Senior Director Strategic Sourcing, R&D and DTE

Job Description

General Summary:

As a key Team Manager and leader in the Strategic Sourcing function, the Senior Director, R&D & DTE (Data, Technology & Engineering) Strategic Sourcing leader is responsible for elevating global business partnerships with any enterprise lens while focusing on enabling business outcomes and integrating relevant category strategies.  This role will lead multiple direct reports that have teams of Sourcing professionals responsible for driving multi-year Category Plans across R&D and DTE categories to enable the business from strategy to day-to-day procurement and supplier relationships management, including ultimate accountability for successful execution. The individual will bring in-depth knowledge of R&D and enterprise technology solutions as well as the changing business environment to bring thought partnership and resiliency strategies to the business, elevate strategic supplier partnerships, and lead multiple direct reports and sourcing professionals responsible for driving multi-year Category Plans across R&D and DTE given growth and scale needed for the business from developing and executing category and sourcing strategies to day-to-day procurement and supplier relationships management. 

As a senior member of the Strategic Sourcing group, this leadership role will be expected to provide strategic input in the future direction of the function. They will possess a high-level of business partnering acumen and subject matter expertise, both sourcing and technical, in the spend categories under their remit as well as all associated Sourcing processes and tools. Working collaboratively with internal Business Stakeholders, the leader is expected to ensure their teams’ activities are aligned with Business priorities and objectives.  This role will communicate with senior-most Executives and be viewed as a trusted business advisor crucial to their business. The role will effectively articulate the vision and strategy for the Strategic Sourcing function and value to the business. 

In addition, the leader is expected to support and potentially lead large process improvement initiatives that will drive significant value to Vertex. This incumbent will be expected to define annual team goals, including value beyond savings as well as cost savings targets in collaboration with the Business and Finance, and takes full ownership and responsibility for execution. The leader will have a larger span of category responsibility than lower-level Strategic Sourcing Team Leaders. 

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop and manage key senior business partnerships to develop strategic multi-year vision and plans that maximize the value of supplier partnerships to enable business objectives.

• Lead through example to ensure the strategic sourcing organization brings an enterprise lens and effective cross functional sourcing teams across the value chain with high levels of influence and leadership to be strategic business partners.

• Evaluate business challenges primarily in a complex and fast changing environment and direct the development of new or innovative solutions.

• Shape the opinions of and negotiate with senior leaders, and collaborate internally and externally to deliver on functional goals.

• Direct, coach, and support direct reports who are responsible for overseeing Category Management within their respective teams, including the development of robust multi-year category strategies and sourcing plans that are pulled through in the end-to-end procurement process, management of strategic supplier relationship and performance management, in addition to tactical RFx activities.

• Develop future Strategic Sourcing leaders.

• Obtains and integrates supplier market intelligence to support Category strategies and/or sourcing activities with the ability to filter data into a relevant, actionable format.

• Utilizes strong understanding of Supplier Performance/Relationship Management process, including supplier performance monitoring, to guide and mentor team members to ensure successful execution with strategic suppliers. This includes ensuring team members are responsible for meeting preparation, pre-read documents, performance Dashboards, capturing action items, and ensuring appropriate follow-up. Takes an active role when preparing for, and leading, when Sr. Leaders are involved with Business Reviews.

• Owns overall team development and skill building focusing on “soft” skills (effective business partnering, influence, enterprise thinking, communication, active listening, executive presence), business skills, and “hard” sourcing skills.

• Ensures team members can support the Business Owner with identification of all applicable risks as part of the Sourcing process, including coordination with Risk Subject Matter Experts to properly assess and develop mitigation plans, where necessary, ensuring a high level of business resiliency across the supply base

• Champion supplier diversity and sustainability solutions to drive company and business outcomes

• Ensures RFx process are effectively conducted by team members including, but not limited to, the development of the requirements, drafting RFP documents, facilitation of team meetings and vendor sessions, negotiation of terms and pricing with the vendors, and ultimately supporting the execution of Supplier Agreements.

