Director, Cell Therapy Supplier Development

AstraZeneca; Gaithersburg (MD); On-site; USD 145,000 - 218,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Short-term incentives

Equity-based awards

Health, dental, and vision coverage

Qualified retirement programs

Job summary

AstraZeneca is seeking a Director, Supplier Development to elevate supplier performance for cell therapy initiatives in Gaithersburg, MD (or Santa Monica, CA). You will lead supplier evaluations, develop improvement plans, and collaborate with Technical, Quality & Regulatory teams to ensure quality, delivery, and cost targets.

The role requires extensive experience in supply chain, CMC, and manufacturing within the pharmaceutical or biotech industry, with leadership responsibilities and strong

Qualifications

• Minimum of combined 7 years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, supply chain management, and process development in pharma/biotech.
• Degree in Science, Business, Supply Chain Management, Engineering, or related field; advanced degree highly desirable.
• Experience in CMC, process development, and/or manufacturing required.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement a risk model to reduce supply disruptions ahead of launch and forecast demand for cell therapy portfolio.
• Conduct supplier evaluations against quality, delivery, cost, sustainability, and compliance metrics.
• Develop customized improvement plans for suppliers with goals, timelines, and actions to address quality and cost issues.
• Monitor supplier performance and take corrective actions to maintain targets.
• Collaborate with Technical, Quality & Regulatory teams to identify priority supplier development needs.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives using Lean/Six Sigma or similar programs.
• Identify and mitigate risks in the supplier base, including geopolitical and quality issues.
• Maintain communication with Senior Leadership to align supplier development strategies.

Skills

Supply chain management

Supplier development

CMC

Quality control

Data analysis

Project management

Communication

Regulatory knowledge

Education

BA/BS in Science, Business, or related

MA/MS in related field

PhD (advantageous)

Tools

Lean Six Sigma

Job description

AstraZeneca is seeking a Director, Supplier Development to elevate supplier performance for cell therapy initiatives in Gaithersburg, MD (or Santa Monica, CA). You will lead supplier evaluations, develop improvement plans, and collaborate with Technical, Quality & Regulatory teams to ensure quality, delivery, and cost targets.

The role requires extensive experience in supply chain, CMC, and manufacturing within the pharmaceutical or biotech industry, with leadership responsibilities and strong