Director/Senior Director, Supply Chain

Xenon Pharmaceuticals•Needham, MA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Xenon Pharmaceuticals is a neuroscience-focused biopharmaceutical company dedicated to drug discovery, clinical development, and commercialization of life-changing therapeutics. We are seeking a Director/Senior Director, Supply Chain to lead and manage key strategic activities from clinical development through commercial readiness and launch. This role is accountable for building scalable, compliant, and resilient supply chain capabilities while operating effectively in an environment of ambiguity, rapid change, and aggressive timelines. The ideal candidate will be a strategic partner working with cross-functional leaders to support this critical next step for Xenon. The ideal candidate can balance speed with accuracy, apply critical thinking with the information available, and ensure integrated planning, capacity management, systems, and governance as programs advance toward commercialization. This leader will be both strategic and hands-on, capable of setting direction while driving execution across multiple programs and external partners. This position reports to the Executive Director, Supply Chain and will be based out of Boston, MA, USA in our Needham office. We may consider remote locations for exceptional candidates. The level of the position will be commensurate with the candidate’s education and industry experience. Hybrid positions require a minimum of two onsite days per week.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in health sciences, life sciences or physical sciences (or equivalent) with 10+ years’ experience in the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry.
Experience with Master Data and ERP systems, as well as planning applications [design, implementation, and user acceptance testing (UAT)] is required.
Experience supporting or implementing ERP systems in a supply chain context.
Strong judgment and decision-making skills in ambiguous, time-sensitive environments.
Proven ability to balance near-term execution speed with long-term scalability and compliance.
Data-driven mindset with the ability to synthesize complex information into clear, actionable recommendations.
Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to communicate with scientific and non-scientific personnel.
Excellent attention to detail and commitment to providing accurate, high-quality work.
Good organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple competing priorities.
Strong interpersonal and team skills to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage end-to-end supply chain strategy and execution across clinical, pre-commercial, and commercial phases, including launch and post-launch stabilization.
Design and implement scalable supply chain models that evolve with program maturity, from early clinical supply through first commercial launches and lifecycle expansion.
Anticipate and proactively manage risks related to capacity, inventory, timelines, cost, and compliance during phase transitions.
Lead integrated demand, supply, and inventory planning across clinical and commercial horizons, ensuring alignment with development milestones, launch timing, and evolving demand forecasts.
Maintain an in-depth understanding of external manufacturing site capacities, capabilities, and supply risks across the network.
Maintain and align vendor forecasts with clinical and commercial demand plans, ensuring clear communication of requirements and constraints.
Establish and mature S&OP or equivalent integrated planning forums, enabling clear visibility to trade-offs, constraints, and executive decision points.
Lead scenario planning to evaluate alternative demand and supply assumptions and inform capacity decisions and risk-mitigation strategies.
Lead supply chain readiness for key commercialization milestones, including activities such as: late-stage clinical supply continuity and transition planning, commercial supply chain design and distribution model definition commercial lot readiness and launch inventory build
Ensure supply chain deliverables are aligned with regulatory submissions, labeling, serialization, and market launch requirements.
Support launch execution and early commercial stabilization, including issue resolution, performance tracking, and continuous improvement.
Manage relationships with third-party manufacturers, suppliers, and vendors to ensure timely delivery of materials, components, and finished goods.
Negotiate and manage performance expectations, capacity commitments, and risk-mitigation plans with CMOs and key suppliers.
Ensure external partners can scale reliably and compliantly to support commercialization timelines and demand ramp-up.
Identify and implement opportunities to optimize supply chain processes and drive efficiencies across planning, execution, and partner management.
Define, implement, and integrate key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor performance, identify risks, and drive continuous improvement.
Use data and performance insights to support corrective actions and operational excellence.
Support the implementation and adoption of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, ensuring alignment with supply chain processes and planning needs.
Partner with IT and cross-functional stakeholders to ensure data integrity, usability, and scalability of supply chain systems.
Work closely with Finance to translate supply and demand plans into financial budgets, forecasts, and variance analyses.
Partner with CMC, Clinical Operations, Quality, Regulatory, Finance, and Program Teams to ensure aligned execution and commercialization readiness.
May serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on supply chain risks, scenarios, capacity trade-offs, and launch readiness.
Ensure supply chain activities meet GxP, regulatory, trade compliance, and company policy requirements.
Lead and manage supply chain support for audits, inspections, and health authority interactions related to commercialization.
Develop and propose short- and long-term objectives for the function in accordance with overall Company strategies and plans.
Plan and manage budget proposals and approved budgets in accordance with the Company’s strategic and operating plans and Finance policies,
Recruit, lead, direct, develop, coach and evaluate direct reports, if any, in accordance with the Company’s Human Resource policies and practices.
Act in accordance with Company policies, including, for example, the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and ensure policies are understood and followed by direct reports, if any.
Some international travel may be required.
Other duties as assigned.