Senior Director, R&D Strategic Sourcing

Position Summary:

The Strategic R&D Sourcing function serves Otsuka’s R&D business units by developing and executing sourcing strategy to meet corporate objectives and to improve Otsuka’s probability of success. Partnering with business units and beginning with applicable business cases, concise specifications and well-planned negotiations, Strategic R&D Sourcing strives to maximize contract value while maintaining strict quality standards.

The Senior Director role is responsible for setting the vision, strategic direction, expectations, contractual governance, annual and long-term objectives for R&D sourcing. Additionally, the Senior Director of Strategic R&D Sourcing partners with global affiliates and key stakeholders (e.g., business leaders) to execute global sourcing strategy, with the remit to achieve ongoing year over year improvements & reduce Otsuka’s cost of doing business while maintaining/improving quality and adherence to regulatory guidelines.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Oversight:
  • Develop and lead the global clinical outsourcing strategy in alignment with organizational clinical development goals.
  • Develop operating metrics and reports that provides Otsuka Senior Leadership with visibility into portfolio performance.
  • Partner with senior leadership in key R&D functions (Clinical Management, Data Management, Global Pharmacovigilance, Regulatory Affairs, Asset Management), and Shared Services (Finance, Legal, and Procurement) to develop outsourcing models that support key business objectives.
  • Focus on challenging the status quo to establish new ways of working faster and smarter, while delivering higher quality, increasing value and minimizing risk.
  • Collaborate and share best practices with Finance/Procurement colleagues to continuously improve costing and sourcing models to increase Otsuka’s probability of operational and financial success.

• Vendor Selection & Management:
  • Lead the RFI/RFP processes, vendor evaluation, bid analysis, and contract negotiations for outsourced clinical services.
  • In partnership with the Vendor Management Office (VMO) and key business partners, manage relationships with preferred CROs and specialty vendors, ensuring service levels and performance standards are met.
  • Ensure the R&D supply chain continues to drive innovation and provides a high level of relevant subject matter expertise
  • Develop and execute against a best-in-class contracting strategy that ensures industry competitive commercial constructs & rates with preferred vendor contracts

• Contracting & Budgeting:
  • Oversee development and negotiation of Master Services Agreements (MSAs), Work Orders (WOs), and Change Orders (COs).
  • Ensure transparency in clinical budgeting; track actuals vs. forecasts in collaboration with Finance and key functional partners (Clinical  Management, Regulatory Affairs, Global Quality, Data Management, Global Pharmacovigilance etc.)
  • Provide oversight of payment schedules and milestone tracking.

• Compliance & Risk Management:
  • Ensure outsourcing activities comply with GCP, ICH guidelines, company SOPs, and all applicable regulations.
  • Identify outsourcing risks and develop mitigation strategies.

• Leadership:
  • Ensure operating model is appropriately structured to support business demand, including oversight of resource allocation and team performance
  • Leads, teaches, coaches and directs Category/Sourcing professionals throughout the sourcing processes as well as key processes/skills (i.e., spend management analysis, stakeholder management, collaboration, process improvement, etc.).
  • Support the roll out of key end to end enablement tools/systems, processes, and templates that will improve the buying channel experience.
  • Responsible for the delivery of operations and general portfolio execution

Knowledge, Skills, Competencies, Education, and Experience ​

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Business, or related field (Master’s degree or MBA preferred).
• Minimum 12–15 years of relevant experience in clinical outsourcing, procurement, or vendor management within the pharmaceutical or biotech industry.
• Strong understanding of clinical trial processes, CRO operations, and regulatory requirements (FDA, EMA, ICH-GCP).
• Demonstrated expertise in contract negotiation and vendor performance management.
• Excellent project management, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Proven ability to lead