Associate Director, Category Lead - R&D Procurement (Clinical Development)

Bristol-Myers Squibb; Poland; On-site; PLN 280,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Bristol Myers Squibb is seeking an Associate Director, Category Lead for R&D Procurement (Clinical Enablement). This senior role oversees strategic sourcing, supplier governance, and risk management across central laboratory, biospecimen, imaging, patient recruitment, site enablement, trial tech, and events.

The role reports to the Senior Director, R&D Procurement and collaborates across Clinical Development, Quality, and Finance to deliver value and inspection readiness for global programs.

Qualifications

• Deep expertise in R&D / Clinical Development procurement with breadth across clinical enablement categories.
• Strong supplier relationship management and negotiation capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute global category strategies across the full clinical enablement portfolio.
• Lead strategic sourcing, competitive bids, contract negotiations, renewals, and amendments to deliver value across cost, quality, speed, risk mitigation, and innovation.
• Lead executive-level supplier governance forums including QBRs and business reviews.
• Ensure contracts, pricing structures, governance models, and supplier documentation meet quality and inspection standards.
• Identify and manage supplier, operational, and compliance risks with cross-functional partners.

Skills

R&D procurement

Supplier relationship mgmt

Job description

At Bristol Myers Squibb, our employees often ask, "Who are you working for?"-a question that fuels collaboration, accountability, and urgency in our work. Our purpose-driven culture inspires us to discover, develop, and deliver innovative medicines to prevail over serious diseases. We offer uniquely interesting and meaningful work, opportunities for growth, and a supportive environment that values inclusion, wellbeing, flexibility, and comprehensive benefits. This is work that transforms the lives of patients, and the careers of those who do it.

Position Summary

The Associate Director, Category Lead - R&D Procurement (Clinical Enablement ) is accountable for the strategic sourcing, supplier relationship management, and governance of clinical development services supporting BMS global R&D programs. This role carries category ownership across a broad clinical enablement portfolio - spanning central laboratory and biospecimen management, clinical imaging and diagnostics, patient recruitment and retention, site enablement services, clinical trial technology platforms, and clinical events adjudication - with accountability for strategy, value delivery, supplier performance, and inspection readiness.

This role reports to the Senior Director, R&D Procurement and operates within the Global Procurement organization, with strong matrixed engagement across Clinical Development, Quality, and Finance.

Key Responsibilities

Category Strategy & Sourcing

• Own and execute global category strategies across the full clinical enablement portfolio.
• Lead strategic sourcing, competitive bids, contract negotiations, renewals, and amendments to deliver total value across cost, quality, speed, risk mitigation, and innovation
• Establish and maintain preferred supplier frameworks, panel strategies, and demand management approaches across therapeutic areas, development phases, and geographies
• Continuously monitor market dynamics, supplier landscape shifts, and emerging capabilities to keep category strategies current and competitive

Supplier Relationship Management (SRM)

• Serve as the primary procurement lead for strategic and preferred suppliers across the clinical enablement portfolio, driving structured governance, performance management, and continuous improvement
• Lead executive-level supplier governance forums, including QBRs, business reviews, issue escalation, and joint innovation roadmap development
• Build and sustain productive, compliant supplier relationships that support BMS pipeline delivery and long-term strategic objectives
• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to resolve operational, quality, and commercial issues at pace and with accountability

Audit, Inspection & Quality Support

• Provide procurement leadership and hands‑on support for internal audits, health authority inspections, and supplier audits across all clinical enablement categories
• Ensure contracts, pricing structures, governance models, and supplier documentation consistently meet BMS Quality, GxP, and inspection readiness standards
• Lead or support remediation activities, CAPAs, and risk mitigation plans in close collaboration with Quality, Regulatory, Clinical Operations, and suppliers
• Maintain a state of continuous inspection readiness across all category documentation and supplier governance artifacts

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Ensure adherence to BMS procurement policies, QMS requirements, and financial controls across all categories of activities.
• Identify and proactively manage supplier, operational, and compliance risks, including supply continuity, data integrity, and biospecimen handling risks.
• Support development and maintenance of audited documentation, including job descriptions, supplier records, and governance artifacts.

Financial & Business Partnership

• Deliver value beyond savings through pricing optimization, demand aggregation, specification clarity, and commercial discipline.
• Partner with Finance and study teams on budgeting, forecasting, and financial risk management for central lab services.
• Act as a trusted advisor to Clinical and Development leaders on supplier strategy, trade‑offs, and risk‑based decision making.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Lead with influence across a matrixed organization, aligning diverse stakeholders around category strategy and supplier governance priorities
• Mentor and coach procurement colleagues and cross-functional partners on sourcing strategy, negotiation, and supplier management best practices
• Contribute to broader R&D Procurement transformation initiatives, capability building, process standardization, and continuous improvement programs
• Represent Global Procurement in cross-functional governance bodies, clinical development forums, and enterprise steering committees as needed

Qualifications

• Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
• Deep expertise in R&D / Clinical Development procurement with demonstrated breadth across multiple clinical enablement categories
• Strong supplier relationship management, negot