Director of Procurement - R & D

Michael Page; Weybridge; Hybrid; GBP 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Comprehensive benefits package

Global stakeholder exposure and travel

Job summary

A large global pharmaceutical company is seeking a Strategic Procurement Director to lead global R&D spend, including Clinical, Pre-Clinical and Laboratory services. The role oversees multi-region sourcing, supplier partnerships and end-to-end negotiations to deliver cost savings, quality, compliance and innovation.

You will manage a team of Procurement Managers, drive strategic supplier relationships, and ensure governance and risk management across regions, with a hybrid London/South East

Qualifications

• Significant strategic procurement experience within a global organisation.
• Demonstrable leadership experience managing and developing high-performing procurement teams.
• Strong category expertise in Clinical Studies, CROs, R&D Outsourced Services, Lab Services or adjacent life sciences categories.
• Proven track record delivering complex, multi-year sourcing strategies and transformation programmes.
• Experience managing substantial procurement spend and complex supplier networks.
• Strong commercial acumen with extensive contract negotiation and supplier management expertise.
• Experience influencing senior stakeholders across multiple business functions and geographies.
• Ideally Bachelor’s Degree in Procurement, Supply Chain, Business, Science or a related discipline.
• Previously worked within healthcare, pharmaceutical, life sciences or a similar environment

Responsibilities

• Own and develop global sourcing strategies across R&D outsourced services, laboratory services and associated categories.
• Partner with senior R&D and business leaders to identify strategic opportunities and align procurement objectives to organisational priorities.
• Lead complex commercial negotiations and oversee end-to-end contract management activities.
• Develop compelling business cases to gain stakeholder alignment and drive transformation initiatives.
• Deliver measurable value through cost reduction, quality improvement, innovation, supplier performance and risk mitigation.
• Build and maintain executive-level supplier relationships across global markets.
• Ensure supply continuity and compliance with regulatory, quality and governance requirements.
• Drive procurement excellence through market intelligence, category expertise and strategic supplier management.
• Lead, coach and develop a team of Procurement Managers, building capability for future organisational growth.
• Support cross-functional and cross-business unit initiatives that enhance procurement's value proposition globally.

Skills

Strategic procurement

Leadership

Category management

Stakeholder management

Contract negotiations

Education

Bachelor's degree in Procurement or related field

Job description

Strategic Procurement Director with extensive experience leading global R&D procurement across Clinical, Pre-Clinical, Laboratory Services and Outsourced Research categories. The ideal candidate will have expertise in Clinical Studies sourcing, CROs and R&D outsourced services, with a proven track record of delivering cost savings, innovation, risk mitigation and supplier performance improvements.

Client Details

A large global pharmaceutical company who is growing and developing their R & D division and they need an experience Procurement Director to help lead this.

Description

As the Director of Procurement you will be responsible for developing and executing global category strategies across a diverse and complex R&D spend portfolio. Leading a team of Procurement professionals, you will influence key business decisions, build strategic supplier partnerships, manage large-scale negotiations, and ensure procurement delivers competitive advantage through cost optimisation, innovation, quality, compliance and risk management.

This role requires a commercially astute and culturally aware leader capable of operating effectively across multiple regions, functions and stakeholder groups.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and develop global sourcing strategies across R&D outsourced services, laboratory services and associated categories.
• Partner with senior R&D and business leaders to identify strategic opportunities and align procurement objectives to organisational priorities.
• Lead complex commercial negotiations and oversee end-to-end contract management activities.
• Develop compelling business cases to gain stakeholder alignment and drive transformation initiatives.
• Deliver measurable value through cost reduction, quality improvement, innovation, supplier performance and risk mitigation.
• Build and maintain executive-level supplier relationships across global markets.
• Ensure supply continuity and compliance with regulatory, quality and governance requirements.
• Drive procurement excellence through market intelligence, category expertise and strategic supplier management.
• Lead, coach and develop a team of Procurement Managers, building capability for future organisational growth.
• Support cross-functional and cross-business unit initiatives that enhance procurement's value proposition globally.

Profile

As a Global Procurement Director you will lead a critical procurement portfolio covering Pre-Clinical, Clinical, Laboratory and R&D Outsourced Services and should have;

• Significant strategic procurement experience within a global organisation.
• Demonstrable leadership experience managing and developing high-performing procurement teams.
• Strong category expertise in Clinical Studies, Clinical Research Organisations (CROs), R&D Outsourced Services, Lab Services or adjacent life sciences categories.
• Proven track record delivering complex, multi-year sourcing strategies and transformation programmes.
• Experience managing substantial procurement spend and complex supplier networks.
• Strong commercial acumen with extensive contract negotiation and supplier management expertise.
• Experience influencing senior stakeholders across multiple business functions and geographies.
• Ideally Bachelor's Degree in Procurement, Supply Chain, Business, Science or a related discipline.
• Previously worked within healthcare, pharmaceutical, life sciences or a similar environment

Job Offer

What's on Offer?

• Competitive Salary
• Comprehensive benefits package
• Opportunity to influence global R&D procurement strategy
• Leadership role with significant organisational visibility
• Global stakeholder exposure and international collaboration
• Ability to shape innovation, supplier partnerships and business performance at scale

Please note you will be based in the office in London/ South East (hybrid) with some travel.

If you are a strategic procurement leader looking to make a significant impact within a global innovation-led organisation, we would love to hear from you.