Senior Director - Global Market Research Procurement

AstraZeneca; Luton; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading biopharmaceutical company seeks a Senior Director for Global Market Research Procurement in Luton, UK. This role involves overseeing global categories and managing a team to optimize procurement strategies. Candidates should have a Master's degree and substantial experience in procurement, alongside strong strategic and leadership skills. Join a collaborative team dedicated to driving innovation in procurement.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent experience.
• Significant procurement and ideally Market Research Category experience.
• Experience of people management.
• Ability to communicate and influence senior management.
• Proven track record to manage change.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the Global Market Research Categories worldwide.
• Drive global procurement strategy focusing on innovation.
• Develop and implement category strategies.
• Build relationships with internal and external partners.
• Manage projects ensuring successful deployment.

Skills

Procurement expertise

People management

Strategic management

Strong communication

Change management

Global program delivery

High resilience

Education

Master's degree or equivalent experience

Job description

Are you ready to lead a global team and drive strategic procurement initiatives? We are seeking a Senior Director for Global Market Research Procurement based in Luton, UK, with the possibility of considering other core locations for the right candidate. This pivotal role sits on the EMEA Procurement Leadership Team, reporting directly to the Head of Procurement for EMEA Commercial and Global Professional Services.

You will be responsible for overseeing the Global Market Research Categories worldwide, coordinating a team of Global and Regional Category Managers to define and implement category strategies across regions and countries. Your mission will be to build strong relationships with internal and external partners, improving value, efficiencies, and savings while exploring innovative ways to deliver advanced market analytics and insights.

As a key leader, you will ensure alignment of sourcing and procurement strategies with company goals and drive global procurement strategy in areas such as speed, sustainability, preferred supplier adoption, and automation.

Accountabilities

• Strategy: Develop a strategic approach and pragmatic process for procuring commercial market research services, data analytics, and secondary data.
• Strategy: Implement category strategies in regions and markets to optimize business efficiency.
• Strategy: Manage category globally, including strategic sourcing, contract, and risk management.
• Strategy: Maintain expert knowledge of global supply markets, competitors, and product innovations.
• Strategy: Collaborate with the Global Procurement network to understand global spend and find opportunities for quality improvement and value enhancement.
• Strategy: Facilitate procurement change initiatives within the category to boost business performance.
• Strategy: Work transversally as part of a team to manage projects/programmes ensuring successful deployment across the organization.
• Strategy: Drive innovation within the Procurement function.
• Leadership: Line-management and matrix management of a global, regional, and local Procurement team.
• Leadership: Build and develop a robust, cohesive business-oriented Procurement function demonstrating clear value to the business.
• Leadership: Lead, coach, and develop professional aspects of the Procurement team.
• Business and Supplier Engagement: Develop an extensive understanding of customer needs and the business environment. Build strong relationships with customers ensuring satisfaction.
• Business and Supplier Engagement: Identify potential improvement opportunities and innovative procurement solutions for cashable savings and process efficiencies.
• Business and Supplier Engagement: Govern strategic supplier relationships to provide efficiencies across several categories (R&D, Medical & Commercial).
• Business and Supplier Engagement: Address supplier issues ensuring the highest level of service delivery. Maintain contractual and business relationships with suppliers to high standards.
• Business and Supplier Engagement: Foster trusted relationships with vendors for better pricing and quality of services.
• Business and Supplier Engagement: Direct new initiatives and improvement programmes aimed at compliance, continuous improvement, technical excellence, and cost-effectiveness.
• Business and Supplier Engagement: Engage senior stakeholders to demonstrate value, resolve business issues, optimize performance, and develop future improvement opportunities.
• Business and Supplier Engagement: Instil the highest standards of compliance and ethics consistently across AstraZeneca.

Essential Skills/Experience

• Master’s degree or equivalent experience
• Significant procurement and ideally Market Research Category experience
• Strategic Management experience
• Experience of people management
• Ability to communicate, build relationships, and influence senior management
• Proven track record to manage change
• Proven track record of entrepreneurial thinking and ability to deliver truly global, complex program initiatives
• High degree of resilience working with risk and in ambiguous situations

Desirable Skills/Experience

• Experience of working in a corporate, matrix environment
• Experience of working in the pharmaceutical industry

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That\'s why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn\'t mean we\'re not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.

AstraZeneca offers an environment where diverse experiences are celebrated. Our global Procurement team thrives on collaboration, curiosity, and innovation. We embrace different backgrounds and ways of working to challenge conventions and create competitive supplier ecosystems. With a strategic mindset and commercial acumen, our team reacts rapidly to changing business requirements. Here, you\'ll find opportunities to express your talent across various roles while contributing to transformative medicines that impact lives.

Ready to make an impact? Apply now to join our dynamic team!

Date Posted 23-Oct-2025

Closing Date 06-Nov-2025

Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.