This job is with Autolus Therapeutics, an inclusive employer and a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ business community. Please do not contact the recruiter directly. Job Title Assoc Director Procurement / Category Management Reports to Senior Director Category Management Department Procurement Hours Full Time Location Hybrid - London About Autolus Autolus is a biopharmaceutical company, advancing innovative therapies at both clinical and commercial stages of development, focused on next-generation, programmed T cell therapies for the treatment of cancer. Using a broad suite of proprietary and modular T cell programming technologies, the company is engineering precisely targeted, controlled, and highly active T cell therapies designed to better recognize cancer cells, break down their defence mechanisms, and eliminate these cells. Autolus has a pipeline of product candidates in development for the treatment of haematological malignancies, solid tumours, and autoimmune diseases. Why Autolus Our team is passionate in the pursuit of excellence and in pushing the boundaries of cancer therapy and autoimmune diseases to deliver life-changing treatments to patients. Whilst working at Autolus you will enjoy a flexible, diverse, and dynamic working environment which actively promotes creativity, leadership and teamwork. In addition to this Autolus is proud to offer a competitive salary, performance related bonus as well as private medical insurance, life assurance, and pension. Our Promise Autolus is developing complex, breakthrough therapies for a globally diverse market and equally recognises that diversity amongst our people is critical to our mission. As we draw on our differences, what we’ve experienced, and how we work, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Role Summary Reporting to the Senior Director Category Management, the Associate Director Category Management is responsible for a defined category of spend and related sourcing, contract and supplier management activities to ensure supplier performance and delivery. This includes General R&D Suppliers, Clinical Research Organizations (CROs) and suppliers supporting Autolus Clinical and Regulatory Activities. The Associate Director Category Management is accountable for managing supplier agreements, strategic sourcing, evaluating and improving supplier performance, developing the supplier base, and conducting research to support the category strategy. The individual will partner closely with Business, Legal and Finance stakeholders to ensure appropriate processes are followed to support budgeting, ordering and invoicing processes ensuring control and efficiency. Through the rigorous application of Category Management tools, techniques, processes, and systems the Associate Director Category Management will take responsibility to deliver a broad range of value change initiatives in line with functional and business goals. In addition, they will have responsibility to deliver category strategies that are in line with business requirements. They will be able to identify cost saving opportunities across direct and indirect spend areas and develop improved ways of working with the Procurement, Legal, Finance and Business teams. The role will have line and/or matrix management responsibilities with accountability for a number of complex key categories, typically managing > £10m in Spend. This is a business facing hands on role, interacting across multiple business functions and levels of seniority. Key Responsibilities Lead and have oversight of Sourcing Specialist(s) / Associate(s) and/or CRO contracting team(s) for the negotiation and management of contracts that support R&D activities. Provide coaching, mentoring and training in Category best practices to increase maturity and competence across the organisation Provide input and leadership into the development of processes, including SOPs, to optimise contracting effectiveness and efficiency Define, implement and deliver sourcing events to support a category strategy and/or agreed set of business goals Line and/or matrix management responsibility for a number of complex key categories providing education and leadership to develop procurement tools and value realisation across direct reports and the broader business Accountable to manage spend on R&D activities across a portfolio of suppliers Build and maintain strong relationships with relevant R&D stakeholders and understand business needs, priorities and their related delivery goals Coordinate with all Key Stakeholders to ensure consistency between and effective oversight of all contracts managed, including attendance of Clinical Study Team (CST) and Development Leadership meetings, as necessary Deputise for the Senior Director Category Management as required and take approval responsibility when required Assists with the Supplier Relationship Management goals for assigned category Ability to analyse data and propose innovative ideas for the development of sourcing strategies Support and deliver agreed sourcing projects and initiatives, connect with relevant business stakeholders, conduct negotiation with suppliers and coordinate contract finalization Execution of commercial negotiations and contracts, structured to ensure clarity and optimised for delivery of operational and cost objectives Conducts research to understand the supply market trends and risks, applying relevant knowledge within Autolus, as appropriate Collaborates effectively with Procurement Operations to ensure alignment and compliance of category strategy and projects with Capex and Opex P2P processes and policies Collaborates with key business stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive understanding of business requirements and that these are factored appropriately into relevant sourcing projects Continuously identifies and proposes strategies and improvement initiatives to reduce cost, improve quality and result in a lower total cost of ownership Assists in forecasts and implementation plans to ensure category strategy goals are achieved Continuously assists in the evaluation of supplier performance and assists the teams to improve supplier performance as necessary Continuously develops knowledge and experience in categories managed Partner closely with Business, Legal and Finance stakeholders to ensure appropriate processes are followed and are effective to support budgeting, ordering and invoicing processes thereby ensuring control and efficiency Demonstrated skills and competencies E – Essential P – Preferred Experience (E) Strategic and operational procurement experience in relevant categories with a solid knowledge of category management tools, processes, and systems (E) Successful track record of development and delivery of category strategies and related sourcing projects in relevant categories (E) Leadership experience (E) Excellent organisational and collaboration skills (E) Proven track record of delivering results and achieving goals (E) Demonstrated ability to develop effective working relationships with others, both internally and externally and with leadership positions (E) Experience managing critical suppliers and associated contractual agreements (E) Experience successfully leading cross-functional teams (E) Ability to build support and consensus (E) Proven financial and business acumen (P) Knowledge of working in a pharmaceutical or similar industry (P) Knowledge in financial analysis & modelling (e.g., TCO, TEI, NPV & Cost Modelling) (P) Knowledgeable in outsourcing/insourcing models & concepts e.g., Captive, Build Operate Transfer, Managed Service, Business Process Outsourcing, Functional & Full-Service concepts Qualifications (E) Bachelor’s degree (P) Post graduate business-related qualification such as MBA /MSc (P) CPSM, CIPS or other related professional procurement certification Skills/Specialist knowledge Knowledge of category management and key process: Strategic Sourcing, Demand Management, Process Improvement, Supplier Relationship Management Ability to negotiate contractual agreements with suppliers Current knowledge of leading supply chain practices and benchmarks Ability to identify and innovate solutions Financial / business acumen with a sound knowledge of structuring and negotiating commercial contracts Creating, maintaining, and enhancing critical internal stakeholder relationships Strong communication and collaboration skills, able to engage stakeholders at all levels Strategic thinker with solid facilitation ability supported by excellent interpersonal competencies (communication, leadership, influencing) Proven Project management capabilities Change management and process improvement skills with direct experience in delivering business process change Proven capability in complex negotiation, conflict resolution and stakeholder management Skilled and experienced in project and risk management Expert proficiency in basic MS Office© software: Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, Project etc. Strong multitasking skills with the ability to work on multiple, concurrent projects and adapt to changing priorities in a fast paced, high growth environment Ability to prioritise and work to strict business timelines Strong analytical mind set with attention to detail Working knowledge of an ERP financial platform, DocuSign, SharePoint LI-DNI