Associate Director, Procurement & Materials
Operations
Sacramento, CA, USA
USD 145k-180k / year + Equity
Associate Director/Director - The Associate/Director of Procurement and Materials is responsible for leading the end-to-end procurement, inventory management, and materials master data functions in support of GMP manufacturing operations. This role ensures uninterrupted supply of raw materials, consumables, packaging components, and indirect materials by overseeing purchasing, supplier management, inventory forecasting, and inventory control processes.
The Associate Directory/Director serves as the primary operational liaison with suppliers regarding purchase orders, material availability, stock shortages, quality issues, delivery performance, and supply continuity.
Key Responsibilities
Lead the procurement team responsible for purchasing raw materials, consumables, packaging components, capital equipment, and indirect supplies.
Ensure timely issuance, confirmation, and follow-up of purchase orders through delivery.
Negotiate pricing, contracts, and commercial terms with suppliers in partnership with Strategic Sourcing and Legal as appropriate.
Oversee the complete purchase order lifecycle from requisition through receipt.
Ensure purchase orders accurately reflect material specifications, quantities, pricing, and delivery requirements.
Monitor supplier acknowledgements and delivery commitments.
Escalate supplier delays and coordinate recovery plans to minimize production impact.
Maintain purchasing metrics including on-time delivery, purchase order cycle time, and supplier responsiveness.
Lead inventory forecasting activities in partnership with Supply Chain Planning and Manufacturing.
Review demand forecasts to determine future procurement requirements.
Establish inventory targets including safety stock, reorder points, and minimum/maximum inventory levels.
Balance inventory investment while minimizing stockouts and excess inventory.
Monitor inventory health, slow-moving inventory, excess inventory, and expiration risks.
Build and maintain strong strategic relationships with suppliers.
Conduct regular business reviews with key suppliers.
Monitor supplier performance using key performance indicators including:
On-time delivery
Lead time adherence
Quality performance
Identify alternate suppliers and mitigate supply risks.
Serve as the primary escalation point for supplier stock shortages and material availability issues.
Coordinate supplier recovery plans for backorders and constrained materials.
Communicate supply risks to Planning, Manufacturing, and Executive Leadership.
Partner with Quality Assurance on supplier quality issues.
Coordinate supplier investigations for nonconforming materials.
Partner with Warehouse and Materials Management to maintain accurate inventory.
Review inventory accuracy, cycle count performance, and inventory reconciliation.
Essential Duties & Key Responsibilities:
Procurement
Purchase Order Management
Inventory Forecasting & Materials Planning
Supplier Relationship Management
Stock-Out & Supply Issue Management
Supplier Quality & Delivery Performance
Inventory Management
Minimum Qualifications
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Minimum Experience, Education, Certifications, Licenses:
Associate Director
Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Life Sciences, Business, or related field
8–10 years of progressive procurement, materials management, inventory management, or supply chain experience in a GMP-regulated manufacturing environment
3–5 years of people leadership
Experience with ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, etc.)
Experience managing procurement operations, inventory management, supplier performance, and materials management
Director
Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Life Sciences, Business, or related field
10–15+ years of progressive procurement, materials management, inventory management, or supply chain experience in a GMP-regulated manufacturing environment
5+ years leading procurement and materials organizations
Demonstrated success building scalable procurement organizations and improving supplier performance, inventory health, and operational efficiency
Experience leading organizational and system improvements
Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Life Sciences, or related fields.
Reporting Structure & Authority:
Direct reports include Procurement Manager and procurement specialist(s)
Define Supervisory responsibilities include,
Oversees the daily workflow of the department and performance to goals and deliverables
Recruits, interviews, hires, and trains new staff
Provides constructive and timely performance feedback and evaluations
Other related supervisory responsibilities as assigned
Training & Continuous Improvement:
Certification in Production and Inventory Management or Logistics, such as APICS are a plus
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with autologous or allogeneic cell therapy supply chains.
- Familiarity with both clinical and commercial supply chain models.
- Knowledge of manufacturing, chain of identity/custody requirements, and vein-to-vein workflows.
Personal Qualities & Physical Demands
- Demonstrates strong work ethic, curiosity to learn and contribute in a fast-paced collaborative environment.
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively.
- Ability to work in a collaborative manner.
- Strong problem-solving skills.
- Domestic and international travel may be required from time to time as needed (approximately 10-25%).
- May require occasional lifting up to 25 lbs. and gowning into cleanroom areas.
- Requires sitting, standing, working in an office environment and computer use.
145000 - 180000 USD a year