Senior Supplier Relationship Manager

Thermo Fisher Scientific•Morrisville, NC

About The Position

As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you’ll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every single day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while helping to take science a step beyond by developing solutions for some of the world’s toughest challenges, like protecting the environment, making sure our food is safe or helping find cures for cancer. As a Supplier Relationship Manager, you will play a critical role in driving supplier performance and operational excellence in support of a strategic customer partnership within the Clinical Research Group. Your focus will be on supplier relationship management and performance optimization on behalf of a fast-moving innovative biotech sponsor, ensuring strong alignment with both Thermo Fisher’s and the sponsor’s standards and values. We work collaboratively across Procurement, Quality, Operations, and Finance to enhance supplier capability, optimize total value, and embed best-in-class relationship management practices that support innovation and accelerated delivery.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or related subject area required.
Proven experience in Supplier Management, Strategic Sourcing, or Supply Chain Operations in a regulated environment (e.g., Pharma, Medical Device, Biotech).
Experience using ERP/QMS systems and data analytics tools.
We seek strong relationship-building, stakeholder management, and negotiation skills.
Analytical problem solver with a track record of driving measurable performance improvements.
High emotional intelligence and excellent communication/presentation skills.
Self-starter who thrives in a matrixed, fast-paced environment.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and visualization platforms.
Ability to travel 25-50% to regional sponsor offices.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree or certifications (Lean, Six Sigma, PMP) preferred.
Experience working with clinical trials is highly preferred.
Prior exposure to regulated frameworks (GxP, ISO, ICH) preferred.

Responsibilities

Strategic Supplier and Relationship Management
Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with both customers and suppliers, fostering trust, transparency, and shared success.
Translate customer and business objectives into measurable supplier performance goals.
Facilitate regular business reviews and lead supplier performance improvement initiatives.
Resolve issues and align cross-functional teams through strong communication and influence.
Supplier Performance & Operational Excellence
Manage supplier performance metrics, conduct root cause analysis, and implement corrective/preventive actions.
Apply Lean, Six Sigma, and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) principles to drive efficiency and risk mitigation.
Lead initiatives to reduce project timelines and improve supplier innovation and reliability.
Partner closely with internal study or project teams to balance strategic oversight with hands-on problem-solving.
Data Analytics, Systems, and Process Automation
Use ERP and Quality systems (SAP, Oracle, TrackWise, Mosaic, etc.) to track and manage supplier data.
Build dashboards and scorecards using tools such as Power BI, Excel, or Tableau to visualize performance trends.
Leverage automation and workflow tools to improve visibility and efficiency across supplier management processes.
Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration
Influence without authority to align internal teams and external partners toward shared business goals.
Collaborate across Quality, Procurement, Finance, and Clinical Operations to harmonize processes and priorities.
Consolidate supplier performance data at a portfolio level to support executive reporting and business decisions.
Business & Financial Acuity
Conduct supplier spend and cost analysis to identify savings and value creation opportunities.
Provide executive-level insights linking supplier performance to financial outcomes.
Support supplier segmentation, governance, and risk-based oversight methodologies.