Director, Strategic Sourcing, CRO Category Lead

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd; Princeton (NJ); On-site; USD 169,000 - 253,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical benefits

401(k) match

Tuition reimbursement

Paid holidays

Job summary

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. seeks an experienced Strategic Sourcing leader to partner with R&D business units in the United States.

You will shape sourcing strategies, manage key supplier relationships, and drive compliance with policies, regulatory requirements, and assurance of supply. The role requires 10+ years in strategic sourcing, with 5+ years in R&D CRO/outsourced functions, strong negotiation and KPI management, and the ability to lead cross-functional teams toward substantial

Qualifications

• Experience in executing R&D sourcing projects yielding preferred or strategic partnerships.
• Experience interacting with senior stakeholders and suppliers.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and deliver strategic objectives.
• Proficient in negotiating supplier contracts and rate cards for value and quality.
• Experience launching and managing financial KPIs for Sourcing.

Responsibilities

• Build relationships with R&D partners to develop sourcing strategies aligned with business needs.
• Manage key supplier relationships to enable delivery, improvement, and innovation.
• Ensure compliance with sourcing policies, processes, and regulatory requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement and 10-15% annual savings within in-scope spend areas.
• Lead negotiations for Master Services Agreements and Amendments.
• Oversee governance meetings and reporting of sourcing performance.

Skills

R&D Sourcing

CRO Partnerships

Stakeholder Management

Contract Negotiation

KPI Management

Data Analysis

ICH E6 Knowledge

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Supply Chain/Sciences

MBA/MS preferred

Tools

RFx tools

Job description

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include the following areas: Overall Responsibility At the direction of R&D Sourcing leadership: Build relationships with R&D business partners to develop and enable sourcing strategies that align with the needs of the business while meeting financial, operational, risk, quality, regulatory, and assurance of supply/services control objectives. Manage and identify key supplier relationships by enabling operational delivery, continuous improvement, and innovation through performance and relationship measurement, overall governance, supplier relationship development and alignment to business and corporate goals and objectives. Be a champion for Sourcing by ensuring and monitoring compliance with sourcing policies and processes through stakeholder communication, training, and the identification and reporting of exceptions and deviations. Identify and drive continuous improvement opportunities within the process area. Drive 10-15% annual savings within in-scope spend areas. Lead and execute significant, high value and high impact sourcing activities with cross-functional teams by assessing the category market, collecting business requirements, soliciting RFx’s, leading contractual and rate card negotiations and ensuring the strategic contractual infrastructure is in place to support business priorities Ensure compliance with company policies, industry regulations, and ethical standards. Assess and mitigate supplier risks, driving quality and adhering to regulatory guidelines. Create excellence through consistent, high-quality outcomes. Lead team of sourcing managers.

Strategic Sourcing Vision, Strategy, and Objectives

• Execute against a common vision and strategy for Strategic Sourcing at Otsuka.
• Partners with Business leaders and other key stakeholders to gain their perspectives and endorsement of the vision and strategy.
• Produce measurements of success (KPIs) and appropriate processes to capture, consolidate and report on sourcing performance and outcome versus objectives to business partners.
• Provide regular reporting and tracking of overall sourcing initiatives and their progress, including issues, risks, and other important observations to ELT, Business Leaders, and Stakeholders.
• Provide category expertise to business partners regarding changes in the category supplier landscape including new and existing suppliers.

Strategic Sourcing Process and Policy

• Provides appropriate training across the organization on the importance of following Sourcing policies and processes.
• Ensures the appropriate controls are in place to meet regulatory requirements (i.e. J-sox, Third Party Risk Management, etc.).
• Ensures best practices in Sourcing including accurate spend analysis, usage of RFx tools and templates, contract management, establishment of Preferred Supplier Programs, and ensuring all sourcing savings are realized into the financials.
• Oversee key service provider relationships by participating in governance and business review meetings.
• Lead negotiations for Master Services Agreements and Amendments.
• Ensure timely execution of Task Orders and Change Orders and ensure budget alignment, where applicable.
• Establish R&D ways of working, category specific contract templates, and escalation pathways.

Strategic Sourcing Execution

• Perform daily activities related to sourcing projects including the development of RFx strategy and on-going contract negotiations.
• Develop operational metrics to ensure continuous monitoring and process improvement across all sourcing projects and report them to Sourcing leadership.
• Ensure all assigned sourcing projects have clear objectives including financial and operational benefits, aligned with business stakeholders.
• Partner with Business Owners and Financial Operations, and other key process owners to ensure project timelines are met.

Organizational Design and Development

• Seek development of sourcing and financial capabilities.
• Other Other activities or projects as assigned.

