Senior Director, Vendor Outsourcing

Description

Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company founded in 1987. Together we deliver life-saving therapies to patients in need. With the commitment and drive you bring to the workplace every day, you will be part of a team that is changing the world and helping millions of people live healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Our worldwide staff is a close community where you can see the tangible results of your contributions, where every individual matters, and everyone has a chance to enhance their skills through ongoing development. As part of our rapidly growing science-driven organization, colleagues at Gilead are revolutionizing healthcare by bringing new hope in the face of devastating diseases. For more than 35 years, we’ve been at the forefront of some of the world’s greatest public health challenges. We delivered a cure for hepatitis C.

We’ve helped transform the treatment and prevention of HIV. We’ve taken on cancer and COVID-19. And we continue to set our sights on preventing, treating and curing life-threatening diseases through the next generation of life-changing medicines and global health partnerships. We are proud to have some of the most talented colleagues from across the research, healthcare, pharmaceutical, biotechnology & business sectors, working together and supporting each other to help make a real difference to the lives of patients.

Gilead Sciences is currently seeking an industry leader for Senior Director, Clinical Development Vendor Outsourcing in Dublin, Ireland with expertise in Clinical Outsourcing in Development services. Vendor Outsourcing leads global category management, vendor sourcing activities, vendor qualification, on-boarding process, contract life-cycle management, vendor management, inspection readiness and compliance activities, for the Global Development organization and Kite, inclusive of pre-clinical, Phases I to IV clinical trials, Clinical Data Sciences, Clinical Development, Biomarker, Clinical Pharmacology, Regulatory, Safety, Quality, Scientific Collaborations and Medical.

The candidate will have a proven success record of working in a matrixed environment, and regularly collaborate with cross functional teams, such as, Clinical Operations, Real World Evidence, Regulatory, Safety, Quality, Medical Affairs, HEOR, Compliance, Finance, Legal, Business Conduct, and Vendor Relationship Management, as well as, participating in regulatory agency inspections (e.g. MHRA, PMDA, etc.). In addition, the candidate will have excellent communication skills and is comfortable interacting with internal and external teams of all levels, including Senior Management.

This position will require the ability to apply critical thinking in centralized operational performance and improvement in clinical vendor outsourcing, contract management and budget development including negotiation and drafting expertise, in a high volume, fast paced environment. The role is responsible for the entire life cycle of vendor selection, including RFI, RFP, contracting, monitoring performance, managing the change order process, ensuring proper closeout of clinical vendor agreements.

The ideal candidate will have strong managerial skills with demonstrated success in managing multiple cross-cultural direct reports and works collaboratively with other cross functional groups to ensure the most efficient and cost-effective contract solutions are achieved. This role will have the opportunity to manage, mentor and motivate a successful Outsourcing team of 10+ within a shared services environment with direct reports in Dublin, and the United States.

The core responsibilities and skills required for this position include but is not limited to:

Delivery Excellence

• Leads global vendor sourcing activities, category management, on-boarding process, contract life-cycle management, vendor management, inspection readiness and compliance activities, for FIH CRUs, Observational Research (includes Phase 4 and RWE), Scientific Collaborations, HCP agreements and LOAs • Leads a centralized team to support Vendor Outsourcing operations, continuous improvement, training, technology implementation, new vendor or services onboarding and inspection readiness

• Drives sourcing strategy for new vendors through market evaluation of the category and identification, selection, and management of global external service providers to meet the business needs of a speed-driven environment
• Delivers value by developing business solutions by translating requirements into effective sourcing solutions, contractual terms and process improvements
• Manages contract and sourcing activities for clinical development programs providing consistent customer service and delivering quantitative value through cost savings and transformation/innovation.

• Manages the contract negotiation process across the entire life cycle including RFI, vendor identification, RFP, vendor selection decision, contracting negotiation, performance monitoring, change orders, and ensures proper closeout of agreements to maximize contract value and achieve target savings

• Ensure the vendor selection process is compliant by managing risks through benchmarking, rate negotiations, implementing the sourcing strategy, collaborating with cross functional teams such as Compliance, Legal and Regulatory

• Leverages internal and external benchmarking data, industry best practices and innovative technology and leads business and organizational continuous improvement efforts • Identifies new vendor opportunities by providing high impact / optimized solutions through the category management process and generates new ideas for business solutions and new process

• Collaborates with internal customers in vendor bidding and proposal development (RFP creation and analysis).

