Associate Director Direct Procurement

Lonza Group Ltd.; Slough; On-site; Confidential; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Global benefits program

Competitive compensation

Inclusive workplace

Job summary

Lonza Group Ltd. in Slough, United Kingdom, is seeking an Associate Director, Global Procurement Direct to lead strategic sourcing and category management for Bioprocessing raw materials.

You will leverage market knowledge, supplier partnerships, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver cost, quality, and supply chain improvements that support business growth. The role emphasizes strategic procurement disciplines, supplier relationship management, and continuous improvement within a global

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and influencing skills.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Proven ability to build and maintain strong global relationships, collaborating with internal stakeholders, suppliers, and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Category Management: Lead sourcing, tendering, contract negotiations, and supplier management for raw materials, leveraging market intelligence to build a resilient and competitive supply base that supports innovation, quality, and business growth.
• Supply Risk & Business Continuity: Proactively identify supply chain risks, drive mitigation strategies, and lead cross-functional response plans to ensure continuity of supply, minimise disruption, and protect business performance.
• Stakeholder Partnership: Act as a trusted advisor to business leaders and key stakeholders, providing market expertise, sourcing insight, and strategic guidance to support new opportunities and informed decision-making.
• Supplier Performance & Development: Build strong supplier partnerships, drive performance improvements, review supplier effectiveness, and collaborate with sites to resolve quality, service, and supply challenges.
• Procurement Excellence: Support the implementation of global procurement strategies, policies, processes, and digital tools, while driving supplier performance measurement and continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Influencing skills

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Stakeholder engagement

Global relationship building

Job description

Job Title: Associate Director Global Procurement Direct

Location: Slough, United Kingdom

As an Associate Director, Global Procurement Direct you will drive strategic sourcing and category management for Bioprocessing raw materials, leveraging market knowledge, supplier partnerships, and cross-functional collaboration to deliver cost, quality, innovation, and supply chain improvements while supporting business growth and operational excellence.

What you will get

An agile dynamic working culture An inclusive and ethical workplace Compensation programs that recognize high performance A variety of benefits dependent on role and location. The full list of our global benefits can be also found on https://www.lonza.com/careers/benefits

What you will do

• Strategic Category Management: Lead sourcing, tendering, contract negotiations, and supplier management for raw materials, leveraging market intelligence to build a resilient and competitive supply base that supports innovation, quality, and business growth.
• Supply Risk & Business Continuity: Proactively identify supply chain risks, drive mitigation strategies, and lead cross-functional response plans to ensure continuity of supply, minimise disruption, and protect business performance.
• Stakeholder Partnership: Act as a trusted advisor to business leaders and key stakeholders, providing market expertise, sourcing insight, and strategic guidance to support new opportunities and informed decision-making.
• Supplier Performance & Development: Build strong supplier partnerships, drive performance improvements, review supplier effectiveness, and collaborate with sites to resolve quality, service, and supply challenges.
• Procurement Excellence: Support the implementation of global procurement strategies, policies, processes, and digital tools, while driving supplier performance measurement and continuous improvement initiatives.

What we are looking for

• Basic understanding of preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance practices.
• Strong leadership and influencing skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders at all levels, build consensus, and communicate effectively across global teams.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving capabilities, able to assess complex challenges, identify opportunities, and deliver practical, data-driven solutions.
• Proven ability to build and maintain strong global relationships, collaborating effectively with internal stakeholders, suppliers, and external partners across diverse markets and cultures.
• Demonstrated expertise in strategic procurement disciplines, including category management, supplier relationship management, contract management, commercial negotiations, and procurement systems and tools.

About Lonza

At Lonza, our people are our greatest strength. With 30+ sites across five continents, our globally connected teams work together every day to manufacture the medicines of tomorrow. Our core values of Collaboration, Accountability, Excellence, Passion and Integrity reflect who we are and how we work together. Everyone’s ideas, big or small, have the potential to improve millions of lives, and that’s the kind of work we want you to be part of. Innovation thrives when people from all backgrounds bring their unique perspectives to the table. At Lonza, we value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you’re ready to help turn our customers’ breakthrough ideas into viable therapies, we look forward to welcoming you on board.

Ready to shape the future of life sciences?