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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead procurement strategy for outsourced manufacturing and drive commercial excellence across global sites.
- Company: Join AstraZeneca, a science-driven company focused on improving patient outcomes worldwide.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, inclusive culture, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Shape external manufacturing strategies and lead high-impact teams in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: 10-15 years in external manufacturing with strong leadership and negotiation skills.
- Other info: Global role with a focus on collaboration and compliance across diverse teams.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 108000 £ per year.
About the Role
The Senior Director External Manufacturing Procurement leads AstraZeneca's procurement strategy and execution for outsourced contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs). This role is accountable for performance across multiple sites and countries driving commercial excellence, robust governance, and reliable supply while meeting Safety Health & Environment standards and all applicable regulations. The leader will manage and develop a team of Procurement professionals, build executive-level supplier relationships, and serve as a trusted partner to senior stakeholders across Operations and R&D.
Key Accountabilities
- Strategic Leadership: Define the Procurement strategy for External Manufacturing and contribute expert input to broader Procurement strategy development.
- Delivery Management: Ensure objectives are met across all sites within remit with disciplined value tracking and measurable financial and operational outcomes.
- Resource Planning: Partner with Line Managers to identify resource needs; secure and allocate resources to ensure timely delivery and progression of priorities.
- Team Leadership: Manage, motivate, coach, and set goals for Procurement leads; build a culture of leadership, creativity, collaboration, and high performance.
- Supplier Strategy & Negotiation: Lead negotiations and selection of outsourced service and equipment suppliers; oversee commercial governance and executive supplier relationships.
- Risk & Contingency Planning: Develop and manage contingency risk plans to assure on-site availability, quality, and budget adherence; elevate issues to protect patients and business reputation.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Lead key interactions with internal stakeholders to build reputation and broker cross-functional decisions and trade-offs.
- Best Practice & Compliance: Drive knowledge sharing and dissemination of best practices; establish and oversee processes ensuring compliance with Safety Health & Environment standards, AstraZeneca policies, and applicable laws.
- Talent Development: Support senior staff in coaching and developing talent to maintain a healthy pipeline and succession for senior Procurement roles.
People Leadership
Span of Leadership: Approximately 10-15 total direct and indirect reports
Global Remit
A global role working across EU, Asia, and US
Required Qualifications Skills and Experience
- External Manufacturing Expertise: Extensive leadership experience within external manufacturing and CMO environments.
- Category Strategy & Value Delivery: Proven track record in setting category strategies and delivering multi-year improvement plans with measurable financial and operational outcomes.
- Performance Management: Demonstrated success holding teams and suppliers to account; establishing milestones; addressing underperformance promptly; ensuring delivery.
- Executive Communication: Exceptional communication and gravitas; trusted partner to senior leaders across Operations and R&D; adept at brokering cross-functional decisions and trade-offs.
- Commercial Governance: Demonstrated success leading executive supplier relationships, negotiating large and complex agreements, and driving commercial governance.
- Change Leadership: Strong record leading complex change programs with high adoption; experience deploying governance models and business process frameworks.
- Financial Acumen: Strong cost modelling, benchmarking, and P&L impact understanding; disciplined approach to value tracking.
- Core Requirements: Degree-level qualification; significant management experience in Procurement; excellent people management and motivational skills; ability to lead cross-functional teams; proven priority-setting and resource management in global/regional environments; excellent written and verbal communication; negotiation, collaboration, and interpersonal leadership skills; budgetary and resource planning experience; willingness to travel; strong conceptual, analytical, and strategic thinking; ability to influence strategically and persuade tactfully while maintaining positive relationships.
Key Relationships
- Internal: Senior Procurement staff; leaders across Operations, R&D, and other functions.
- External: Global Suppliers and outsourced service providers; executive-level supplier stakeholders.
Why AstraZeneca
Join a company driven by science and innovation dedicated to improving patient outcomes worldwide. You will shape external manufacturing strategies, lead high-impact teams, and forge strategic supplier partnerships that enable reliable, efficient, and compliant supply.
Senior Director, External Manufacturing Procurement in England employer: AstraZeneca
Contact Detail:
AstraZeneca Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Director, External Manufacturing Procurement in England
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, attend relevant events, and engage with professionals on platforms like LinkedIn. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can help you land that dream job.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their procurement strategies and be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals. We want you to shine, so practice common interview questions and have your own questions ready to show your interest!
✨Tip Number 3
Follow up after interviews! A simple thank-you email can go a long way in keeping you top of mind. We recommend mentioning something specific from your conversation to remind them of your fit for the role.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t hesitate to apply through our website! We’re always looking for talented individuals like you. Keep an eye on new openings and make sure your profile is up-to-date to increase your chances of being noticed.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Director, External Manufacturing Procurement in England
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Senior Director role. Highlight your experience in external manufacturing and procurement strategies, as well as any leadership roles you've held. We want to see how your background aligns with our needs!
Showcase Your Achievements: When detailing your experience, focus on specific achievements that demonstrate your ability to drive commercial excellence and manage supplier relationships. Use metrics where possible to show the impact of your work – numbers speak volumes!
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application clear and to the point. Use straightforward language and avoid jargon unless it's industry-specific. We appreciate a well-structured application that makes it easy for us to see your qualifications at a glance.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our official website! This ensures that your application is processed correctly and gives you the best chance of being considered for the role. We can’t wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at AstraZeneca
✨Know Your Procurement Strategy
Before the interview, make sure you have a solid understanding of procurement strategies, especially in external manufacturing. Be ready to discuss how you would define and implement these strategies at AstraZeneca, showcasing your extensive experience in the field.
✨Showcase Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your leadership style and how you've successfully managed teams in the past. Discuss specific instances where you motivated your team, set clear goals, and achieved high performance, as this role requires strong people management skills.
✨Master Negotiation Techniques
Brush up on your negotiation skills and be prepared to discuss complex agreements you've led in the past. Highlight your approach to building executive-level supplier relationships and how you ensure commercial governance, as this is crucial for the role.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Think about how you've engaged with internal stakeholders in previous roles. Be ready to share examples of how you've brokered cross-functional decisions and trade-offs, as effective stakeholder engagement is key to success in this position.