• Is an SME in resolving complex issues relating to contract negotiation and management • Negotiates with and influences others internally and externally, with great latitude on outcomes • Across Development, liaisons with multiple business departments on sensitive vendor negotiation requirements, oversight and strategy

Decision Making

• Delivers value by developing business solutions by translating requirements into effective sourcing solutions, contractual terms and process improvements • Ability to understand an analyze from multiple complex sources such as financial and operational perspectives

• Influence vendor selection and category strategy with stakeholders at all levels • Demonstrated ability to make critical decisions related to clinical vendor agreement negotiations and escalations

• Pulls data across functions according to business requirements and recommends global development vendors to senior leadership for endorsement for a project

• Asks probing questions to uncover business needs and recommends solutions (e.g., negotiating timelines while maintaining standards)

• Resolves vendor project management issues (e.g., operational challenges including scoping issues) by identifying and addressing deviations from established protocols

• Identifies operational and systematic issues, including frequency and escalates to the appropriate level

• Provides recommendations to senior management and provides input into the overarching sourcing strategy

Leadership

• Owns team retention and development strategy and enables talent visibility and mobility across Development

• Is accountable for the global performance and results of related areas

• Provides guidance based on organizational goals and company policy

• Establishes operating policies and procedures, as needed

• Collaborates across departments to set the standards for high-performance and communicates across the teams

• Exhibits competency in regularly establishing relationships with internal and external cross functional teams, such as clinical operations, legal, finance, compliance

Problem Solving

• Develops solutions to a wide range of complex problems which require a high degree of ingenuity, creativity, and innovation.

• Challenges are unique and solutions may serve as precedent for future decisions.

• Thinks outside of the box by turning constraints into solutions by working with stakeholders • Develops immediate flexible sourcing strategies and mitigates risk through contingency or alternate solutions in response to supplier performance issues

• Serves as a strategic enabler for continuous improvement of processes and systems to drive efficiencies and growth for a full category

• Creates feedback mechanism to distill lessons learned and develops action plans to rollout solutions across departments

• Provides input into the global data and technology strategy to set new, vendor performance, standards and new ways of working

• Supports strategic pillars of transforming clinical trials, enables flexible and scalable operating model by continuously and proactively surveying the marketplace and internal stakeholders needs to leverage emerging trends and technologies

• Develops and manages new standards supporting vendor governance that can apply across the portfolio of one or more categories

• Develops and implements inspection readiness strategy in collaboration with functions across Development (e.g., oversees inspection preparation and responses)

• Enables new data sources and technologies to modernize study design and conduct

• Executes departmental business plans and contributes to the development of departmental strategy

• Accountable for developing cost saving strategies at the category level (cost containment, cost avoidance)
Impact

• Ability to drive value and deliver the expected ROI (cost containment/reduction, cycle time reduction quality, etc.) and business results through oversight and change management across several categories

• Deliver agreements for the Development function by strategically aligning vendor sourcing activities and processes (e.g., project delivery and inspection preparedness) to anticipate and mitigate risks

• Safeguard intellectual capital / property by collaborating across departments to ensure appropriate contract terms

• Ability to drive and steer change and decisions through quality of advice (e.g., influencing the sourcing strategy by recommending a new or existing vendor upon department request)

Capabilities and Requirements

• Experience in providing thought leadership, consistent customer service, clinical vendor outsourcing operational oversight and inspection readiness excellence

• Expertise in the end-to-end sourcing and contracting process, including RFx, contract negotiation and management.
• Demonstrates an in-depth knowledge of the clinical research process and the regulatory environment across functions.

• Demonstrated leadership skills while working in fast paced and changing environment

People Development
• Leads a team of Development sourcing and contracting professionals globally, and develops others by identifying and mentoring high performers through a culture of inclusion and collaboration

• Exhibits strong managerial skills and demonstrated success in managing multiple direct reports in a global and virtual environment

• Exceptional people leader, motivator, mentor and is visionary in developing the team to achieve their goals Knowledge, Experience and Skills:

• Experience working with CROs, HCPs and RWE vendors • Relevant experience typically includes contract negotiation, category management and/or clinical outsourcing or procurement

• Experience leading a team of 4 or more
Preferred Education & Certifications

• Finance / business / science / medical-related degree • MS/MBA or JD

• Project management certification (e.g., PMP)

• Certified Professional in Supply Management® (CPSM®) or equivalent

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)

It is the policy of Gilead Sciences, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates (collectively "Gilead" or the "Company") to recruit select and employ the most qualified persons available for positions throughout the Company. Except if otherwise provided by applicable law, all employment actions relating to issues such as compensation, benefits, transfers, layoffs, returns from layoffs, company-sponsored training, education assistance, social and recreational programs are administered on a non-discriminatory basis (i.e. without regard to protected characteristics or prohibited grounds, which may include an individual’s gender, race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, medical condition, veteran status, and age, unless such protection is prohibited by federal, state, municipal, provincial, local or other applicable laws). Gilead also prohibits discrimination based on any other characteristics protected by applicable laws.

For Current Gilead Employees and Contractors:

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