Interim Associate Director, Strategic Sourcing Supply Chain (Contract) - Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Interim Associate Director, Strategic Sourcing Supply Chain.

The Strategic Sourcing Supply Chain lead will own Category Management activities across Vertex for distribution, logistics, and warehousing for complex supply chains involving small molecule, biologics and Cell and Gene Therapy products. Working collaboratively with internal business stakeholders, this role is expected to develop sound category and sourcing strategies for multi-year, multi-geographic supply chain and distribution needs, gain endorsement by the business, and drive the successful execution that will support business goals and objectives. The role will utilize deep knowledge and expertise with respect to all sourcing processes and will communicate with senior leaders and executives. In addition, the role is expected to identify and drive the optimization of internal sourcing processes, workflows and interfaces in effort to maximize stakeholder value.

This position is based in our Boston, MA office, located in the Seaport area. This role requires a hybrid work schedule: 3 days in office & 2 days remote on a weekly basis.  The role is global and will require some travel to all other facilities and locations (including London) in order to establish / maintain key business stakeholder relationships as well as to support specific strategic initiatives.

This is a 6 month contract with chance to extend. 

Key Duties & Responsibilities: 

• Strong business partnering acumen to develop trusting and influential relationships with stakeholders, understand business objectives and challenges, bring supplier and marketplace expertise, collaborate on multi-year strategic and operational plans, and drive business outcomes.
• Responsibility for Category Management of Distribution and Logistics including the development and management of category and sourcing strategies, management of strategic supplier relationship and performance management, in addition to tactical RFx activities.
• Perform and integrate market research to support Category strategies and/or sourcing activities with the ability to filter data into a relevant, actionable format
• Develop, implement, monitor and maintain category strategies in partnership with Business stakeholders for all related sub-categories, including continuous refreshment and improvement of category strategies to meet evolving business needs
• Responsible for negotiation, authoring and executing contracts with Vertex third party suppliers
• Own the Supplier Performance/Relationship Management process including supplier performance monitoring. Responsible for meeting preparation, pre-read documents, performance Dashboards, capturing action items, and ensuring appropriate follow-up including Executive Business Reviews that include Senior leaders both within Vertex and with the 3rd party
• Work with Business stakeholders to identify supply chain visibility needs, potential supplier risks, and formulate strategies to manage mitigate those risks ass necessary
• Collaborate with business stakeholders and suppliers extensively on developing and implementing risk and resiliency strategies to ensure continuity of supply for innovative product pipeline, and expanding market footprint
• In collaboration with the Business, responsible for defining Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and associated performance metrics and are integrated into contractual documents and captured on Dashboards to ensure supplier performance is meeting expectations and continuously improving
• Support the Business Owner with identification of all applicable risks as part of the Sourcing process, including coordination with Risk Subject Matter Experts to properly assess and develop mitigation plans, where necessary
• Effectively manages the entire RFx process including, but not limited to, the development of the requirements, drafting RFP documents, facilitation of team meetings and vendor sessions, negotiation of terms and pricing with the vendors, and ultimately supporting the execution of Supplier Agreements
• Develops value objectives including annual cost savings targets, in collaboration with Business Partners and Finance, within their specific category(ies) and is accountable for successful achievement
• Manages complex negotiations on price and terms, that often include other internal stakeholders such as Business Partners and Legal. Able to independently create comprehensive negotiation planners that all internal parties are aligned with upfront
• Acts as mentor to support Sourcing colleagues, temporary workers, and/or college co-ops, as directed by their Manager

Required Education, Experience and Competencies:

• Bachelor's degree required.  Advanced degree (MS or MBA) in Scientific or Business discipline is preferred.
• Extensive category specific sourcing experience in Distribution & Logistics within a pharmaceutical/biotech industry
• Strong understanding of the nuances associated with working in the pharmaceutical industry and is adept at effectively managing given the complexities of operating in a regulated environment.
• Strong understanding of Cell & Genetic therapy cold chains.
• Supply Chain professional with Six Sigma certification desired
• Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) and demand planning knowledge
• Able to contribute to goal-setting process for the Strategic Sourcing group
• Deep understanding of the Distribution and Logistics Category including industry best practices and category development; able to manage and drive all aspects of Strategic Sourcing including RFx execution, negotiation, contract execution, supplier performance management, and business stakeholder management
• Viewed as subject matter expert within their category(ies) by Business Partners; able to bring new ideas and information that create tangible value to business
• Demonstrated ability to influence Sr. Leadership to drive Sourcing’s value; gained a “Seat at the table” with stakeholders
• Strong understanding of the drug discovery process and the specific regulatory requirements associated with operating in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry
• Experience of Order-to-Cash (O2C) processes and systems, third-party logistics (3PL) / fourth-party logistics (4PL), Good Distribution Practice (GDP)
• Strong understanding of all elements related to supplier risk management including related processes, tools, rating measurements with ability to train team members and business stakeholders to ensure appropriate execution
• Solid knowledge of ERP systems, can expertly leverage e-Sourcing tools, including business intelligence and reporting platforms and teach other colleagues as needed
• True expertise in managing and leading complex supplier negotiations, including development of comprehensive negotiation planners and ensuring alignment with all internal business stakeholders
• Strong analytical capabilities (data analysis and benchmarking research) as well as PowerPoint skills; expertise working with data analytical/reporting tools such as Microsoft Excel, Power BI, etc.
• Solid understanding and demonstrated use of Continuous Improvement tools (including Pareto Charts, Flow Diagrams, etc.) to drive process improvements
• Project management and organisational skills
• Able to lead teams in collaborative manner to drive successful outcomes
• Strong communication and presentation skills, able to clearly articulate opinions in concise and persuasive manner, comfortable speaking in front of groups and/or leading meetings that may include Executive Management personnel
• Able to establish and maintain effective business partner relationships at highest levels within the organisation; gained their respect and trust; Thoughtful and active listener; able to think quickly and effectively articulate points of view.
• Deep knowledge and understanding of contract law, including all terms and conditions; seen as a trusted partner from Legal colleagues to provide valuable insight into potential contractual risks across all applicable types of Agreements (i.e. Confidential Disclosure Agreement, Master Services Agreements, etc.).
• Able to work in collaborative, team environment; ability to cultivate and maintain effective business partner relationships through earned respect and trust
• Ability to manage several projects while ensuring deliverables are fully met on-time, including more complex and involved projects

$75 - $85/HR

This job posting is for a temporary role with a third-party agency partner on assignment at Vertex Pharmaceuticals (“Vertex”). The individual selected for this role will be offered the role as an employee of a third- party agency partner; compensation, medical benefits, fringe benefits and other terms and conditions of employment shall be presented by the third-party agency partner upon offer. The pay rate range provided is a reasonable estimate of the anticipated compensation range for this job at the time of posting. The actual pay rate will be based on a number of factors, including skills, competencies, experience, location and/or being pursued and other job-related factors permitted by law. In addition, this role will be eligible for overtime pay, in accordance with federal and state requirements

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