Introduction to role:

Are you ready to shape how next-generation modalities reach patients by building a resilient and innovative external manufacturing network? As External Manufacturing Procurement Director for New Modalities, you will be a core member of the leadership team, guiding category strategy and supplier partnerships that accelerate our pipeline from clinical to commercial supply.

This role puts you at the heart of portfolio-level sourcing and commercial governance for critical platforms, from new technologies to scale-up solutions. Could you be the commercial leader who turns complex portfolios into coherent supply strategies that deliver speed, quality, and sustainable value? You will partner across functions to resolve issues quickly, embed focused ways of working, and demonstrate measurable financial outcomes that move the business forward.

Accountabilities:

• Category Leadership and Representation: Serve as a core member of the External Manufacturing Leadership Team, representing your category to shape decisions and set direction.

• Strategy Deployment and Governance: Partner with the leadership team to develop and deploy the external manufacturing strategy, refreshed governance model, and business process framework; ensure these are embedded across the category and supplier base to enable consistent delivery.

• End-to-End Category Ownership: Hold end-to-end accountability for category technology across clinical and commercial supply, including strategic roadmap, sourcing, contracting, and issue concerns to safeguard continuity and performance.

• Portfolio Sourcing for New Modalities: Lead portfolio-level sourcing within the category (e.g. new modalities/technologies, scale-up platforms); conduct market analysis, due diligence, risk assessment, negotiations, and MSA implementation to secure capacity, capability, and value.

• Commercial Relationship Governance: Provide commercial leadership to key strategic relationships; own commercial relationship governance and inputs into BRMs; drive joint innovation, productivity, and resilience initiatives that strengthen our supply network.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Align category strategy and sourcing decisions with business needs; act as a trusted partner to ESM, GSC&S, PT&D/BPD, Quality, Finance, and Technical functions; facilitate cross-functional decision-making and issue resolution to balance risk, cost, and speed.

• Complex Program Delivery and Value: Lead and deliver complex, high-impact projects; demonstrate financial outcomes and broader benefits that support growth and patient impact.

• Performance and Scorecard Management: Own delivery of scorecard objectives, track performance, and take corrective actions to meet commitments, ensuring transparency and accountability.

• Process ownership and Compliance: Take ownership of selected procurement and business processes. Invent and put into practice the operational process structure and follow established ways of working for operational excellence.

• Procurement Excellence and Enablement: Demonstrate and advance the Procurement 222 strategy in daily operations; foster adoption of tools, data, and governance; coach teams on standard process to elevate capability across the network.

• Complex Agreement Negotiation: Lead negotiations for large, complex agreements; structure and implement MSAs, supply agreements, and performance frameworks that underpin long-term success.

• Market Intelligence and Innovation: Lead market analysis, cost/price benchmarking, and risk/opportunity scanning; provide strategic insights on capacity, technology trends, and competitive dynamics; incubate innovation with suppliers to future-proof the category.

• Executive Representation and Decision Support: Act as the procurement lead on relevant boards, global supply teams, and business review meetings; prepare materials and present recommendations; ensure decisions are documented and driven with rigour.

• Constructive Challenge and Accountability: Be a constructive challenger with gravitas; hold teams and suppliers to account while maintaining strong partnerships that deliver results.

Essential Skills/Experience:

• Significant experience in commercial/procurement roles, with significant time in external manufacturing/CMO categories and/or complex, regulated environments.

• Proven ability to design category strategies and deploy multiyear improvement plans; track record of delivering measurable financial and operational value.

• Demonstrated success negotiating large, complex contracts.

• Strong communication and ability to influence senior stakeholders

• Hands on leadership and coaching experience

• Experience leading commercial supplier relationships and governance; drives performance, innovation, and resilience agendas.

• Experience owning or designing procurement/business processes; able to standardise and embed ways of working.

• Strong financial literacy, cost modelling, benchmarking, and data-driven decision-making.

• Ability to challenge the status quo and lead change across functions and suppliers; resilient and decisive under ambiguity.

Desirable Skills/Experience:

• Pharmaceutical external manufacturing expertise: Knowledge of tech transfer, batch economics, capacity planning, and GxP considerations in outsourced manufacturing.

• Experience embedding sustainability objectives into category strategies and supplier contracts (e.g., emissions, waste, circularity).

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.

Why AstraZeneca:

Here, your procurement leadership fuels the journey from molecule to medicine—accelerating delivery to patients through focused execution, lean thinking, and innovative science and digital technologies. You will join a welcoming team of equals who combine trust, respect, and candid challenge to solve complex problems at pace, supported by significant investment, a global network, and a clear plan for growth. We value kindness alongside ambition, work sustainably with purpose, and bring unexpected teams together to spark bold ideas that turn into tangible outcomes for patients and society.

Date Posted

Closing Date

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 authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.