Associate Director, Strategic Procurement

As ADVANZ PHARMA continues to strengthen its position as the partner of choice for specialty, hospital, and rare disease medicines, we have an exciting opportunity for an Associate Director, Direct Strategic Procurement.

 

This is a highly visible strategic procurement role reporting directly to the Vice President, Sourcing, Procurement & Supplier Development. You will play a key role in shaping category strategies, managing critical supplier relationships, delivering value and savings initiatives, and ensuring a secure and competitive supply base across global pharmaceutical operations.

 

Working within a fast-paced and entrepreneurial environment, you will have significant autonomy, direct access to senior leadership, and the opportunity to influence key business decisions across a global supplier network.

• Develop and implement global category strategies across direct procurement categories, including finished pharmaceutical products and related supply markets.
• Manage a portfolio of strategic suppliers and build long-term collaborative partnerships.
• Conduct market analysis, supplier benchmarking, and category assessments to identify value creation opportunities.
• Lead commercial negotiations, contract renewals, and supplier agreements to achieve optimal outcomes for ADVANZ PHARMA.
• Deliver measurable cost savings, value initiatives, and cost of goods improvements across assigned categories.
• Assess and manage supplier, commercial, operational, and regulatory risks.
• Partner with Supply Chain, Quality, Manufacturing, Legal, and Commercial teams to support business objectives.
• Monitor supplier performance and ensure appropriate contract coverage and compliance.
• Drive continuous improvement through systems, processes, analytics, and emerging technologies, including AI-enabled procurement tools.
• Lead one of the Global Procurement team workstreams focused on value, risk, systems, or process excellence.
• Thrive in an entrepreneurial environment and take accountability for results.

We are looking for highly motivated individuals who are passionate about making a meaningful difference to patients' lives.

For this role, you will also have the following:

• Graduate degree (BA/BSc) in a relevant discipline or equivalent professional experience.
• Professional procurement qualification such as MCIPS, MILT or similar (desirable)
• MBA or equivalent postgraduate qualification (desirable)

• Minimum 10 years' experience in pharmaceutical procurement, sourcing, or category management.
• Proven experience developing and executing strategic procurement and category management initiatives.
• Strong commercial and contractual negotiation experience within complex supplier environments.
• Experience managing strategic supplier relationships and delivering measurable savings and value outcomes.
• Knowledge of pharmaceutical manufacturing and supply markets, including finished dose, steriles, CMOs and/or CDMOs.
• Experience conducting market intelligence, category analysis, supplier capability assessments, and risk management activities.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and work effectively within cross-functional international teams.
• Strong project management and organisational skills.
• International procurement and supplier management experience.

At ADVANZ PHARMA, we believe that our employees are our greatest asset.

That's why we are committed to creating an environment where every individual can thrive, contribute, and grow. Here's what makes ADVANZ PHARMA an exceptional place to build your career:

We foster a workplace rooted in continuous learning, inclusivity, and collaboration. Every voice matters, and we strive to ensure our employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to make a difference.

Our agile and flexible working arrangements, paired with a comprehensive compensation and benefits package, are designed to support your health, career aspirations, and work-life balance.

Through our Rewards and Recognition programme, we celebrate the extraordinary contributions of our team members. From outstanding achievements to day-to-day excellence, we make appreciation a cornerstone of our culture.

We are proud to offer a comprehensive global benefits package designed to support the health, well-being, and professional growth of our employees. Our benefits include competitive compensation, health and wellness programmes, opportunities for career development, and a strong focus on work-life balance:

• Global recognition programme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Birthday leave
• Annual Wellbeing Day leave
• Two days Volunteer leave
• Four weeks working from anywhere
• Compassionate leave
• Long Service Award

But don't just take our word for it: 89% of employees in our Q1 2025 engagement survey would recommend ADVANZ PHARMA as a great place to work.

Apply now and be part of a team where your growth drives our success!