Procurement Relations Lead

Real Chemistry; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 170,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work flexibility

Great benefits

Job summary

Real Chemistry in the United States is seeking a Procurement, Growth & Strategic Relationships Lead to join our team. This role sits at the intersection of client procurement, strategic sourcing, and growth, acting as a trusted bridge between Real Chemistry and client procurement teams to open doors and deepen engagements.

Reporting to the Head of Business Strategy and Growth, you will build trusted relationships with stakeholders, lead capability meetings, generate new opportunities, and shape

Qualifications

• 12+ years in client relationship management or procurement.
• Proven ability to generate new business and grow strategic relationships.
• Deep healthcare industry experience across pharma/biotech.
• Strong understanding of procurement and ESG/regulatory priorities.
• Excellent interpersonal and executive communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple relationships and priorities.

Responsibilities

• Build and own relationships with client procurement and sourcing leaders.
• Generate and qualify new leads and expand the pipeline.
• Lead client procurement capability meetings with tailored content.
• Open doors by introducing capability and account leads.
• Understand each client’s business and procurement dynamics.
• Help evolve Real Chemistry's framework for engaging procurement teams.
• Keep senior stakeholders informed on relationship status and risks.
• Drive post-engagement debriefs and learning.

Skills

Relationship management

Business development

Strategic sourcing

Cross-functional collaboration

Healthcare industry knowledge

Executive communication

Leadership

Job description

At Real Chemistry, making the world a healthier place isn’t just an aspiration—it’s our everyday reality. Our drive to transform healthcare is informed by our blend of deep scientific expertise, human-centred creativity, and AI-driven insights, fostering a unique environment where innovation thrives and our people are impact-obsessed. As a global agency, we provide a full suite of services across healthcare communications and marketing to our clients, including top players in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.

Our culture is rooted in our people—we believe we are best together and are committed to excellence for both our clients and colleagues. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting your career, if you share our passion for healthcare and connection, we invite you to explore our opportunities.

Discover your purpose. Embrace innovation. Experience .

Procurement, Growth & Strategic Relationships Lead

Real Chemistry is seeking a Procurement, Growth & Strategic Relationships Lead

to join our team.

This is a U.S. hybrid role, based in or near one of our U.S. hubs including Boston - Massachusetts; Carmel - Indiana; Chicago - Illinois; Lambertville - New Jersey;

This role is ideal for a relationship-driven leader who knows how to navigate client procurement and strategic sourcing environments to unlock and expand long-term partnerships. Reporting to the Head of Business Strategy and Growth, you will serve as a trusted bridge between Real Chemistry and our clients’ procurement and strategic sourcing teams — opening doors, building credibility, deepening engagement, and creating the opportunity for growth.

What You’ll Do

• Build and own trusted relationships with new and select existing client procurement and strategic sourcing stakeholders, serving as a credible, consistent point of contact who understands their goals and drives solution identification and growth opportunities.
• Proactively generate and qualify new leads within client procurement and strategic sourcing organizations, building and advancing a robust pipeline of introductory and expansion opportunities across capabilities and markets.
• Plan, organize, and lead client procurement capability meetings, developing and delivering curated, client-relevant content for introductory, capability, and relationship conversations that showcase Real Chemistry’s full range of services and solutions.
• Serve as a consistent door opener for Real Chemistry, proactively introducing capability and account leads to new stakeholders, business units, and decision-makers within client procurement organizations to create fresh entry points for growth.
• Partner closely with existing client leads to develop a deep understanding of each client’s business, priorities, and procurement dynamics — translating those insights into strategies that expand and strengthen our engagements.
• Support evolution of Real Chemistry’s overall framework for engaging client procurement teams, creating a repeatable model that supports growth across our extended portfolio.
• Keep senior stakeholders informed on relationship status, growth opportunities, and any risks to existing engagements.
• Drive post-engagement debriefs to capture learnings and continuously strengthen how we build and grow client relationships.

