Associate Director, Vendor & Relationship Management

Acadia Pharmaceuticals; San Diego (CA); Hybrid; USD 145,000 - 182,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid holidays & vacation

Tuition assistance

Job summary

Acadia Pharmaceuticals seeks an Associate Director of Vendor & Relationship Management to shape strategic partnerships with clinical vendors, CROs, and service providers. You will drive governance, performance excellence, and continuous improvement, collaborating with R&D, Procurement, Quality, Finance, and Legal.

The role requires leadership in governance, scorecards, and vendor oversight across Acadia's clinical development programs, with travel domestically and internationally.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in life science or related field; Advanced degree preferred.
• 8+ years in clinical trial operations, vendor/CRO oversight, or related roles.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute vendor relationship management strategies with CROs, labs and providers.
• Coordinate vendor governance meetings and issue resolution.
• Monitor vendor performance with KPIs and scorecards; partner with Sourcing and Legal as needed.
• Support inspection readiness activities and CAPA development with Quality.
• Deliver data-driven insights to improve vendor efficiency and collaboration.

Skills

Vendor governance

CRO oversight

Stakeholder management

Data analysis

Influence without authority

Education

Bachelor's in life science

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

About Acadia Pharmaceuticals

Acadia is committed to turning scientific promise into meaningful innovation that makes the difference for underserved neurological and rare disease communities around the world. Our commercial portfolio includes the first and only FDA-approved treatments for Parkinson’s disease psychosis and Rett syndrome. We are developing the next wave of therapeutic advancements with a robust and diverse pipeline that includes mid- to late-stage programs in Alzheimer’s disease psychosis and Lewy body dementia psychosis, along with earlier-stage programs that address other underserved patient needs. At Acadia, we’re here to be their difference.

Please note that this position can be based in Princeton, NJ OR San Diego, CA. Acadia's hybrid model requires this role to work in our office three days per week on average.

Position Summary

The Associate Director, Vendor & Relationship Management plays a key role in shaping and strengthening Acadia's strategic partnerships with clinical vendors, CROs, and functional service providers that help advance our innovative clinical development programs. This highly collaborative role will drive vendor governance, performance excellence, and continuous improvement initiatives while fostering a culture of partnership, innovation, and operational excellence across the organization. As a trusted partner to stakeholders across R&D, Procurement, Quality, Finance, and Legal, the Associate Director will help enable effective vendor oversight and consistent outsourcing practices across the Acadia R&D organization.

Primary Responsibilities

Vendor & Relationship Management

• Support the development and execution of vendor and supplier relationship management strategies, including identification and management of critical partners (CROs, central and specialty labs, functional service providers, clinical technologies, patient recruitment and retention vendors).
• Serve as a primary point of contact for vendor related operational issues, coordinating resolution and escalating unresolved matters through established governance pathways.
• Coordinate and facilitate, when appropriate, vendor governance, including operational and steering committee meetings.
• Develop and maintain supplier scorecards, dashboards, and KPIs to monitor vendor performance and identify trends and risks.
• Conduct routine business reviews with vendors to ensure alignment on priorities and performance expectations, partnering with Sourcing and Legal as needed.

Operational Oversight & Excellence

• Oversee vendor performance supporting outsourced clinical trials, through partnership with the Clinica Operations team. Ensure alignment with program timelines, budgets, and quality expectations.
• Partner with Clinical Operations, Clinical Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, and other cross functional teams to support timely and compliant delivery of services.
• Support inspection readiness activities, including audits, vendor oversight documentation, and CAPA development in collaboration with Quality.
• Contribute to process mapping, documentation, and implementation of standardized vendor oversight practices.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve vendor performance, efficiency, and collaboration through data driven insights and process improvements.
• Support innovation initiatives within vendor relationships, including new operating models, technologies, or ways of working.
• Contribute to the development and rollout of best practices, standards, and tools for R&D vendor management.
• Identify opportunities for cost optimization, demand management, and improved vendor utilization.

