Strategic Sourcing Specialist jobs in Somerset, NJ

Position Summary

We are seeking a highly motivated Senior Director of Strategic Sourcing who will be responsible for leading the strategic sourcing function at a corporate level, focusing on Commercial Operations, Technical Operations, and R&D. The position requires a blend of strategic thinking and operational excellence.

This role is responsible for developing the company’s sourcing strategy and operating model, implementation of the model, and execution of this model. The scope of activities includes Commercial, Clinical, R&D, and other G&A spending. This role owns all Sourcing policies and common processes and systems for Sourcing activities. The leader of Strategic Sourcing has overall ownership of the Sourcing process at Cellares, partnering with business owners and delegated functional teams to drive the greatest value possible for the organization as we buy goods and services to support our IDMO and R&D businesses. This role partners and aligns with other key stakeholders in Operations, Supply Chain, MS&T, Finance, Legal, and R&D.  Collaboration with the Commercial teams to understand the future investment plans from the business and identify opportunities for Sourcing optimization, driving greater value creation for the organization.

This is a multidisciplinary role & this individual will need the ability to interface with all levels of the organization, including Manufacturing, MS&T, Quality Assurance, QC, Process/Analytical Development, Supply Chain, Training, Engineering/Facilities, and Finance.

The successful candidate should enjoy working in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment, and be prepared to tackle a broad selection of challenges as the company grows.

• Effectively collaborate with business partners by building an active stakeholder engagement model; business/operations fluency; customer-centric process and service delivery; and strong interpersonal skills (communication, influencing, negotiation)
• Collaborate with business stakeholders to proactively define business requirements, understand cost drivers, and develop strategies to optimize spending and manage development of an effective RFP process
• Negotiate contracts and pricing terms. Partner with legal and finance to support Cellares’s internal controls
• Implement and lead a supplier risk assessment process
• Liaise with various departments to understand their sourcing needs
• Build strong relationships with key suppliers; leverage segmenting suppliers and implement a structured supplier relationship management program
• Identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities such as cost reductions, quality improvements, and supplier consolidations/reductions
• Develop and oversee the implementation of global procurement strategies
• Manage annual spending, focusing on cost reduction and risk mitigation
• Drive procurement initiatives that align with Company’s strategic goals
• Evaluate and manage supplier performance to ensure compliance and quality standards
• Can drive, challenge and improve our existing systems and processes to improve performance

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
• 15 years of related Pharma/ Biotech experience in supply chain, engineering, life sciences, information systems, business management or related fields
• Procurement experience with extensive knowledge of category management and advanced sourcing, complex contract negotiations expertise in direct and indirect procurement
• Willingness to work in a dynamic and changing corporate environment. Ability to interact and communicate effectively at all levels across the organization
• Cell/Gene Therapy and CDMO experience preferred
• In-depth knowledge of procurement and supply chain management
• Strong leadership and team management skills
• Excellent negotiation and relationship management abilities
• Strategic thinking with exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills
• Proficiency in relevant software and systems
• Strong relationship-building skills in working with both internal and external stakeholders
• Strong organizational, multi-tasking, listening, facilitation, and communication skills
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to prioritize, balance and manage multiple efforts with strong results/goal orientation
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey strategies and results to a diverse audience
• Strong Microsoft Office Skills
• SAP ERP knowledge is highly desired
• The ability to handle sensitive and confidential situations/information
• Initiative and the ability to work independently.

This is Cellares

Cellares is the first Integrated Development and Manufacturing Organization (IDMO) and takes an Industry 4.0 approach to mass manufacturing the living drugs of the 21st century. The company is both developing and operating integrated technologies for cell therapy manufacturing to accelerate access to life-saving cell therapies. The company’s Cell Shuttle integrates all the technologies required for the entire manufacturing process in a flexible and high-throughput platform that delivers true walk-away, end-to-end automation. Cell Shuttles will be deployed in Cellares’ Smart Factories around the world to meet total patient demand for cell therapies at global scale. Partnering with Cellares enables academics, biotechs, and pharma companies to accelerate drug development and scale out manufacturing, lower process failure rates, lower manufacturing costs, and meet global patient demand.

The company is headquartered in South San Francisco, California with its commercial-scale IDMO Smart Factory in Bridgewater, New Jersey. The company is backed by world-class investors and has raised over $355 million in financing.

Leveling will be based on overall experience, education, and demonstration of knowledge throughout the interview process.