Senior Specialist Procurement

MSD • Rahway, NJ

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

Direct Materials Procurement develops and implements supplier management strategies and initiatives to improve supply-chain resiliency, cost, supplier performance, and working capital in support of manufacturing and product supply. Strategic Supplier Management uses market intelligence and data about suppliers, supply markets, internal business requirements, supplier performance, spend, and savings to guide sourcing decisions.

The Senior Specialist will work at the interface between Research & Development and Manufacturing, providing strategic sourcing support for pipeline products in development and commercial products. The role gathers, creates, delivers, tracks, analyzes, models, and manages data for strategic initiatives in Small and Large Molecules Direct Materials Procurement, including bioconjugates and antibody drug conjugates. It supports project progress and procurement objectives through project management, communications, strategy execution, and focused team performance.

The role includes developing market and supplier insights; supporting sourcing strategies and their execution across modalities through launch and the following two years; and advancing supply risk management, supplier performance, cost reduction, early sourcing for pipeline programs, new material introduction, alternate-source qualification, supply continuity, working-capital improvement, and supplier relationship management. The specialist works with cross-functional teams and external suppliers to analyze markets, model costs, develop sourcing and negotiation strategies, execute sourcing events, and assess and mitigate supply-base risks.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Engineering, Science, Supply Chain, or Procurement.
• At least 2 years of relevant work experience in the pharmaceutical industry.
• Ability to adapt and work across multiple enterprise initiatives and communicate effectively across organizational levels.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to make clear, concise presentations and sensitivity to cultural differences in communication.
• Ability to influence external partners to achieve meaningful outcomes.
• Advanced data collection, management, analytics, and reporting skills.
• Excellent project-management skills.
• Ability to work independently with flexibility and adaptability in ambiguous and dynamic situations.
• Ability and motivation to learn quickly and develop technical, business, and commercial skills by applying knowledge within the company’s environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.

Nice To Haves

• Prior pharmaceutical-industry experience or experience at a Fortune 500 company.
• Cost-modeling experience.
• Experience with MS Teams, SharePoint, or similar collaboration websites.
• Experience with Power BI or other data analytics or visualization tools.
• Experience using Excel to manage large datasets.
• Experience managing external relationships.
• Experience with data-collection methods.

Responsibilities

• Collect and present market trends, market dynamics, competitive conditions, and industry best practices to inform sourcing strategy.
• Collaborate with key functions to develop overall sourcing strategies and ensure execution across modalities through launch and the following two years.
• Support procurement strategic and operating objectives, including supply risk management, supplier performance improvement, cost reduction, early sourcing for pipeline programs, new material introduction, alternate-source qualification, supply continuity, working-capital improvement, and supplier relationship management.
• Work with cross-functional teams, including Legal, Finance, Procure-to-Pay, internal stakeholders, and external suppliers.
• Conduct detailed, fact- and data-based market analyses to provide meaningful insights.
• Execute early-stage sourcing and procurement strategies and implement the New Product Introduction playbook, processes, and tools.
• Support selection of suppliers and new materials or components for pipeline programs and inline products to support savings and supply readiness.
• Conduct rigorous supplier and supply-market intelligence and analysis for sourcing teams.
• Construct detailed cost models and purchase-price analyses; when needed, visit suppliers to understand cost structures and identify cost-reduction opportunities.
• Conduct strategic project analyses that turn information into structured options and opportunities, including portfolio analysis, supplier preferencing, and Day One Sourcing.
• Create detailed pre-negotiation plans; support and participate in supplier negotiations; and conduct post-negotiation debriefs and follow-through.
• Create and execute RFIs, RFPs, and e-auctions, and analyze resulting information using electronic procurement processes where possible.
• Conduct supply-base risk assessments, including financial solvency and compliance assessments such as FCPA and Business Partner Code of Conduct, and establish mitigation plans under the Manufacturing Division risk-management framework.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision healthcare and other insurance benefits for employees and family.
• Retirement benefits, including 401(k).
• Paid holidays.
• Vacation.
• Compassionate and sick days.
• Annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior