Head of Vendor Management / Associate Director

Lead and develop the Vendor Management and Commercial Outsourcing function, establishing a strategic, centralized approach to supplier relationships, procurement, and outsourced service delivery. Partner with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to align vendor capabilities with business objectives while maintaining high standards of quality, compliance, financial performance, and operational excellence.

• Develop and implement a centralized vendor management and procurement strategy across business units, aligned with organizational priorities and long-term growth.

• Build and maintain strategic vendor partnerships that support business objectives, service quality, and reliable delivery.

• Contribute to senior management discussions, strategic planning, and decisions concerning outsourcing and external service providers.

• Serve as the senior escalation point for vendor disputes, performance concerns, and other supplier-related issues.

• Oversee the full vendor lifecycle, including sourcing, qualification, evaluation, onboarding, performance management, governance, and offboarding.

• Maintain comprehensive oversight of approved, preferred, and prospective vendors, ensuring the supplier network remains appropriate for current and future business needs.

• Establish scalable vendor qualification and onboarding processes in collaboration with Quality Assurance and other relevant stakeholders.

• Monitor vendor capacity and ensure supplier capabilities align with forecast business requirements.

• Conduct market assessments to identify alternative suppliers, emerging capabilities, competitive pricing, and opportunities to strengthen the vendor network.

• Establish and maintain vendor governance frameworks, key performance indicators, service metrics, and quality standards.

• Ensure vendor documentation, contractual agreements, and qualification records remain compliant, accurate, and audit-ready.

• Identify and mitigate third-party risks while supporting business continuity planning and the resilience of outsourced services.

• Collaborate with Legal, Quality, and Contract Management teams to manage vendor agreements and maintain contractual compliance.

• Lead commercial negotiations and develop vendor pricing strategies that support value, quality, and cost efficiency.

• Drive cost optimization across third-party expenditure categories while maintaining service standards and business continuity.

• Monitor vendor spending and provide financial reporting to support budgeting, forecasting, expenditure management, and financial control.

• Evaluate opportunities for outsourcing, insourcing, vendor consolidation, automation, and technology adoption.

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to strengthen vendor management processes, transparency, scalability, and operational effectiveness.

• Support the implementation of vendor management systems, process automation, and other technology solutions.

• Contribute to proposals, pricing submissions, and client-facing commercial discussions when required.

• Provide training, guidance, and mentorship to develop team capabilities and promote consistent vendor management practices.

• Build strong working relationships across Commercial, Technical Operations, Quality Assurance, Finance, Human Resources, Legal, and Project Management teams to ensure effective supplier performance and alignment.

Requirements:

You bring significant experience in vendor management, procurement, strategic sourcing, outsourcing, or partnership management within pharmaceutical, life sciences, clinical research, or similarly regulated environments. You combine commercial expertise with a strong understanding of supplier governance, risk management, and compliance. You are comfortable negotiating complex contracts, influencing senior stakeholders, and leading process improvements in a fast-growing international organization. Strong analytical skills, sound judgment, and a collaborative leadership style will be essential to your success.

• Significant professional experience in Vendor Management, Procurement, Strategic Sourcing, Outsourcing, or Partnership Management within life sciences, pharmaceuticals, contract research organizations (CROs), or related regulated industries.

• A proven track record of developing, managing, and optimizing high-performing vendor and supplier networks.

• Strong understanding of pharmacovigilance, regulatory affairs, quality and compliance requirements, and outsourced service delivery models.

• Demonstrated experience negotiating complex commercial agreements and large-scale vendor contracts.

• Experience designing and implementing vendor governance frameworks, performance management programs, service-level metrics, and risk management processes.

• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including cost optimization, budgeting, forecasting, expenditure analysis, and financial control.

• Comprehensive knowledge of the vendor lifecycle, from supplier identification and qualification through onboarding, ongoing performance management, and offboarding.

• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, including experience collaborating with senior leadership and cross-functional departments.

• Strong communication, negotiation, relationship-building, and conflict-resolution skills.

• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and project management capabilities.

• Demonstrated ability to lead change, drive continuous improvement, and enhance operational effectiveness in a growing organization.

• Experience working in fast-paced, international, and high-growth environments.

• A collaborative leadership approach, with the ability to mentor colleagues, develop talent, and build effective working relationships across teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in pharmacovigilance, regulatory affairs, quality assurance, or outsourced healthcare services.

• Familiarity with Vendor Management Systems (VMS), enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, or procurement technologies.

Benefits:

• Flexible working arrangements.

• Opportunities for professional development and career progression.

• Exposure to international clients and diverse project portfolios.

• A collaborative and supportive working culture focused on teamwork and knowledge-sharing.

• The opportunity to work alongside experienced specialists in pharmacovigilance and regulatory affairs.

• Meaningful work that contributes to patient safety and public health.

• Recognition for professional expertise, contributions, and achievements.

• Salary, healthcare coverage, equity, and specific paid-leave arrangements are not detailed in the provided job description.