Sr. Manager, Materials Management

Merck•Indianapolis, IN

12h

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Supply Chain is responsible for leading end-to-end supply chain operations within a CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization) environment. This role has full accountability for shipping, receiving, warehouse management, inventory control, and material handling—including materials stored in and around cold storage (ambient, refrigerated, and frozen) environments. The position plays a critical role in enabling GMP manufacturing execution, ensuring audit readiness, maintaining compliance with Quality Management Systems (QMS), and delivering a high level of service to external clients. This is a highly visible, client-facing leadership role requiring strong operational, quality, and stakeholder management expertise.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Logistics, Engineering, Business, or related field required.
10+ years of progressive supply chain or warehouse management experience in a GMP-regulated manufacturing environment.
5+ years of people leadership experience, preferably in a CDMO or multi-client setting.
Direct, hands-on experience managing shipping and receiving operations.
Direct, hands-on experience managing warehouse and inventory management.
Direct, hands-on experience managing cold storage and temperature-controlled materials.
Proven experience developing and maintaining SOPs within a controlled document system.
Strong working knowledge of SAP (inventory management, warehousing, logistics).
Demonstrated experience supporting audits and interacting directly with external clients.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree (MBA, MS in Operations or Supply Chain).
Experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, cell & gene therapy, or advanced therapies CDMO environments.
Multi-site or scale-up experience supporting new client programs.
Lean, Six Sigma, or formal continuous improvement training.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic and operational leadership for shipping, receiving, warehousing, and inventory management supporting CDMO manufacturing programs.
Ensure accurate and compliant handling of raw materials, intermediates, and finished goods across ambient, refrigerated, and frozen storage conditions.
Own inventory accuracy, reconciliation, and material status control within SAP, ensuring full batch traceability and data integrity.
Oversee inbound and outbound logistics, freight coordination, and external logistics service providers.
Support site readiness, scale-up activities, and new program onboarding for client projects.
Maintain full compliance with GMP, GDP, and CDMO quality expectations across all supply chain functions.
Author, approve, and govern SOPs, work instructions, and controlled documents related to shipping, receiving, warehousing, and cold chain material handling.
Actively utilize and manage processes within the Quality Management System (QMS) including deviations, CAPAs, change controls, impact assessments, and risk management.
Partner closely with Quality Assurance to proactively identify compliance risks and implement sustainable corrective and preventive actions.
Serve as the primary supply chain representative during client audits, regulatory inspections, and internal quality audits.
Prepare audit materials, lead audit responses, and drive timely closure of observations.
Interface directly with clients on supply chain execution, timelines, investigations, and business continuity planning.
Represent the organization professionally in client meetings, governance forums, and operational reviews.
Act as the senior functional lead for SAP supply chain and warehouse processes, ensuring system compliance and operational effectiveness.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives related to inventory accuracy, cycle counting, cold chain controls, and logistics performance.
Establish, monitor, and report on KPIs related to service level, compliance, cost, and operational efficiency.
Lead and develop a team of supply chain, warehouse, and logistics professionals.
Set clear performance expectations, provide coaching, and support succession planning.
Build strong cross-functional partnerships with Manufacturing, Quality, Planning, Engineering, and Client Services.
Contribute to site and network-level supply chain strategy aligned to CDMO growth, client demand, and regulatory expectations.