This Role Is a Good Fit If You

• Lead with relationships — you build trust quickly, invest in long-term partnerships, and know that the best commercial outcomes follow genuine connection
• Are energized by growth — you see every client interaction as an opportunity to expand what’s possible and are motivated by opening new doors
• Are a natural connector who can move fluidly between client-facing conversations and internal collaboration across teams and disciplines
• Are a strategic thinker who can also execute with precision — especially in situations without an existing playbook
• Are comfortable leading through influence rather than authority in a highly matrixed organization
• Thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven agency environment and adapt quickly as priorities shift
• Are driven, resourceful, and comfortable with ambiguity as the business evolves
• Value continuous improvement and are always looking for ways to make relationships and processes stronger

What You Should Have

• 12+ years of experience in client relationship management, account leadership, strategic sourcing, or procurement — with at least 5 years in a senior leadership position; candidates from account or client services backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply if they bring deep, demonstrated experience engaging client procurement and strategic sourcing organizations
• A proven track record of generating new business leads and building and growing strategic client relationships, including meaningful experience navigating and influencing client procurement, strategic sourcing, or finance stakeholders — with demonstrated success opening doors to new stakeholders and leading capability meetings that convert into new engagements
• Deep healthcare industry experience across pharmaceutical, biotech, life sciences companies, or agency partners
• Understanding of the procurement landscape, including market trends, client ESG priorities, and regulatory requirements across the healthcare ecosystem — including global experience
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust at all levels of a client organization and articulate the Real Chemistry value proposition compellingly
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple relationships and priorities simultaneously
• Highly motivated self-starter who can create structure and momentum where none exists

Pay Range: $170,000-$190,000

This is the pay range the Company believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on job-related, non-discriminatory factors including but not limited to work experience, skills, certifications, and geographical location. The Company reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time

Real Chemistry is proud to be Great Place to Work® certified; check out what our people shared about our culture and workplace on our Great Places to Work Profile here.

We believe we can do our best when feeling our best, which is why we’ve put together a benefits program designed to give you the support you and your family need at every stage of life. Real Chemistry offers a comprehensive benefit program and perks, tailored to your region. Globally, this includes offices in our key markets with free snacks to keep you running all day long, generous holiday and paid time off, options for private medical, dental, and vison plans, and support in saving for the future. Other perks include mental wellness coaching and support and access to more than 13,000 online classes with LinkedIn Learning. Learn more about our great benefits and perks and search specific offerings in your region at: www.realchemistrybenefits.com.

At Real Chemistry, we believe we're at our best when we're connected. Our Real Hybrid and Regional Teams (Real HART) approach is designed to foster collaboration, learning, innovation, and meaningful relationships while providing flexibility where appropriate. Because our workforce spans multiple countries, regions, and client needs, work arrangements may vary by role and location. Some positions offer hybrid or remote flexibility, while others require regular in-office presence. For example, certain teams and regions, including some of our UK operations, have office-based requirements. Your recruiter will discuss the specific expectations for the role you're pursuing during the interview process and keep you informed throughout the hiring journey. For employees located within a one-hour commute of a Real Chemistry office, we require in-person attendance two days per week, either from a Real Chemistry office or when working onsite with clients. Employees in regions without a nearby office may work remotely and come together throughout the year for collaboration, culture-building, learning, and team connection opportunities. While these guidelines reflect our current workplace model, we understand that everyone’s circumstances are unique. If you require additional flexibility, we welcome an open conversation with your recruiter and our HR team to discuss your needs and determine what may be possible.

Real Chemistry is an Equal Opportunity employer. We continually strive to build and sustain an inclusive and equitable work environment where our employees feel empowered to leverage all they bring from their personal lived experience and professional expertise, to make our team the best in the industry. We encourage motivated and qualified applicants to apply without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, ethnic or national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local employment discrimination laws where Real Chemistry operates. Should you require accommodations throughout the interview process please let your recruiter know.