Assistant Director, Vendor Relationship Lead

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.•Carlsbad, CA

9d•$136,697 - $159,776•Remote

About The Position

The Assistant Director, Vendor Relationship Management is an individual-contributor role responsible for strategic oversight and management of complex vendor relationships supporting Ionis Development. The role applies advanced professional knowledge and judgment to develop and resolve complex vendor governance models, procedures, and performance issues. As a senior relationship leader and primary escalation point, the Assistant Director directs cross-functional governance, interprets business and regulatory requirements, and develops practical solutions that improve vendor performance, compliance, continuity, and value. The position works with contacts across Development, Procurement, Quality, Clinical Operations, and other functions to identify and qualify vendor candidates and shape sourcing and oversight strategies aligned with company objectives. The role is remote and requires travel as needed to support vendor, governance, and business objectives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in healthcare, a scientific field, business, procurement, supply chain, or a related discipline.
At least 8 years of related experience with a bachelor’s degree, or 6 years with a master’s degree.
Progressively responsible experience in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, clinical development, procurement, vendor management, or a related regulated environment.
Strong partner, supplier, and stakeholder management experience across complex, cross-functional relationships.
Strong negotiation, interpersonal, and collaboration skills, with the ability to influence and align diverse stakeholders.
Ability to develop or improve policies, procedures, governance frameworks, and operating practices.
Ability to independently handle complex assignments, make sound decisions, and deliver high-quality results with limited direction.
Good understanding of FDA GxP and ICH regulatory requirements.
Ability to travel as needed to support vendor, governance, and business objectives.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree preferred.
Advanced, wide-ranging experience in complex global Phase I–IV development programs, vendor relationship management, clinical operations, procurement, or category management.
Demonstrated ability to analyze complex situations and data, assess variable factors, and develop effective solutions to high-impact problems.
Strong executive presence and communication, negotiation, influencing, and facilitation skills, including adapting style and persuading audiences across the organization.
Understanding of the interrelationships among Development, Clinical Operations, Procurement, Quality, Regulatory, Finance, and other disciplines that affect vendor strategy and performance.
Ability to determine methods and procedures for new assignments, exercise independent judgment in selecting and adapting complex techniques, and establish evaluation criteria.
Strong understanding of the drug development process, vendor operating models, and risk-based governance across complex service environments.
Ability to advise others on complex matters, coach stakeholders through ambiguity, and influence outcomes without direct authority.
Excellent organizational, analytical, and documentation skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage competing priorities and tight timelines.
Ability to work independently, meet departmental objectives, and maintain accountability for tactical business outcomes.
Adaptability, resilience, and sound judgment while maintaining quality, compliance, and professionalism.
Experience developing, writing, reviewing, and implementing SOPs, governance models, tools, or other processes supporting Development activities.
Working knowledge of FDA GxP, GCP, GLP, pharmacovigilance, ICH, and related regulatory requirements and their practical implementation.

Responsibilities

Serve as the senior primary contact for assigned external vendors and internal stakeholders, establish escalation pathways, advise on complex matters, and influence decisions aligned with organizational objectives.
Provide strategic oversight and management for a portfolio of complex vendors and partners in assigned outsourcing categories, including CROs and functional service providers.
Apply and continuously improve risk-based vendor tiering and governance, tailoring evaluation and oversight to each relationship’s complexity, criticality, and risk profile.
Direct vendor governance meetings and executive or cross-functional forums, documenting and tracking decisions, actions, deliverables, and escalations through completion.
Lead complex process-improvement and strategic-sourcing initiatives, develop scalable best practices, and improve transparency of agreements, performance, risks, and obligations.
Direct cross-functional resolution and mitigation of vendor performance issues, including root-cause analysis, lessons learned, and sustainable corrective actions.
Develop effective process and governance solutions to complex business challenges and changing conditions across the vendor portfolio.
Establish and manage KPIs, quality indicators, service levels, and other performance measures to evaluate vendors and inform business decisions.
Ensure compliance with vendor selection, qualification, oversight, quality, and risk-management policies and procedures; identify gaps and recommend improvements.
Partner with Research & Development Procurement and functional leaders to identify, evaluate, and qualify vendor candidates.
Lead or significantly contribute to the Sourcing Management Process, independently determining suitable methods, evaluation criteria, and stakeholder-engagement strategies.
Translate business and technical needs into RFP specifications, KPIs, quality requirements, service-level agreements, governance expectations, and remedies.
Develop and facilitate collection, interpretation, and analysis of performance and quality metrics, and present recommendations to senior stakeholders.
Identify, prioritize, and manage issues, risks, decisions, and deliverables through resolution, determining when additional leadership or functional expertise is needed.
Interpret stakeholder needs and guide vendors in developing capabilities and services that meet evolving business, scientific, operational, and regulatory requirements.
Oversee Ionis Development compliance with vendor oversight procedures, processes, and documentation requirements.
Develop and recommend procedures, business practices, and documentation standards to address operational and regulatory requirements and strengthen the vendor oversight framework.
Integrate business priorities, functional requirements, processes, systems, and risk information into a holistic, risk-based vendor oversight strategy.
Build trusted relationships with Functional Area Heads, designees, and vendors to establish mutual accountability for expectations, deliverables, performance, and issue resolution.
Conduct and interpret risk assessments of current and future contracted services to guide oversight strategy, governance intensity, and mitigation planning.
Maintain complete, inspection-ready vendor governance records and provide authoritative input to the Clinical Assignment Tracker regarding vendor and service assignments for each study.
Conduct activities in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, ICH, PhRMA, CFR, GxP, and Ionis policies and procedures, and demonstrate behaviors aligned with Ionis culture and policies.