Global Lead Buyer (Senior Director) - Advanced Sourcing

Title: Senior Director, Global Lead Buyer - Advanced Sourcing
Location: Morristown, NJ | Cambridge, MA | Framingham, MA | Swiftwater, PA
Job Type: FTE/Permanent

Overview:
The Global Lead Buyer - Advanced Sourcing will spearhead raw material strategic sourcing efforts to support product development, accelerate speed to market, and optimize cost base and manufacturability. This role is essential in ensuring robust supplier relationships, enabling product launches, and maintaining cost competitiveness during the transition from development to manufacturing.

Main Responsibilities:

• Preferred Partner Selection: Identify, evaluate, and select preferred suppliers for raw material subcategories, ensuring alignment with business goals. Early engagement in the Bill of Material process is crucial.
• Platform Sourcing: Oversee sourcing initiatives from R&D to commercialization, ensuring continuous improvement and optimization to drive cost efficiency. Implement preferred partner agreements and ensure adherence to selection standards.
• Supply Chain Management: Proactively source raw materials and collaborate with suppliers to ensure availability in sufficient quantities, meeting quality standards, and supporting product launch timelines.
• Supplier Collaboration: Foster strong relationships with suppliers to optimize supply chain, advance material science, and encourage innovation. Facilitate regulatory support through collaboration to expedite market entry.
• Innovation Workshops: Organize workshops with suppliers to brainstorm and identify improvement opportunities. Implement innovative solutions to enhance market differentiation.
• Technology Scouting: Stay informed about emerging technologies to enhance procurement and manufacturing processes.
• Supplier Performance Monitoring: Develop KPIs and metrics to track supplier performance and report outcomes to senior management.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with R&D, Manufacturing, Quality Assurance, and Regulatory Affairs teams to integrate suppliers and specifications seamlessly.

Qualifications:

• Experience: Proven track record in strategic sourcing within R&D and raw materials, preferably in the automotive, pharmaceutical, or biotechnology industries.
• Skills: Strong negotiation, communication, and organizational skills. Ability to manage complex, undefined situations and influence cross-functional teams. Proficient in stakeholder engagement and project management in a multi-cultural environment.
• Knowledge: Expertise in the raw material procurement value chain, R&D phases, and lifecycle management. Understanding of industry trends and supply chain dynamics.

Education:

• Minimum university degree from an accredited institution.
• Procurement certifications are a plus.

Language:

• Excellent command of English; additional language skills, such as French, are a plus.

Required Skills:

• R&D Procurement
• Raw Material Procurement
• Leadership and Management Experience
• Strong Business Partnering with R&D and Suppliers
• Negotiation Skills