Director, External Manufacturing Procurement - Drug Substance

GSK; London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

GSK is seeking a Director of External Manufacturing Procurement for Drug Substance. This pivotal role requires developing procurement strategies, managing supplier relationships, and ensuring compliance with GSK’s standards for drug substances and vaccines. Ideal candidates will possess extensive experience in procurement and a relevant degree. Join GSK and help shape the future of pharmaceuticals while advancing your career in a dynamic and inclusive environment.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in procurement for large molecule and vaccine drug substances.
• Experience leading global/regional projects across matrixed teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex contract negotiations with CMOs to ensure supply reliability.
• Develop and implement strategic sourcing plans aligning with GSK's overall strategy.
• Set financial budgets and monitor CMO performance metrics.

Skills

Strategic Sourcing

Supplier Negotiation

Market Intelligence

Stakeholder Engagement

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in supply chain, procurement or technical field

Master’s degree in business administration or relevant field

Job description

Director, External Manufacturing Procurement - Drug Substance

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Director, External Manufacturing Procurement - Drug Substance

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Site Name: USA - Pennsylvania - Upper Providence, UK – London – New Oxford Street

Posted Date: Jun 3 2025

Director, External Manufacturing Procurement

Job Description:

The Director, External Manufacturing Procurement plays a pivotal role in shaping and executing GSK's procurement strategies for large molecule and vaccine drug substances. This key role leads a team of category managers focused on GSK’s partnerships with Contract Manufacturing Organizations (CMO’s). The successful candidate will ensure that GSK develops category strategies that support supply reliability and cost targets for their area of responsibility.

This role develops and maintains external market knowledge and serves as a key representative for GSK to the CMO industry. The director engages senior internal and external stakeholders to understand business requirements, use market intelligence to develop strategies, lead complex supplier negotiations, and ultimately deliver solutions to support GSK’s supply chains. This role sits on the leadership team of the Senior Director, External Manufacturing Procurement and is a key advisor of the GSK global external manufacturing strategy.

The ideal candidate should have prior experience in sourcing the commercial supply of drug product or drug substance from CMO’s.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement strategic sourcing plans for large molecule and vaccines drug substance manufactured externally, ensuring alignment with GSK's overall supply strategy.
• Lead complex contract negotiations with CMO’s and deliver outcomes at pace.
• Deliver contracts which emphasize value creation, critical terms, and effective cost control.
• Gather and analyze market intelligence to benchmark the CMO landscape.
• Cultivate relationships with key internal stakeholders to support GSK's business strategy and communicate supply chain insights.
• Forge and maintain strategic relationships with CMO’s to support robust category strategies and network design decisions.
• Set financial budgets for contract manufacturing, incorporating pricing negotiations and volume forecasting.
• Establish and monitor CMO performance metrics, promoting continuous improvement.
• Optimize the CMO portfolio to maintain a network of providers aligned with GSK’s network needs.
• Manage the commercial risk profile of our CMO network, ensuring alignment with GSK's business continuity plans.
• Uphold procurement policies and compliance standards, including third-party risk management.
• Deliver GSK’s commitments to environmental sustainability for their category.
  
  
  

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in supply chain, procurement or technical field.
• 7+ years’ experience in the procurement and management of large molecule and vaccine drug substance or drug product from CMO’s.
• 5+ years’ experience developing and executing sourcing strategies across various geographies and supply chains.
• 3+years’ experience leading global/regional projects across matrixed teams.
  
  
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in business administration, supply chain, procurement or a relevant technical field.
• The ability to develop and maintain strong internal and external networks.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong project and change management skills.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving abilities.
  
  
  

Please visit GSK US Benefits Summary to learn more about the comprehensive benefits program GSK offers US employees.

Why GSK?

Uniting science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together.

GSK is a global biopharma company with a special purpose – to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together – so we can positively impact the health of billions of people and deliver stronger, more sustainable shareholder returns – as an organisation where people can thrive. We prevent and treat disease with vaccines, specialty and general medicines. We focus on the science of the immune system and the use of new platform and data technologies, investing in four core therapeutic areas (infectious diseases, HIV, respiratory/ immunology and oncology).

Our success absolutely depends on our people. While getting ahead of disease together is about our ambition for patients and shareholders, it’s also about making GSK a place where people can thrive. We want GSK to be a place where people feel inspired, encouraged and challenged to be the best they can be. A place where they can be themselves – feeling welcome, valued, and included. Where they can keep growing and look after their wellbeing. So, if you share our ambition, join us at this exciting moment in our journey to get Ahead Together.

If you require an accommodation or other assistance to apply for a job at GSK, please contact the GSK Service Centre at 1-877-694-7547 (US Toll Free) or [phone] (outside US).

GSK is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This ensures that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), military service or any basis prohibited under federal, state or local law.

Important notice to Employment businesses/ Agencies

GSK does not accept referrals from employment businesses and/or employment agencies in respect of the vacancies posted on this site. All employment businesses/agencies are required to contact GSK's commercial and general procurement/human resources department to obtain prior written authorization before referring any candidates to GSK. The obtaining of prior written authorization is a condition precedent to any agreement (verbal or written) between the employment business/ agency and GSK. In the absence of such written authorization being obtained any actions undertaken by the employment business/agency shall be deemed to have been performed without the consent or contractual agreement of GSK. GSK shall therefore not be liable for any fees arising from such actions or any fees arising from any referrals by employment businesses/agencies in respect of the vacancies posted on this site.

Please note that if you are a US Licensed Healthcare Professional or Healthcare Professional as defined by the laws of the state issuing your license, GSK may be required to capture and report expenses GSK incurs, on your behalf, in the event you are afforded an interview for employment. This capture of applicable transfers of value is necessary to ensure GSK’s compliance to all federal and state US Transparency requirements. For more information, please visit the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) website at https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov/

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Not Applicable

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Management and Manufacturing

• Industries

  Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

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