Category Management Manager - Clinical Services

Novo Nordisk; Plainsboro Township (NJ); On-site; USD 100,000 - 184,000; Full time

Job summary

Novo Nordisk in Plainsboro Township, New Jersey seeks a senior procurement professional to promote the NNI Procurement Methodology through strategic sourcing. You will negotiate contracts, lead category strategies, and drive savings while collaborating with internal stakeholders and suppliers.

The role emphasizes cross-category sourcing, spend analysis, and compliance, with strong emphasis on leadership, analytics, and supplier diversity. Travel may be required as part of the role.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; relevant experience may substitute.
• 3–5 years of procurement/strategic sourcing experience.
• Experience with indirect spend categories; cross-category support.
• Pharma/biotech industry experience is helpful.
• Strong analytical, organizational and communication skills.
• Leadership ability with project leadership experience.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office; familiarity with market intelligence tools.
• Knowledge of strategic sourcing methodologies and processes.

Responsibilities

• Promote NNI Procurement Methodology via Category Management and Strategic Sourcing.
• Negotiate and monitor supplier contracts to achieve best value.
• Develop and maintain supplier relationships across categories.
• Perform spend analysis to justify sourcing decisions and savings.
• Lead cross-functional teams on sourcing initiatives.
• Support Supplier Diversity initiatives and inclusive sourcing.
• Ensure compliance with supplier agreements and policies.
• Benchmark costs against industry standards and provide insights.

Skills

Bachelor's degree

Procurement experience

Cross-category sourcing

Analytical skills

Strong communication

Leadership

Microsoft Office proficiency

Coupa / eSourcing tools

Relationship management

Strategic Sourcing knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree required

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Coupa

Contracts management systems

Job description

About The Department

The Finance & Operations department brings insights and intelligence to inform decision making & drives digitalization and business solutions to attain NNI goals. Finance & Operations works closely across the organization to guide enterprise-wide resource allocations, investment choices, drive core operations and develop insights to drive growth and operational excellence across the value chain while innovating for future capabilities. Our focus on innovation ensures we're constantly building future capabilities. We're responsible for regulating accounting, upholding workplace safety, managing our supply chain and sampling, supporting technological and data innovation, maintaining our facilities and assuring the integrity and completeness of all business transactions. At Novo Nordisk, you will have the opportunity to build a career in a global business environment. We encourage our employees to make the most of their talent, and we reward hard work and dedication with opportunities for continuous learning and personal development. Are you ready to maximize your potential with us?

About The Department

The Finance & Operations department brings insights and intelligence to inform decision making & drives digitalization and business solutions to attain NNI goals. Finance & Operations works closely across the organization to guide enterprise-wide resource allocations, investment choices, drive core operations and develop insights to drive growth and operational excellence across the value chain while innovating for future capabilities. Our focus on innovation ensures we're constantly building future capabilities. We're responsible for regulating accounting, upholding workplace safety, managing our supply chain and sampling, supporting technological and data innovation, maintaining our facilities and assuring the integrity and completeness of all business transactions. At Novo Nordisk, you will have the opportunity to build a career in a global business environment. We encourage our employees to make the most of their talent, and we reward hard work and dedication with opportunities for continuous learning and personal development. Are you ready to maximize your potential with us?

The Position

This position is primarily responsible for promoting the utilization of the NNI Procurement Methodology through Category Management and Strategic Sourcing activities. This position will ensure the acquisition of high-quality goods/services at the best possible prices by negotiating and monitoring contracts and relationships with selected suppliers. Will be responsible for ensuring that NNI will realize increased investment efficiency of monies spent and ensure fair value and service accountability. Identified opportunities for operational improvements and seeks agreement through consensus management. While Clinical Services is the primary area of responsibility, this role will also support additional categories and cross-categorical initiatives as business needs arise.

Relationships

Reports to a Director within the NNI Procurement Team and will interact with all NNI Procurement Professionals, current and prospective NNI suppliers and key NNI stakeholders.

