Associate Director/Director, Procurement

About Orna Therapeutics

Orna Therapeutics is an innovative biotechnology startup based in Watertown, MA, committed to developing groundbreaking therapies for diseases that current approaches cannot address. With our pioneering circular RNA technology, developed at MIT, we are at the forefront of advancing the next generation of RNA therapeutics. Our state-of-the-art expression and delivery platform positions us to tackle complex diseases, including B cell-driven autoimmune disorders, B cell malignancies, sickle cell disease, and beyond.

Overview:
We are seeking a strategic and hands-on procurement leader to drive our Procure-to-Pay (P2P) operations, with a strong focus on process efficiency, compliance, and cost optimization.

This role is critical in shaping scalable procurement infrastructure and delivering significant business value through thoughtful vendor management, streamlined systems, and impactful contract negotiations. This individual will serve as a key connector across Finance, Legal, IT, and business stakeholders to ensure seamless purchasing and financial operations in a fast-paced biotech environment.

Responsibilities

• Own and optimize end-to-end P2P processes including requisitioning, PO management, vendor onboarding, and invoice workflows.
• Lead contract negotiations across key spend categories to secure favorable terms and drive substantial cost savings.
• Develop and implement procurement policies, procedures, and approval workflows to ensure consistency, compliance, and operational control.
• Drive critical raw material sourcing strategies to ensure timely availability and supply continuity in alignment with R&D and manufacturing needs.
• Negotiate statements of work (SOWs) and service agreements to support third-party engagements and project execution.
• Lead the selection of external vendors, ensuring strategic alignment, performance standards, and value-for-money criteria are met.
• Serve as a procurement business partner to cross-functional stakeholders, ensuring procurement aligns with operational needs, budgets, and compliance expectations.
• Collaborate closely with Accounts Payable and Finance to support accurate month-end close processes, accruals, and spend reporting.
• Oversee procurement systems (e.g., ZIP), identifying opportunities for automation and workflow improvement.
• Partner with Legal on contract lifecycle management, including reviews, redlining, and risk mitigation.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business, Supply Chain, or related field
• 8–12+ years of procurement and finance operations experience, ideally in biotech, pharma, or life sciences.
• Proven success leading contract negotiations and delivering measurable cost savings.
• Deep knowledge of P2P systems and workflows; experience optimizing tools like ZIP and Ironclad.
• Experience in sourcing critical raw materials and managing supply risk in a regulated environment.
• Strong track record in negotiating complex SOWs and service agreements.
• Demonstrated expertise in evaluating, selecting, and managing high-performing vendors.
• Excellent cross-functional collaboration, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Analytical mindset with strong attention to detail and a drive for continuous improvement.