Director, Strategic Sourcing, CRO Category Lead – CRO Category Lead

Job Description

Director, Strategic Sourcing, CRO Category Lead | Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies

The Tone:
This is a full-time role at Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies, located in Princeton, New Jersey, USA. Otsuka is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to developing new drugs. This role is instrumental in optimizing supplier performance, ensuring regulatory compliance, and supporting the timely delivery of high-quality clinical trials through strong supplier partnerships and strategic sourcing for R&D categories, including Contract Research Organizations (CROs). The ideal candidate translates business goals into sourcing objectives, providing a value-added service to the organization.

The TL;DR
• Role: Full Time
• Type: Full-time
• Location: In-person – Princeton, New Jersey, USA
• Pay: $169222–$253000 yearly
• Team: Leads a team of sourcing managers, reporting to R&D Sourcing leadership.
• Mission: Lead the Strategic Sourcing efforts for R&D categories including CROs, study monitoring, site management, and clinical trial support suppliers across all phases of development.
• Tech Stack: N/A

What You’ll Actually Do
• Lead Strategic Sourcing: Lead the Strategic Sourcing efforts for R&D categories including CROs, study monitoring, site management, and clinical trial support suppliers across all phases of development.
• Develop Sourcing Strategies: Build relationships with R&D business partners to develop and enable sourcing strategies that align with business needs while meeting financial, operational, risk, quality, regulatory, and assurance objectives.
• Manage Supplier Relationships: Manage and identify key supplier relationships by enabling operational delivery, continuous improvement, and innovation through performance measurement and governance.
• Execute Sourcing Activities: Lead and execute significant, high-value, and high-impact sourcing activities with cross-functional teams, including market assessment, RFx solicitation, and contractual negotiations.
• Drive Savings and Compliance: Drive 10-15% annual savings within in-scope spend areas, ensuring compliance with company policies, industry regulations, and ethical standards.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Sciences, or relevant technical expertise, with demonstrated expertise in Pharmaceutical or Biotech R&D CRO clinical category.
• Experience: Minimum of 10 years of Strategic Sourcing experience, with at least 5 years in R&D Strategic Sourcing and 5+ years leading or supporting the CRO outsourced function, including transformational efforts.
• Skills: Proficient in negotiating supplier contracts and rate cards, expertise in data analysis, outstanding communication, effective influencing, and high degree of analytical skills.
• Bonus: Advanced degree (MBA/MS) preferred and familiarity with emerging Procurement technologies.