Iqvia Biotech

Reporting to the Head Vendor Alliances, the VCE Vendor Category Expert is responsible for the management of outsourced clinical activities and deliverables of one or more supported External Relationship Management Teams (ERMT) Working within a matrix environment, the VCE Vendor Category Expert is accountable for all operational aspects of 1 or more ERMTs May manage a team of Vendor Startup Managers (VSM) including assignment of trial level support, and as a point of escalation in addition to people management responsibilities Supplier Service or Equipment expert for the assigned services within the ERMTs to drive value beyond cost from Novartis external supplier base Supporting the implementation of the agreed outsourcing program strategies Responsible for supplier governance, management and issue management/escalation across global GCO and locally and cross-divisionally as required (e g Country, NIBR, Sandoz) Function as a point of escalation for supplier issues which cannot be resolved at the individual Clinical Trial Teams level Leverage knowledge, experience and understanding of service category(s) and suppliers to provide support to the operational management within the ERMT(s) Lead supplier due diligence activities with ERMT Accountabilities What are the key deliverables and accountabilities of the role? 1 Lead business review meetings with vendors based on KPI, KQI and UVP dashboards 2 Lead and/or support internal cross-functional ERMT meetings 3 May lead team of Vendor Startup Managers (VSM) to support supplier startup activities 4 Manages escalated global vendor issues, or selected country vendor issues 5 Identifies systemic patterns, driving root cause analysis and sustainably and effectively addresses pain points 6 Using technological enablers to drive automated and systematic near-time issue resolution 7 Function as category expert providing expertise and training to stakeholders 8 Ensures compliance with all required SOPs and business guidance documents 9 Provides Health Authority inspection support 10 CAPA management from audit & inspections 11 Drives value through process improvement and innovation within category 12 Proactive risk management within category 13 Supporting global and local vendor qualification if required 14 Supports Vendor Start-up Manager(VSM) in its collaboration with the SSU-teams Activities & Interfaces How does this role operate within, interact with and impact the organization? 1 Optimizing a frontloaded and accelerated study start-up process with VSM and SSU teams 2 Vendor performance at aggregated above-study level Collection and assessment of Key Performance / Key Quality Indicators (KPIs/KQIs) 3 Providing risk-based governance and oversight for vendors, ensuring compliance with all regulatory and quality requirements 4 Consultation for Service / Category specific expertise 5 Supporting standardization of service delivery 6 Local vendor management; providing expertise for qualifications and consulting for countries in their issue management activities 7 Near-time vendor management by using technological enablers UVP and portals/interfaces with vendors 8 Lead supplier due diligence activities, as required 9 Timely oversight, completion, and management of assigned supplier qualification and re-qualification requirements at global and country level 10 Accountable for quality and completeness of qualification and governance documentation in VPG-systems 11 Manage and maintain due diligence document templates and tools 12 Development of supplier management plans within ERMT(s) including appropriate governance structures 13 Process improvement and harmonization across divisions and functions to ensure compliance with all Novartis policies and procedures Leadership Capabilities What leadership capabilities are essential for success in this role? Demonstrated strategic skills; organizational knowledge; advanced planning and project management skills, as well as an advanced understanding of business processes Ability to influence without authority & independently Building highly functioning teams Very strong vendor management skills Partnering skills with internal and external stakeholders Key Performance Indicators How will we measure success in this role? ERMT(s) meeting business objectives Robust processes to capture and measure the resolution, escalation, and communication of supplier quality/performance issues Highly integrated and seen as supplier experts within ERMTs, CTTs and Franchise teams No deviations to Novartis specifications and Standard Operating Procedures; Supplier due diligence activities (qualifications and re-qualifications) are completed in a timely manner to minimize any delays to study startup timelines and non-compliance Contribute to continuous improvements/enhancements to benefit business community Complete and accurate documentation to facilitate successful internal and external audit / inspections Timely oversight, completion, and management of assigned supplier qualification and re-qualification requirements Accountable for quality and completeness of qualification and governance documentation in VPG systems including ERMT meeting minutes Manage and maintain due diligence document templates and tools We create intelligent connections to accelerate the development and commercialization of innovative medical treatments to help improve patient outcomes and population health worldwide Learn more at