Associate Director, Global PC&E Procurement

At AstraZeneca, we work together across global boundaries to make an impact and find answers to challenges. We do this with the upmost integrity even in the most difficult situations because we are committed to doing the right thing.

The Associate Director Global Process Chemicals and Excipients Procurement will report directly to the Director of Global Procurement - Process Chemicals and Excipients.

The Associate Director will have accountability for an assigned spend category and will lead commercial procurement activity and manage a global supply base. You will develop long term strategic plans for the category. You will manage stakeholder and supplier relationships to ensure that Category Strategies are highly aligned to current and future Business needs and that the supply base can support these strategies. You will oversee implementation of category plan to ensure that the underpinning process improvement and procurement activities deliver the expected business value in accordance with the strategic plans.

What you’ll do:

Key Responsibilities

1. Category Management & Strategy

· Develop and execute category strategies for Excipients, ensuring alignment with business goals, cost reduction targets, and risk mitigation strategies.

· Ensure long-term category strategy development, balancing cost, quality, sustainability, and innovation.

· Oversee implementation of category/subcategory plans ensuring that the underpinning process improvement and procurement activities deliver the expected business value in accordance with the strategic plans.

· Work with new product introduction teams, using market and material knowledge, to find appropriate partners to supply materials at desired specifications

2. Supplier Relationship & Performance Management

· Manage key supplier relationships through negotiations, performance reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives

· Drive supplier performance evaluation together with relent functions via KPIs (cost, quality, service, sustainability), ensuring best-in-class procurement execution.

· Identify and onboard new suppliers, ensuring regulatory and business alignment.

3. Cost & Risk Management

· Develop cost models and should-cost analysis to drive competitive pricing for excipients and capsules.

· Identify and mitigate category risks, ensuring business continuity through robust supplier diversification strategies.

· Drive the preparation of competitive bids, quotations and proposals with pertinent specifications, terms and conditions

4. Operational Excellence & Compliance

· Ensure adherence to AstraZeneca and procurement policies and regulatory requirements

· Support audits and qualification processes in collaboration with Quality, Regulatory, and Technical teams.

· Optimize procurement workflows, ensuring seamless Purchase-to-Pay (P2P) execution and contract management.

· Drive supplier sustainability initiatives, to ensure they are aligned/compliant with AstraZeneca’s sustainability targets.

5. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Management

· Act as a key interface between Procurement, Manufacturing, R&D, Finance, and Supply Chain teams to align procurement strategies

· Lead budgeting and forecasting exercises for Process Chemicals and Excipients, ensuring financial alignment.

· Develop, negotiate and advise on contracts and agreements for the supply of products with new and existing suppliers

· Evaluate or manage internal and external relationships with suppliers, Category Teams and other cross-functional teams.

Essential for the role:

· Bachelor’s degree in relevant field and minimum 5–7 years of experience within the pharmaceutical or manufacturing industry.

· Experience in category management, strategic procurement, or supplier relationship management

· Ability to demonstrate a range of influencing techniques

· Proven track record to manage change

· Strong negotiation and stakeholder engagement skills.

· Ability to work in a matrix organization and lead cross-functional projects.

· Analytical mindset with a solution-oriented approach.

Technical Expertise:

· Strong knowledge of pharmaceutical excipients, and their regulatory landscape.

· Experience with cost modeling, category strategy development, and contract negotiations.

· Proficiency in Power BI, and Excel for procurement analytics and reporting.

Why AstraZeneca?

At AstraZeneca when we see an opportunity for change, we seize it and make it happen, because any opportunity no matter how small, can be the start of something big. Delivering life-changing medicines is about being entrepreneurial - finding those moments and recognizing their potential. Join us on our journey of building a new kind of organization to reset expectations of what a bio-pharmaceutical company can be. This means we’re opening new ways to work, groundbreaking cutting-edge methods and bringing unexpected teams together. Interested? Come and join our journey.

Next Steps – Apply today!

To be considered for this exciting opportunity, please complete the full application on our website at your earliest convenience – it is the only way that our Recruiter and Manager can know that you feel well qualified for this opportunity.

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorisation and employment eligibility verification requirements.