Qualifications

Knowledge Experience within the Pharmaceutical or Biotech R&D CRO clinical category; demonstrated expertise in the discipline. Experience in executing R&D sourcing projects yielding preferred or strategic partnerships. Experience in interacting with senior level stakeholders and suppliers. Proven experience managing and leading cross-functional teams, including overseeing performance, development, and delivery of strategic objectives. Proficient in evaluating and developing procurement strategies in alignment with R&D stakeholders to maximize efficiency and minimize cost with minimal oversight. Proficient in negotiating supplier contracts and rate cards that lead to the greatest value for money and quality for the organization. Demonstrated proficiency in launching and managing financial KPI's for Sourcing. Demonstrated proficiency in building successful stakeholder relationships. Expertise in data analysis and extracting key actionable observations. Basic understanding of ICH E6 guidelines.

Skills and Experience

Minimum of 10 years of Strategic Sourcing Experience with a minimum of 5 years in R&D Strategic Sourcing. 5+ years leading or supporting the CRO outsourced function including the ability to work through transformational efforts within the team and lead. Executive presence and influence with demonstrated ability to tell a story and influence the direction of the organization including at the most senior levels of the organization Anticipate trends, understand implications and create actionable plans to prepare for future needs. Familiar with emerging Procurement technologies. Outstanding communication skills, ability to speak to the business and simplify complex technical sourcing aspects into concepts the business can understand, assess, and ultimately use to make decisions. Strong customer service focus. Experience listening to client needs and partnering to deliver results that are mutually beneficial for the client and the organization. Basic understanding of ICH E6 guidelines. Effective influencing and negotiating skills, both external and internal, and ability to flex influence with various levels of the organization. High degree of analytical skills, able to rapidly understand and synthesize disparate data into meaningful information to support critical business decisions. Strong understanding of the pharmaceutical industry and development of new drugs.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Sciences or relevant technical expertise. Advanced degree (MBA/MS) preferred.

Competencies

• Accountability for Results - Stay focused on key strategic objectives, be accountable for high standards of performance, and take an active role in leading change.
• Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving - Make decisions considering the long-term impact to customers, patients, employees, and the business.
• Patient & Customer Centricity - Maintain an ongoing focus on the needs of our customers and/or key stakeholders.
• Impactful Communication - Communicate with logic, clarity, and respect.
• Influence at all levels to achieve the best results for Otsuka.
• Respectful Collaboration - Seek and value others’ perspectives and strive for diverse partnerships to enhance work toward common goals.
• Empowered Development - Play an active role in professional development as a business imperative.

Minimum $169,222.00 - Maximum $253,000.00, plus incentive opportunity: The range shown represents a typical pay range or starting pay for individuals who are hired in the role to perform in the United States. Other elements may be used to determine actual pay such as the candidate’s job experience, specific skills, and comparison to internal incumbents currently in role. Typically, actual pay will be positioned within the established range, rather than at its minimum or maximum. This information is provided to applicants in accordance with states and local laws.

Application Deadline: This will be posted for a minimum of 5 business days.

Company benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, company provided basic life, accidental death & dismemberment, short-term and long-term disability insurance, tuition reimbursement, student loan assistance, a generous 401(k) match, flexible time off, paid holidays, and paid leave programs as well as other company provided benefits.

Disclaimer: This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the people assigned to this position. It is not intended to include every job duty and responsibility specific to the position. Otsuka reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet business and organizational needs as necessary. Otsuka is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will be given consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, national origin, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected characteristic. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation, if you are unable or limited in your ability to apply to this job opening as a result of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by contacting [e-mail].

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is a global healthcare company with the corporate philosophy: "Otsuka-people creating new products for better health worldwide." In the U.S., Otsuka is comprised of two companies, Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc., and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc., that share a deep commitment to the development and commercialization of innovative products in the spaces of neuroscience, nephrology, and digital medicine. Driven by our purpose to defy limitation, so that others can too, we have an unwavering belief in doing more and transcending expectations. In going above and beyond—under any circumstances—for patients, families, providers, and for each other. It’s this deep-rooted dedication that drives us to uncover answers to complex, underserved medical needs, so that patients can push past the limitations of their disease and achieve more than they thought was possible each and every day. OPDC and OAPI are indirect subsidiaries of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Otsuka Holdings Co., Ltd. headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The Otsuka group of companies employed 34,400 people worldwide and had consolidated sales of approximately USD 14.2 billion in 2023. We invite you to explore our open positions for an opportunity to join our 2,200 colleagues in the U.S. whose passion for our mission and pride in our company have earned us certification as a Great Place to Work by the Great Place to Work Institute.