• General Description:

• Role Purpose
• This position plays a critical role in leveraging external solutions—including CRO partnerships, digitalization, and AI—to improve cost efficiency, accelerate delivery, and enhance quality across R D.
• Business Partnering and Cost Optimization
• The role serves as a business partner to R D functions, helping identify cost optimization opportunities, develop practical solutions, and support implementation in alignment with the R D superhighway.
• Category Strategy and External Resourcing
• This position is responsible for category management of CRO and FSP outsourcing. It partners with cross-functional stakeholders to define outsourcing and external resourcing strategies, support vendor and partner selection, and enable effective execution.
• Vendor Management and Governance
• The role also leads vendor management activities, including maintaining strategic supplier relationships, resolving issues, tracking performance, and organizing governance meetings to ensure supplier quality oversight and maximize the value of external partnerships.
• Essential Functions of the

Job:

• Category Strategy and Market Intelligence
• + Monitor trends in the

R D CRO/FSP

market, external resourcing models, and broader industry developments to inform category strategy. + Engage R D business stakeholders to understand outsourcing needs and translate them into function- and study-level category, outsourcing, and vendor strategies. + Lead category management initiatives that optimize external spend, strengthen supplier value, and improve sourcing outcomes.

• Business Partnering and Cost Optimization
• + Build trusted partnerships with internal stakeholders and serve as a strategic sourcing partner to R D functions.

+ Provide supply market intelligence and vendor insights to support business planning, sourcing decisions, and strategy development. + Identify cost optimization opportunities, develop supporting business cases, and align recommendations with business priorities. + Partner with the business to support implementation, track progress, and manage sourcing-related projects through execution.

• Vendor Management and Contracting
• + Lead supplier relationship management activities to strengthen strategic vendor partnerships and support long-term business value.

+ Manage vendor performance, issue escalation and resolution, risk oversight, and ongoing governance activities. + Oversee key MSA and rate card negotiations to secure competitive terms and ensure alignment with category objectives. + Oversee effective contracting and execution within the category, ensuring timely delivery and compliance with internal requirements.

• Supervisory Responsibilities:

• None

• Computer Skills:

• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and contract management systems.

• Travel:

• Limited travel may be required.

• Education Required:

• + BS/BA degree in related discipline and 10+ years of experience; or, + MS/MA degree in related discipline and 8+ years of related experience; or, + Equivalent combination of education and experience.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.