Director, Global Procurement

Kardigan, Inc.; Princeton, Northern (NJ, KY); Hybrid; USD 210,000 - 246,000; Full time

Job summary

Kardigan, Inc. in Princeton, NJ seeks a Director, Global Procurement to lead a strategic, hands-on procurement function and build scalable processes that support rapid growth.

You will shape the supplier base, drive cost savings, and ensure compliance across the organization. Reporting to the Vice President of Accounting, you will partner with Finance, Legal, R&D, Clinical Development, and IT to optimize spend, implement automation and AI-enabled sourcing, and deliver measurable value while

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Life Sciences, or a related field; MBA or relevant advanced degree preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive procurement, strategic sourcing, supply chain, or vendor management experience, including leadership in biotech/life sciences.
• Experience building and leading global procurement organizations in a high-growth environment.
• Deep knowledge of procurement best practices, sourcing methodologies, and supplier management.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute Kardigan’s global procurement strategy aligned with growth priorities.
• Lead strategic sourcing across clinical development, research, manufacturing, IT, facilities, and services.
• Negotiate contracts and master service agreements to drive cost savings and risk mitigation.
• Collaborate with cross-functional leaders to understand business needs and provide procurement guidance.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Global procurement

Sourcing & supplier management

Contract negotiation

Governance & compliance

Data analytics

Cross-functional partnership

AI-enabled procurement

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business / Finance

MBA

Tools

NetSuite

Procure-to-Pay systems

Contract Lifecycle Management

AI-enabled procurement tools

Job description

Kardigan is a heart health company working to make cardiovascular disease preventable, curable and no longer the leading cause of death in the world.

It is Kardigan’s mission to develop multiple targeted treatments in parallel that bring people with cardiovascular diseases to the cures they deserve.

Led by Tassos Gianakakos, Jay Edelberg, M.D., Ph.D., and Bob McDowell, Ph.D., Kardigan’s co-founders have reunited after leading MyoKardia to discover and develop mavacamten, the first cardiac myosin inhibitor, resulting in an acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb in 2020.

We have a cutting-edge discovery and translational research platform, a pipeline of late-stage candidates, and an industry-leading team that is driven to improve the lives of patients.

At Kardigan, we are motivated by our values which guide how we work, interact, and achieve our goals. Driven by patients and their families, we are deeply committed to improving the lives of patients and prioritizing their needs above all else. We believe in being authentic—leading with truth to bring out the best in others by creating an environment where every person knows they will be fully accepted. With an eagerness to learn, we encourage the highest levels of curiosity and are open to changing our minds. We are committed to winning as a team with urgency, excellence, and intention, and support each other no matter what role we play or where we sit. Lastly, we strive to enable the impossible because patients are counting on us. We are not afraid to take risks to unlock innovation and advance scientific discoveries.

These values are the foundation of our work, empowering us to make a real difference, every day.

Position Title: Director, Global Procurement

Department: Accounting

Reports To: Vice President, Accounting

Location: Princeton, NJ – On-site 4 days per week (Mon to Thurs)

Job Overview

Kardiganisseekinga strategic and hands-on procurement leader to serve as the Head of Global Procurement, responsible for developing and executing the company's global procurement strategy and building a scalable procurement function that supports our rapidly growing business. This role will oversee sourcing, supplier management, contract negotiations, and procurement operations, whiledrivingoperational excellence and ensuring alignment with organizational priorities.

The Director, Global Procurement will partner closely with Finance, Legal, R&D, Clinical Development, Technical Operations, G&A functions, and executive leadership to ensure the company achieves optimal value from supplier relationships while maintaining compliance, managing risk, and enabling business objectives.This role requires deep experience in biotechnology or pharmaceutical procurement, strong commercial acumen,and the ability to build scalable processes and infrastructure in a fast-paced environment.The ideal candidate will bring a strongtrack recordof leveraging procurement technologies, systems, automation, and AI-enabled solutions to improve efficiency, enhance decision-making, and drive operational excellence across the procurement function.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Procurement Strategy & Leadership:
Develop and executeKardigan’sglobal procurement strategy, ensuring alignment with businessobjectivesand growth priorities. Build and lead procurement capabilities, policies, and processes that support scalability, operational efficiency, and strong governance across the organization.

Strategic Sourcing & Supplier Management:
Lead strategic sourcing initiatives across key spend categories, including clinical development, research, manufacturing, information technology, facilities, and corporate services. Establish supplier selection criteria, negotiate commercial terms, and manage supplier performance to maximize value and minimize risk.

Contract Negotiation & Commercial Excellence:
Partner with Legal and business stakeholders to negotiate contracts and master service agreements. Drive favorable commercial outcomes, cost savings, and risk mitigation while ensuring flexibility to support evolving business needs.

Cross-Functional Business Partnership:
Collaborate closely with cross-functional leaders to understand business requirements, support strategic initiatives, andprovideprocurement guidance throughout the sourcing and contracting process. Act as a trusted advisor on procurement strategy, vendor selection, and supplier relationship management.

Procurement Operations & Compliance:
Establish and maintain effective procurement policies, procedures, controls, andapprovalworkflows. Ensure compliance with company policies, regulatory requirements, and internal governance standards while supporting audit readiness and financial controls.

Process Improvement & Systems Management:
Lead ongoing efforts tooptimizeprocurement processes, reporting, analytics, and systems. Partner with Finance and IT teams to improveprocure-to-pay workflows, enhance visibility into spending, and strengthen procurement data and reportingcapabilities.Drive the evaluation, implementation, and adoption of procurement technologies, automation tools, and AI-driven solutions to improve sourcing effectiveness, supplier management, spend analytics, contract management, and overall operational efficiency.

Qualifications and Preferred Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, Life Sciences, or a related field; MBA or relevant advanced degree preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive procurement, strategic sourcing, supply chain, or vendor management experience, including leadership experience within the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or life sciences industry.
• Demonstrated experience building and leading global procurement organizations, processes, and supplier management programs in a high-growth environment.
• Deep knowledge of procurement best practices, strategic sourcing methodologies, contract negotiation, category management, and supplier relationship management.
• Significant experiencesupporting clinical development, research, manufacturing, technical operations, and other regulated biopharmaceutical functions.
• Strong understanding of procurement controls, governance, compliance requirements, and risk management practices.
• Extensive experience with ERP systems (NetSuite preferred),procure-to-pay platforms, contract lifecycle management tools, and other procurement technologies.
• Recognizedexpertisein procurement systems, digital transformation, and AI-enabled procurement capabilities, with a proventrack recordof evaluating, implementing, and scaling technologies that enhance sourcing, supplier management, spend analytics, contracting, and operational efficiency.
• Proventrack recordof delivering measurable cost savings, operationalefficiencies, process improvements, and strategic business value through procurement initiatives.
• Strong business partnership skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across functions and build trusted relationships with executive leadership and key stakeholders.
• Excellent negotiation, influencing, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to drive decisions and achieve alignment in a complex, fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with experienceleveragingdata, market intelligence, and procurement analytics to support sourcing and supplier decisions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present recommendations, influence stakeholders, and communicate effectively with all levels of the organization.
• Proven ability to lead multiple strategic initiatives simultaneously while effectively managing priorities, timelines, and resources.
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities, including the ability to build, mentor, and develop high-performing teams while leading cross-functional initiatives.
• You are a self-starter who can plan, organize, and take the initiative to meet jobobjectivesand deadlines independently.

Exact Compensation may vary based on skills, experience and location.

Pay range

$210,000 - $246,000 USD

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