Associate Director - Category Leader - Direct Materials

At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world.

Lilly is adding to our Procurement team. Are you a self-starter and have demonstrated strategic business results, influential internal & external leadership interactions, and collaborative supplier relationships? We're looking for a proactive and hard-working professional, adept at working independently in an intricate matrixed organization. Read on and consider bringing your technical and procurement experiences to our team and make a difference in patient lives!

The Direct Materials Category procurement leader in Development & Manufacturing Procurement is responsible for coordinating and managing the procurement of materials that are directly used in the production process. In this role, you will lead the sourcing process from strategy development and supplier selection through contract negotiations and ongoing relationship management. This role will coordinate and lead the sourcing process to enable competitive selection of suppliers, as well as use market knowledge and analysis to create a stronger and more agile supplier base for the assigned platforms & therapeutic areas.

• Bachelor’s degree preferably in Procurement, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain or Business-related field
• Minimum five years of previous experience in areas of finance, manufacturing, procurement, or supply chain.
• Qualified candidates must be legally authorized to be employed in the United States. Lilly does not anticipate providing sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B or TN status) for this employment position

• Direct the development and implementation of a direct materials category strategy, such as glass (cartridges, syringes, vials) and elastomers (disc seals, plungers, stoppers).
• Guide the sourcing and supplier selection process through the development of sourcing strategies, market analysis, supplier negotiations, and relationship management.
• Oversee the review of requirements, the formulation of sourcing strategies, and the management of the supplier due diligence process, including RFP process oversight, contract negotiation and award, and the contract management process.
• Negotiate agreements and contracts to minimize costs and risks while ensuring a continuous supply that aligns with strategic forecasts.
• Collaborate with business clients to qualify suppliers, oversee supplier relationship management processes, conduct spend analysis, gather market intelligence, and mitigate risks.
• Lead the negotiation of supplier contract terms and apply contract knowledge to work with business partners in resolving any issues or disputes that may arise.
• Identify and implement cost/risk reduction and avoidance savings opportunities of $5M or more annually.
• Build and maintain knowledge of market dynamics in the global pharmaceutical development and manufacturing markets.

• Excellent command of written and spoken English.
• Previous experience working directly with global suppliers in commercial, technical or governance capability.
• Demonstrated category management experience to the value of $500M+.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• CIPS / IIPMM / ISM qualification and/or relevant Procurement or Supply Chain experience.
• Good Tech literacy with the Microsoft Office suite & SAP/Ariba.
• Ability to influence and negotiate internally and externally.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills, demonstrating knowledge of business.
• Demonstrated strong commercial acuity, project management and presentation skills.
• Skilled at maintaining priorities while ensuring strict compliance with policies and procedures.

• This is a full-time position located in Indianapolis, Indiana.
• Flexibility to support sites and global suppliers in multiple time zones is required.
• Travel percentage: 5-10%, including international travel.

Eli Lilly and Company, Lilly USA, LLC and our wholly owned subsidiaries (collectively “Lilly”) are committed to help individuals with disabilities to participate in the workforce and ensure equal opportunity to compete for jobs. If you require an accommodation to submit a resume for positions at Lilly, please email Lilly Human Resources ( Lilly_Recruiting_Compliance@lists.lilly.com ) for further assistance. Please note This email address is intended for use only to request an accommodation as part of the application process. Any other correspondence will not receive a response.

Lilly is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.

Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and help our company develop talented individuals for future leadership roles. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia Network, African American Network, Chinese Culture Network, Early Career Professionals, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinos at Lilly, PRIDE (LGBTQ + Allies), Veterans Leadership Network, Women’s Network, Working and Living with Disabilities. Learn more about all of our groups.

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