Job Description
The Associate Director, Global Category Lead is responsible for all Procurement related activities supporting the strategic analysis of suppliers, supply markets, and supply chains within the Global Medical & Scientific Affairs (GMSA) area of the Research & Development Sourcing & Procurement organization.
This role will take an active leadership role in the development of procurement strategies, global category management, process improvement, contract management, risk management, stakeholder management and supplier value management within this category. The selected candidate will be responsible for ensuring that all sourcing strategies are compliant and follow Global Procurements’ Sourcing Management Process (SMP) and will prepare and conduct pre-negotiation planning, live negotiations, provide contracting support as well as lead and conduct requests for proposals (RFP), requests for quotations (RFQ), quotation analysis, and cost modeling.
This role will report directly to the V&I category lead (Director) and has one direct report.
The Associate Director is responsible for defining and leading sourcing strategies for medical and scientific affairs services in support of our Company’s product portfolio and pipeline.
The role will need to interact effectively with senior leaders within our Company’s Global Medical and Scientific Affairs (GMSA) division to ensure alignment with and delivery of business objectives, and will also need to connect with other service categories to identify and execute cross-functional category strategies. The selected candidate will be responsible for ensuring that all sourcing strategies are compliant and follow Global Procurement’s SOPs.
This role specifically will focus on the strategic procurement of services:
- Establish global strategies to support the category to achieve their business priorities, working collaboratively across the enterprise to streamline processes and deliver value.
- Continuous improvement and refinement of strategies and management of team. Lead execution and implementation of strategies in collaboration with other functions and categories in support of:
- Pre-license patient access programs
- Talent strategies (function service providers vs. contingent labor)
- Regional and local needs (including medical education)
- Streamline global sourcing and contracting processes leveraging support functions as needed to reduce sourcing & contracting cycle times and increase value
- Support additional needs across the category as they arise.
Primary Activities Include, But Are Not Limited To
- Leadership: Accountable for development and implementation of robust sourcing strategies that link to core business deliverables while leveraging knowledge of the marketplace and supplier community. Provide leadership and direction for cross-functional teams. Build high performing engagement models with business units and regions.
- Strategy Development/Implementation: Utilizes Sourcing Management Process and other tools and techniques to create breakthrough strategies that deliver quick wins and generate legitimate business value.
- Cost Management: Helps drive the control, containment and reduction of costs for our research labs. Implements Supplier Value Management with key suppliers to foster innovation, manage supplier performance and ensure continuous improvement.
- Continuous Improvement: Develop and communicate a strategic vision for continuous improvement, aligning procurement processes with organizational goals. Actively engage with stakeholders, gathering feedback and collaborating to optimize processes and enhance supplier performance.
- Change Management: Provide strong change leadership, developing strategies and plans to guide procurement-related changes and minimize resistance. Alignment of procurement changes with broader organizational strategies and goals through effective communication and collaboration.
- Diversity: Champion inclusive sourcing practices, promoting diversity within the supplier base and engaging with diverse suppliers. Support development of diverse suppliers through mentorship and resources, fostering long-term partnerships.
- Category Knowledge: Continuously conduct research and analysis to stay informed about market trends, competitors, and emerging technologies within their assigned procurement categories. Using category knowledge to develop long-term plans, anticipate changes, and align procurement strategies with the organization's goals.
- Cross-Category Alignment: Work closely with other categories of spend, in effort to streamline and harmonize business processes as appropriate, align on category boundaries, and implement breakthrough cross-Category sourcing strategies where applicable.
Position Qualifications
Education Minimum Requirement:
- Bachelor's Degree required.
- MBA or advance degree is desirable.
Required Experience And Skills
- Minimum 5 years of strategic sourcing experience with defined scope & responsibility in category management and/or experience within a global organization in Research & Development roles
- Excellent analytical, project management, oral & written communications, relationship, teambuilding, strategic thinking and leadership skills are required.
- Extensive experience managing internal and external business relationships.
- Must be adaptable in dealing with ambiguous and complex environments.
- Adaptable in dealing with ambiguous and complex environments.
- Demonstrated experience in championing changes, communicating candidly, building talent, and achieving results.
- Proficient in the use of personal computers and business software, including MS Excel and Word.
Preferred Experience And Skills
- Strategic sourcing experience of services
- Strategic sourcing experience in the global medical & scientific affairs or related experience in a business role within the pharmaceutical industry
- Demonstrated process improvement skills
- Demonstrated ability to ideate and implement breakthrough strategies
Current Employees apply HERE
Current Contingent Workers apply HERE
US And Puerto Rico Residents Only
Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.
Requirements
As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:
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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.
Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts
U.S. Hybrid Work Model
Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.
The salary range for this role is
$126,500.00 - $199,100.00
This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.
The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.
We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.
You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.
San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance
Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance
Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.
Employee Status
Regular
Relocation:
No relocation
VISA Sponsorship
No
Travel Requirements
10%
Flexible Work Arrangements
Hybrid
Shift
Not Indicated
Valid Driving License
No
Hazardous Material(s)
N/A
Required Skills
Adaptability, Business, Business Value Creation, Change Management, Contract Negotiations, Cost Controls, Cost Management, Decision Making, Financial Acumen, Global Sourcing, Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Management Process, Process Optimization, Procurement Management, Procurement Strategies, Relationship Building, Risk Management, Sourcing and Procurement, Stakeholder Management, Strategic Procurement, Strategic Thinking, Supplier Selection, Supply Chain Sourcing
Preferred Skills
Job Posting End Date:
08/23/2025
- A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.
Requisition ID:R360991