• Develops value delivery plans, goals, and metrics with the business linked to business objectives including articulating relevant value beyond savings targets such as innovation, simplification, urgency etc. as well as annual cost savings targets, in collaboration with Business Partners and Finance, within their specific category(ies) and is accountable for successful achievement.

• Supports the negotiation planning process and may personally get involved with complex negotiations as needed, including alignment with Business Partners and Legal.

• Strong partnership with P2P team and Strategic Sourcing CoE to operationalize category strategies and sourcing outcomes across the strategy to payment E2E process, enable a simplified user experience, and drive continuous improvement opportunities.

• Champion the leverage of procurement tools and processes to enable consistency, simplification, and sustainability of strategic sourcing enablement to the business.

Knowledge and Skills:

• In-depth knowledge of R&D across modalities and platforms and enterprise technology solutions to bring thought partnership to the business.

• Supplier landscape knowledge and market expertise, including track record of strategic supplier relationships, engagement and influence.

• Able to establish and maintain strong business partner relationships at highest levels within the organization, partner on and shape strategies and develop multi-year plans to drive value for the business, gaining their respect and trust; Thoughtful and active listener; able to think quickly and effectively articulate points of view.

• Able to contribute to goal-setting process for the Strategic Sourcing group; takes ownership for broader team goals and objectives in addition to their own specific goals.

• Deep understanding of Category Management within specific areas of expertise; able to manage and drive all aspects of Strategic Sourcing including RFx execution, negotiation, contract execution, risk assessment and mitigation, data analysis and analytic tools, supplier performance management, and business stakeholder and supplier management.

• Able to develop team members and provide constructive feedback supported by specific examples. Makes necessary hard decisions when team members are not able to perform to expectations despite sustained support and coaching.

• Leads by example; sets aggressive goals but provides necessary support to ensure successful execution.

• Viewed as subject matter expert within their category(ies) by Business Partners; able to bring new ideas and information that create tangible value to business. Demonstrated ability to influence Sr. Leadership to drive Sourcing’s value; gained a “Seat at the table” with stakeholders

• Strong understanding of the drug discovery process and the specific regulatory requirements associated with operating in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry. Continually seeks to increase knowledge of biotech/ pharmaceutical industry.

• Has firm understanding of Vertex’s strategic direction, financial performance, and key annual operational imperatives and can effectively communicate these to suppliers to ensure transparency and alignment with Vertex’s goals and objectives

• True expertise in managing and leading complex supplier negotiations, including development of comprehensive negotiation planners and ensuring alignment with all internal business stakeholders.

• Strong project management and organizational skills. Able to teach team members on how to create detailed project plans, including an understanding of dependencies as well as critical path elements for larger, more involved projects. Track record of successful execution of complex, cross-functional initiatives.

• Able to lead larger, cross-functional/global teams in collaborative manner to drive successful outcomes. Collaboration extends beyond Business Partners and suppliers to include other functional areas including Legal, Compliance, Finance, among others.

• Strong communication skills (both written and verbal); able to clearly articulate opinions in concise and persuasive manner. Comfortable speaking in front of groups and/or leading meetings that may include Executive Management personnel.

• Able to establish and maintain effective business partner relationships at highest levels within the organization; gained their respect and trust;

• Thoughtful and active listener; able to think quickly and effectively articulate points of view.

• Ability to work in collaborative, team environment; ability to cultivate and maintain effective business partner relationships through earned respect and trust

• Ability to manage multiple priorities while ensuring deliverables are fully met on-time, including more complex and involved projects. Once given direction, able to work autonomously with minimal support/direction from their Manager.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in relevant discipline from a 4-year College or University

• Typically requires 12-14 years of specific Sourcing experience, ideally several within a pharmaceutical / biotech industry, with 7+ years of supervisory experience with larger-sized teams.