Data, Reporting & Technology Enablement

• Support the development and maintenance of vendor performance reporting and dashboards.
• Analyze performance metrics to proactively identify risks, issues, and opportunities for improvement.
• Partner with internal teams to support implementation and optimization of vendor management tools and systems.
• Act as a mentor and subject matter resource for team members and matrixed stakeholders involved in vendor oversight.
• Foster strong, collaborative relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners to enable transparent communication and proactive issue resolution.
• Effectively influence stakeholders across a matrixed organization without direct authority.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education/Experience/Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in life science or a related field; Advanced degree preferred. Targeting 8 years of experience in clinical trial operations, vendor/CRO oversight, supplier relationship management, or related roles within the biopharmaceutical industry.
• Experience managing complex vendor relationships and supporting performance improvement initiatives required. An equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be considered.
• Strong understanding of clinical trial operations and outsourced service models.
• Working knowledge of ICH GCP, regulatory requirements, and quality expectations for outsourced clinical activities.
• Strong analytical skills, including experience with supplier scorecards, KPIs, and performance dashboards.
• Experience in R&D outsourcing, vendor governance, or business operations functions.
• Exposure to financial management of outsourced services, including budgeting and accruals.
• Experience supporting audits, inspections, or inspection readiness activities.
• Familiarity with alliance or partnership management methodologies.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast paced, matrixed environment while managing multiple priorities and working cross-functionally.
• Willing and able to travel both domestically and internationally.

Physical Requirements

This role involves regular standing, walking, sitting, and the use of hands for handling or operating equipment. The employee may also need to reach, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, and maintain visual, verbal, and auditory communication in a standard office environment and while working independently from remote locations. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. This position requires the ability to travel independently overnight and/or work after hours as required by travel schedules or business needs.

In addition to a competitive base salary, this position is also eligible for discretionary bonus and equity awards based on factors such as individual and organizational performance. Actual amounts will vary depending on experience, performance, and location.

Salary Range

$145,400—$181,700 USD

What we offer US-based Employees:

• Competitive base, bonus, new hire and ongoing equity packages
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Employer-paid life, disability, business travel and EAP coverage
• 401(k) Plan with a fully vested company match 1:1 up to 5%
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan with a 2-year purchase price lock-in
• 15+ vacation days
• 13 -15 paid holidays, including office closure between December 24th and January 1st
• 10 days of paid sick time
• Paid parental leave benefit
• Tuition assistance

EEO Statement (US-based Employees): Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the qualifications in the exact way they are described in job postings. We are committed to building a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and innovative company, and we are looking for the BEST candidate for the job. That candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background or may meet the qualifications in a different way. We strongly encourage you to apply, especially if the reason you are the best candidate isn’t exactly what we describe here.

It is the policy of Acadia to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants without regard to considerations of race, including related to hairstyle, color, religion or religious creed, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, gender transition, country of origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, legally-protected medical condition or information, marital status, domestic partner status, family care status, military caregiver status, veteran or military status (including reserve status, National Guard status, and military service or obligation), status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, enrollment in a public assistance program, or any basis protected under federal, state or local law.

As an equal opportunity employer, Acadia is committed to a diverse workforce. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. Furthermore, you may request additional support if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access Acadia’s career website due to your disability, along with any accommodations throughout the interview process. To request or inquire about your reasonable accommodation, please complete our Reasonable Accommodation Request Form or contact us at [e-mail] or 858-261-2923.

Please note that reasonable accommodations granted throughout the recruiting process are not guaranteed to be the same accommodations given if hired. A new request will need to be submitted for any ADA accommodations after starting employment.

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Notice to Search Firms/Third-Party Recruitment Agencies (Recruiters):

The Talent Acquisition team manages the recruitment and employment process for Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“Acadia”). Acadia does not accept resumes from recruiters or search firms without an executed search agreement in place. Resumes sent to Acadia employees in the absence of an executed search agreement will not obligate Acadia in any way with respect to the future employment of those individuals or potential remuneration to any recruiter or search firm. Candidates should never be submitted directly to our hiring managers or employees.