Sourcing Professional – Direct & Research for Healthcare & Life Sciences

Introduction

Your Role And Responsibilities

• Strategic Sourcing: Develop and implement sourcing strategies for APIs, excipients, medical-grade materials, and packaging components.
• Market Analysis & Cost Optimization: Perform market research and drive cost-reduction initiatives through competitive bidding and supplier consolidation.
• Supplier & Contract Management: Manage global supplier relationships, negotiate agreements, and ensure compliance with healthcare regulations.
• Procurement Leadership: Oversee R&D procurement, commodity and category management, contract administration, and should-cost analysis.
• Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management: Ensure adherence to FDA, GMP, and ISO standards while mitigating supply chain risks.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with R&D, manufacturing, quality, and regulatory teams to support product launches and lifecycle management.
• Technology & Analytics: Leverage ERP systems (SAP, Ariba) and procurement analytics for spend analysis, forecasting, and supplier performance monitoring.
• Reporting & Insights: Prepare dashboards and reports for leadership review; deliver market intelligence and actionable insights for client sourcing strategies.
• End-to-End Sourcing Execution: Manage sourcing projects from requirement gathering through supplier selection, negotiation, and contract finalization.
• Operational Support: Provide analytical and operational support for sourcing initiatives, including RFx processes and supplier evaluations.
• Contract Lifecycle Management: Administer contracts from drafting and redlining to compliance checks and renewals.
• Soft Skills
• Strong communication and stakeholder management
• Excellent global client engagement experience .
• Problem-solving and adaptability in fast-paced research environments.
  

• Scientific & Technical Understanding
• Familiarity with APIs, excipients, medical-grade materials, and packaging specifications.
• Ability to interpret technical data sheets, formulation requirements, and regulatory documentation.
• Regulatory & Compliance Expertise
• Knowledge of FDA, GMP, ISO standards.
• Understanding of clinical trial material sourcing and documentation requirements.
• Strategic Sourcing & Procurement
• End-to-end sourcing experience (RFx, supplier selection, negotiation, contract execution).
• Should-cost analysis and cost modelling for research materials.
• Market Intelligence & Analytics
• Ability to analyse global supply markets for niche research materials.
• Skills in deriving insights from procurement analytics and forecasting demand.
• Supplier Relationship Management
• Experience in managing specialized suppliers for R&D.
• Capability to assess supplier innovation potential and technical capabilities.
• Risk Management
• Identifying supply chain risks for rare or specialized materials.
• Developing contingency plans for critical research components.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Working closely with R&D scientists, formulation teams, and regulatory affairs.
• Translating research requirements into sourcing strategies.
• Technology Proficiency
• ERP systems (SAP, Ariba) for procurement workflows.
• Advanced Excel and data visualization tools for spend analysis and reporting.
• Contract & IP Management
• Handling confidentiality agreements, IP clauses, and compliance checks.
• Negotiating research-specific contracts with complex terms.
  

Preferred Education

Required Technical And Professional Expertise

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Life Sciences, Engineering
• 10–15 years of direct procurement experience in healthcare, pharmaceutical, or life sciences sectors.
• Understanding of sourcing medicine, vaccines and consumer healthcare products
• Strong knowledge of FDA, GMP, ISO compliance requirements.
  

Preferred Technical And Professional Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Life Sciences, Engineering
• 10–15 years of direct procurement experience in healthcare, pharmaceutical, or life sciences sectors.
• Understanding of sourcing medicine, vaccines and consumer healthcare products
• Strong knowledge of FDA, GMP, ISO compliance requirements.