Associate Director, Outsourcing & Vendor Governance & Supplier Management; CMC

Position Summary

The Associate Director, Outsourcing & Vendor Governance (OVG) & Supplier Management is responsible for the strategic oversight, governance, and performance management of external suppliers supporting the Technical Operations / CMC organization. This role manages a broad and complex network of external partners across development, manufacturing, testing, and supply to ensure reliable, compliant, and cost‑effective execution of CMC programs. This position is critical to enabling program success by ensuring external suppliers are effectively selected, governed, and integrated into the company’s Technical Operations strategy.

The Associate Director serves as a key interface between CMC, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, and Procurement, and brings deep experience in external manufacturing and supplier management within the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry.

Own the supplier management strategy for Technical Operations, overseeing a diverse portfolio of CMOs, CDMOs, testing laboratories, depots, raw material suppliers, and other external service providers. Establish and maintain supplier governance models, including operating frameworks, performance reviews, and escalation pathways. Ensure external suppliers are aligned with program timelines, technical requirements, and business priorities. Serve as the primary Technical Operations point of contact for strategic external suppliers.

Lead and own negotiations with external suppliers for all Technical Operations‑related contracts, amendments, and scope changes, in partnership with Procurement and Legal. Negotiate pricing, timelines, capacity commitments, change orders, and service levels to ensure alignment with technical, quality, and financial objectives. Drive ongoing supplier performance management, including KPIs, SLAs, quality metrics, and delivery performance. Lead regular business reviews with key suppliers to assess performance, risks, and continuous improvement opportunities.

Partner with CMC, Technical Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, and Procurement to support supplier selection, onboarding, and lifecycle management. Support outsourcing strategies across clinical and commercial stages, including make‑vs‑buy decisions. Ensure effective communication and alignment between internal teams and external partners. Support contract execution, change management, and scope alignment in collaboration with Legal and Procurement.

Ensure external suppliers operate in compliance with applicable GMP, GxP, and regulatory requirements. Partner closely with Quality to support audits, inspections, quality agreements, and issue resolution. Proactively identify compliance, capacity, and business continuity risks within the supplier network.

Partner with Technical Operations Business Operations and Finance to support budget planning, forecasting, and tracking of external supplier spend. Monitor supplier cost drivers, scope changes, and financial risks associated with outsourcing activities. Support cost optimization and value creation initiatives across the supplier portfolio.

Develop and standardize supplier management processes, tools, and templates to support a growing and evolving Technical Operations organization. Drive continuous improvement in outsourcing models, governance practices, and supplier performance management. Contribute to long‑term CMC and Technical Operations strategy by enabling scalable external partnerships.

Required:

Bachelor’s degree in Science, Engineering, or a related field. 12+ years of experience in CMC, Technical Operations, external manufacturing, outsourcing, or supplier management within the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry. Demonstrated experience managing external suppliers, CMOs, or CDMOs across development and/or commercial manufacturing. Strong understanding of GMP, GxP, and regulatory expectations for…