Associate Director, Operational Procurement

Penumbra•Alameda, CA

5d•$165,000 - $230,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Director of Operational Procurement leads operational procurement activities to ensure material availability, supply continuity, and efficient business operations. The role combines procurement operations, raw material planning, systems and process expertise, and team leadership. The Associate Director partners with Operations Leadership in Supply Chain, Strategic Procurement, Logistics, Accounts Payable, IT, and other business teams to improve processes across the procurement organization. The role manages direct and indirect procurement processes and systems, including purchasing, material planning, inventory optimization, shortage mitigation, and supplier enablement. It supports forecasting and order management for suppliers, components, services, subcontracting, and indirect spend; assesses supplier capacity and internal requirements; and addresses supply risks and issues. The position also supports procurement stability as new products transition from development to commercialization, leads and develops the Operational Procurement team, and ensures adherence to company quality, security, privacy, and compliance requirements. The position is based on site in Alameda in a general office environment. Business travel may be 0–25%. The role includes occasional lifting and moving of items up to 20 pounds, moving between buildings and floors, and extended periods using a computer or other standard office equipment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management or a related field, with 10 or more years of experience in material planning, inventory management, and purchasing, and 6 or more years managing direct reports; equivalent combinations of education and/or demonstrated experience are also accepted.
Ability to work on site in Alameda.
Ability to lift and move items up to 20 pounds, move between buildings and floors, and remain stationary while using a computer or standard office equipment for extended periods.
Ability to read, prepare emails, and produce documents and spreadsheets.
Ability to move within the office and access file cabinets or supplies as needed.
Ability to communicate and exchange accurate information with employees at all organizational levels on a daily basis.

Nice To Haves

Experience in the medical device, pharmaceutical, biotech, or another regulated industry.
Strong proficiency with SAP Materials Management solutions or another ERP system.
Knowledge of manufacturing processes and supply chain management.
Effective interpersonal skills and comfort collaborating with cross-functional teams; ability to communicate with individuals at all organizational levels.
Demonstrated ability to process data, think critically, identify cause-and-effect relationships, solve complex problems, and formulate and communicate analyses using quantitative and qualitative methods.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365, strong Excel skills, and experience using reporting and analytics tools.
Detail orientation, excellent organizational skills, and ability to prioritize while managing multiple projects.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement processes to meet finished-goods and raw-material forecast requirements, manage inventory levels, and optimize ordering cycles across direct and indirect categories.
Support, lead, and develop the Operational Procurement team; allocate tasks and resources, provide guidance, monitor quality and productivity, report progress, and resolve escalations.
Design and apply Operational Procurement policies, practices, standards, and procedures, ensuring they are maintained, followed, and aligned with company values and processes.
Use ERP, MRP, P2P, and analytics systems for raw-material planning and order management; identify opportunities to improve procurement practices and compliance with standardized practices.
Support the design, documentation, and execution of raw-material forecasting and order-management processes for key suppliers, critical components, services, subcontracting, and indirect spend.
Create and implement supplier capacity assessments and internal requirements analyses, working with Strategic Procurement, Engineering, Quality, and Production to resolve supplier issues.
Identify strategies to mitigate service and component supply risks and reduce business impact.
Support procurement stability for new products transitioning from development to commercialization.
Identify procurement trends and improvement opportunities through cross-functional engagement and industry involvement.
Develop strategies with Strategic Procurement, Production, Planning, Quality, AP/Finance, and other business partners to proactively remove barriers.
Coordinate with managers to ensure compliance with procurement systems and practices; assign work, monitor quality and performance, forecast resource needs, and account for expenses.
Select, manage, train, and develop staff; establish objectives and assignments and provide ongoing feedback through performance reviews and development plans.
Communicate status and performance professionally to internal and external parties at various levels.
Adhere to the Company’s Quality Management System (QMS) and applicable domestic and global quality regulations, standards, and procedures.
Understand and follow applicable security, privacy, and compliance principles, regulations, standards, and procedures.
Ensure other department members follow the QMS and applicable regulations, standards, and procedures.
Perform other work-related duties as assigned.