process improvement initiatives.

Deploy best practice supplier management for Strategic/Tier 1 suppliers.

Support Responsible Sourcing which includes managing supplier segmentation, providing recommendations for bottleneck suppliers, supplier inclusion and the supplier code.

Drive complex sourcing strategies and partner closely with manage service provider during execution of sourcing strategies.

Knowledge, Experience and Skills:

Able to create and manage a category-strategies and think strategically.

Domain expertise and knowledge of the categories

Demonstrates an understanding and application of Procurement principles, concepts, practices, and standards.

Proven expertise in planning and leading complex negotiations and managing supplier contracts.

Excellent organizational, project management, analytical and critical thinking skills.

Ability to collaborate and positively influence suppliers, business partners, and internal team members.

Strong interpersonal skills (diplomacy, agility, creative, innovative, self-starter) to handle sensitive situations and confidential information.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills and effective presentation skills.

Able to develop solutions to a wide range of moderately complex problems, which require the regular use of ingenuity and innovation.

Able to make decisions effectively and with appropriate business partner input.

Must be able to exercise sound judgment and independently determine and take appropriate action within defined Procurement policies and procedures.

Work is performed without appreciable direction. Exercises some latitude in determining objectives and approaches to assignment.

Education & Experience

Minimum education and years of relevant experience, including experience in biotech/pharma sector and/or professional services (e.g. consulting, finance, legal, and/or corporate experience in a relevant function)

B.S./B.A. + 10 or more years of experience

M.B.A./Masters + 8 or more years of experience

Extensive Commodity/Category experience.

Experience in biotech or pharmaceuticals industry and multi-national organizations a plus.