Essential Functions

• Demonstrates market, industry and customer understanding:
• Utilizes knowledge of suppliers relative positioning and market trends and activities to build competitive advantage into purchasing practices
• Identifies, establishes, designs and shares best practices
• Influences key stakeholders:
• Collaborate and dialogue with users on system support and understanding
• Communicates to Line of Business approved suppliers per category
• Conducts spend analysis and relevant analytical tasks to support and justify sourcing direction and related activity
• Develops and prepares summary reports and presentations as required
• Seeks out, builds and maintains trusting and collaborative relationships and alliances with others inside and outside of the organization in ways that accomplish key business objectives; and helps others do the same
• Supports the Novo Nordisk Supplier Diversity program and promotes the inclusion of diverse suppliers in all sourcing initiatives
• Manages supplier performance:
• Acts as a liaison between the line of business, appropriate internal stakeholders and supplier to ensure business objectives are met
• Manages and monitors organizational compliance with all established supplier agreements
• Provides strategic procurement partnership:
• Assists the Line of Business and/or Enabling Functions with developing business requirements across a specific category/sub-category, primarily Clinical Services and, as needed, other categories/sub-categories
• Benchmarks operational costs to industry standards and provides information and insights to the lines of business
• Develops supplier selection criteria and facilitate team members through a disciplined strategic sourcing process focused on maximizing total value
• Dialogues with suppliers to ensure optimal relationship with respect to product selection and delivery performance
• Establishes, directs and leads cross-functional teams in various sourcing categories to identify, select, negotiate, establish and source preferred supplier contracts, agreements, leases, supplies and services
• Identifies, pursues and maximizes opportunities for realizing cost savings without sacrificing the quality, service and reliability expected of our suppliers
• Understands broad organizational perspectives and delivers messages and presentation to various stakeholders to gain consensus for strategic initiatives and ideas, in the face of complexity or disagreement
• Utilizes and enhances procurement and sourcing systems and tools:
• Follows up on system usage and proactively ensures compliance to system
• Interfaces with the Novo Nordisk Corporate Procurement to promote optimal use of procurement systems and ensure NNIs involvement in global sourcing projects and related efforts
• Partners with the Procurement team to establish company-wide procurement systems, tools, processes, policies and procedures to support and lead to informed, fact‑based sourcing decisions

Physical Requirements

0-10%% overnight travel required.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor 's degree required; Relevant experience may be substituted for degree, when appropriate; advanced degree preferred
• A minimum of 3 to 5 years of progressively responsible experience in Procurement, Strategic Sourcing and/or Purchasing, including at least 3 years experience sourcing and/or managing indirect spend categories and/or managing eSourcing events
• Multiple diverse sourcing category/group experience preferred, with primary experience in Clinical Services/Clinical Operations and the ability to support other indirect spend categories as needed, especially in one or more of the following: Marketing, IT, Market Research, Data & Analytics, Logistics & Distribution, Patient Support Solutions
• Pharmaceutical industry experience helpful, but not required
• Ability to exert influence on the overall objectives and goals of the department
• Ability to multi-task effectively, complete work in a timely manner and work well with others
• Demonstrated analytical, organizational, communication, presentation, relationship management and people skills
• Demonstrated leadership qualities with the ability to act as project lead in the development and implementation of projects, processes and programs
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Market Intelligence Tools, Coupa or other eSourcing and contracts management systems
• Self-starter with a proven track record of delivering savings/value through strong collaboration with business stakeholders
• Strong knowledge of Strategic Sourcing Methodologies, Processes and Purchasing practices

The base compensation range for this position is $99,600 to $184,200. Base compensation is determined based on a number of factors. This position is also eligible for a company bonus based on individual and company performance. Novo Nordisk offers long-term incentive compensation and or company vehicles depending on the position's level or other company factors.

Employees are also eligible to participate in Company employee benefit programs including medical, dental and vision coverage; life insurance; disability insurance; 401(k) savings plan; flexible spending accounts; employee assistance program; tuition reimbursement program; and voluntary benefits such as group legal, critical illness, identity theft protection, pet insurance and auto/home insurance. The Company also offers time off pursuant to its sick time policy, flex-able vacation policy and parental leave policy.

We commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all our job applicants.

At Novo Nordisk, we're not chasing quick fixes – we're creating lasting change for long-term health. For over 100 years, we've been driven by a single purpose: to defeat serious chronic diseases and help millions of people live healthier lives. This dedication fuels our constant curiosity and inspires us to push the boundaries of what's possible in healthcare. We embrace diverse perspectives, seek out bold ideas, and build partnerships rooted in shared purpose. Together, we're making healthcare more accessible, treating and defeating diseases, and pioneering solutions that create change spanning generations. When you join us, you become part of something bigger – a legacy of impact that reaches far beyond today.

Novo Nordisk is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal laws, rules or regulations.

If you are interested in applying to Novo Nordisk and need special assistance or an accommodation to apply, please call us at 1-855-411-5290. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.