Associate Director, Strategic Sourcing - Illumina Digital Services / IT

Illumina•San Diego, CA

2d•$155,600 - $233,400

About The Position

The Associate Director, Strategic Sourcing – Illumina Digital Services / IT leads sourcing strategy, supplier management, and commercial execution across Software, IT and AI categories in support of R&D, manufacturing, and commercial functions. This role is responsible for managing a team of sourcing professionals while partnering closely with the IT organization to enable compliant, scalable, and cost-effective procurement of Software licenses, IT services, Infrastructure, and Cloud technologies. The ideal candidate combines strong people leadership with deep experience in IT sourcing and contract negotiation, and brings either domain expertise or education in data science, or advanced analytics within a regulated Life Sciences environment.

Requirements

Must have experience managing suppliers and outsourced development partners
Strong experience in IT Sourcing
Strategic thinker: anticipates and develops business opportunities and priorities for future action while also executing on concrete business objectives
Customer focused, very responsive, and action oriented to meet business needs while maintaining a positive, professional outlook
Ability to travel up to 25% of the time; both domestic and international
Strong analytical skills that allow the successful candidate to extract core data from a variety of sources, draw conclusions and insights, and translate those insights into actions
Ability to deal effectively with pressure, multiple tasks, deadlines, and rapidly changing priorities
Aptitude to multi-task and lead projects / negotiations
Ability to work and interact with all departments within Illumina
Willingness to challenge the status quo with sound rationale
Proficient in use of Microsoft Office (Project, Word, Excel, Outlook, Access)
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, IT, Life Sciences, or related field
10-12+ years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, or supplier management
Proven experience sourcing IT/software and managing complex supplier ecosystems
Experience negotiating: SaaS/software licensing agreements
IT services contracts
5-7+ years of people leadership experience

Nice To Haves

Experience in the Life Sciences sector (pharma, biotech, medtech)
Knowledge of regulated industry requirements
Exposure to AI/ML, data platforms, or digital health technologies OR Advanced degree (MBA, MS in Data Science/IT)

Responsibilities

Lead and develop a high-performing sourcing team supporting IT categories
Set strategic direction, performance goals, and talent development plans
Ensure diversity of thought and inclusive teamwork with a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
Develop and execute world-class sourcing strategies built on rigorous facts, data, and analysis to create value across all dimensions (financial, risk, quality, supply, reputation)
Software licensing (SaaS, enterprise systems such as SAP, Oracle, etc.)
IT infrastructure, cloud (AWS/Azure) and digital services
Deliver financial, quality, supply, and risk-mitigation goals. Ensure savings reported are credible and compliant with the approved methodology
Oversee strategic vendor relationships to maximize value and minimize risks for Illumina, leveraging the Illumina Supplier Relationship framework
Lead complex negotiations including but not limited to: SOW - Lead commercial structuring and negotiation of Statements of Work (SOWs), including pricing models, milestones, deliverables, acceptance criteria, and change controls.
AMS contracts- Experience negotiating Application Managed Services (AMS) agreements including SLA frameworks, transition governance, offshore delivery models, benchmarking, and productivity commitments.
Cloud Agreements- Lead negotiations for enterprise cloud agreements including consumption commitments, discount structures, license conversions, support models, and commercial governance
Operational Excellence -Drive optimization of enterprise software licensing, renewals, rate cards and usage models to reduce cost and contractual risk
Establish supplier governance frameworks, including performance metrics, innovation reviews, and risk assessments
Oversee contract lifecycle, ensuring compliance with regulatory and quality standards
Provide thought leadership on vendor market capabilities (innovation, efficiency, etc.) and identify clear limits on supplier capabilities. Expertly balance cost optimization, execution speed and quality required to meet dynamic project timelines and business outcome
Promote consistent use of agreed sourcing tools, frameworks, and methodologies. Act as a proactive and collaborative partner skillfully navigating both internal and external organizational dynamics
Translate complex scientific and technical requirements into sourcing strategies and commercial models. Demonstrate exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with a proven ability to clearly translate technical concepts across IT, Legal, and executive leadership