Lead Procurement Analyst, Category Management (Clinical Research)

United Therapeutics Corporation; United States; On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Paid time off

Job summary

United Therapeutics Corporation in Durham, NC seeks a Lead Procurement Analyst, Category Management, to partner with Clinical Operations and Medical Affairs. You will manage end-to-end sourcing, optimize supplier performance, and drive cost improvements while aligning with corporate compliance and patient-centered goals.

The role requires 8+ years in procurement or 6+ with a Master’s, strong RFQ experience, and adept negotiation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in life sciences or a business field.
• 8+ years of procurement/sourcing experience with a BA, or 6+ years with an MS.
• General knowledge of strategic sourcing best practices and ERP systems.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication (written and verbal), and customer service skills.
• Able to work independently and negotiate effectively.
• General knowledge of GxP.
• Proven RFQ experience in a cross-functional environment.
• Proven track record of delivering tangible results in a global, complex environment.

Responsibilities

• Assist other senior team members with complex category assignments in terms of suppliers and spend.
• Develop relationships with internal customers to understand needs and educate stakeholders on sourcing policies.
• Administer end-to-end sourcing process, supporting source-to-pay execution.
• Negotiate best market prices while ensuring timely delivery to maintain business continuity.
• Lead continuous improvement to meet cost savings targets.
• Drive adherence to contracts and supplier performance management.
• Lead RFIs/RFQs/RFPs, supplier qualification, and negotiation of terms.
• Analyze spend and supplier performance, mitigate risk, and update sourcing strategies.
• Ensure procurement activities comply with safety, regulatory requirements, and CAPEX contracts.
• Refine Master Service Agreements and manage supplier relationships.

Skills

Communication skills

ERP systems proficiency

Source-to-pay

Negotiation

Independent worker

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in life sciences or business

Master’s Degree (preferred)

Tools

Source-to-pay software

Microsoft Office

Job description

Company Overview

We are the first publicly‑traded biotech or pharmaceutical company to take the form of a public benefit corporation. Our public benefit purpose is to provide a brighter future for patients through the development of novel pharmaceutical therapies and technologies that expand the availability of transplantable organs.

United Therapeutics (Nasdaq: UTHR) seeks to travel down the corridors of indifference to develop treatments for rare, deadly diseases. We were founded in 1996 by a family seeking a cure for their daughter’s pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Today, we have six FDA‑approved therapies that treat PAH, pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD) and neuroblastoma, a rare pediatric cancer. Our near‑term pipeline seeks to develop additional therapies for PAH and pulmonary fibrosis (PF).

The cure for end‑stage life‑threatening diseases like PAH, PH‑ILD, PF, and many others is an organ transplant, but only a small percentage of donated organs are available to address the vast need. For this reason, we are working to create manufactured organs to address the shortage of kidneys, hearts, lungs, and livers available for transplant. We believe an unlimited supply of tolerable, transplantable organs will eliminate the transplant waiting list and cure end‑stage organ diseases for which transplant is not currently an option.

Role Overview

As Lead Procurement Analyst, Category Management, you’ll support clinical research by partnering with internal teams (Clinical Operations, Medical Affairs, etc.) to understand what they need, connect them with the right suppliers, and help make sure services are in place when they’re needed. This is a role for someone who can balance business needs, supplier relationships, compliance, and cost awareness while keeping the bigger purpose in mind: helping execute the research that can bring new therapies and technologies closer to patients.

The Lead Procurement Analyst is responsible for the execution of predefined strategic sourcing processes and ensures adherence to policies and procedures. This role will proactively address and resolve routine variations within the defined strategic sourcing processes, including but not limited to issues related to supplier performance, documentation, delivery execution, pricing, and/or quality. This role will also participate in the development of sourcing strategies and improving sourcing patterns to improve financial performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist other senior team members with complex category(ies) or assignment of intermediate to complex category(ies) in terms of number of suppliers, amount of spend, and breadth of supplier use across the category
• Develop relationships with internal customer base to better understand their procurement needs while leveraging best value through strategic sourcing opportunities. Educate and train stakeholders on sourcing policies, processes, and systems
• Administer the end‑to‑end sourcing process, supporting all stakeholders in the execution of the source‑to‑pay process
• Use best practice procurement initiatives ensure orders for all goods and services are placed and delivered on time to maintain business continuity, while negotiating the best market price for all commodities
• Perform/Lead continuous improvement initiatives to ensure that business needs and/or cost savings targets are met
• Promote/Drive adherence to and execution of corporate contracts and e‑catalogs. Manage key supplier business relationships, tracking performance, reducing supply base, and improving supplier performance while enhancing compliance via key supplier spend
• Conduct/Lead sourcing initiatives, execution of RFIs/RFQs/RFPs, supplier qualification process, supplier analysis, total cost analysis, negotiation of contractual terms, and supplier selection. Assist in corporate level sourcing efforts and meet all business needs and/or cost savings goals
• Conduct analysis on material usage and spend, and develop opportunities to improve service, meet schedule adherence, and identify savings. Lead and secure supplier risk mitigation strategies for all critical supply. Continually address concerns and revise strategy
• Ensure that the procurement activities are in full compliance with employee health, safety, and regulatory requirement
• Ensure that CAPEX and service contracts are fit for purpose, are aligned with business objectives/strategy, are cost effective, and delivered on time
• Refine and develop Master Service Agreements (MSAs)
• Manage supplier relationships to include tracking performance in terms of delivery timeliness, quality, and cost, optimizing the supply base, and improving supplier performance
• Provide support for and/or lead supplier Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs)
• Review and negotiate pricing and terms and conditions
• Ensure compliance with corporate policies and procedures, corporate contracts, and department procedures
• Perform all other duties as assigned

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in life sciences or a business field of study
• 8+ years of experience in procurement and sourcing or closely related area with a Bachelor’s degree or 6+ years of experience in procurement and sourcing or closely related area with a Master’s degree
• General knowledge of strategic sourcing best practices and support systems
• Excellent interpersonal, communication (written and verbal), and customer service skills
• Proficient in Source‑to‑pay and ERP systems and Microsoft Office
• Able to work independently
• Ability to recognize potential vendor performance problems and to propose solutions
• Ability to work effectively and negotiate with others to achieve goals
• Self‑directed with an ability to network and identify strategic sourcing opportunities
• General knowledge of GxP
• Proven RFQ experience in a cross‑functional environment
• Proven track record of delivering tangible results in a global complex/decentralized environment
• Experience in working with multiple teams and projects simultaneously

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in life sciences or a business field of study
• NAPM (A.P.P. C.P.M.) or APICS (CPIM, CIRM) certification
• Involvement in a purchasing‑related professional organization

Job Location

This role is based in our Durham, NC office. Currently this job is a hybrid role requiring at least three days per week in the office. In‑office requirements could increase based on business needs.

Benefits

Eligible employees may participate in the Company’s comprehensive benefits suite of programs, including medical, dental, vision, prescription coverage, employee wellness resources, savings plans (401k and ESPP), paid time off & paid parental leave benefits, disability benefits, and more. For additional information on Company benefits, please visit https://www.unither.com/careers/benefits-and-amenities

Equal Opportunity Employer

United Therapeutics Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.