Associate Director

As the Associate Director of Procurement Policy and Process reporting to the Senior Director, Corporate Services Sourcing; your primary focus will be the maintenance and enhancement of Otsuka’s Procurement operations, processes and policies in support of Otsuka’s North America portfolios. This role will have responsibility for ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of these policies, working closely with Sourcing, Finance, Technology, Legal and various business partners to allow for the ongoing evolution of maintaining and optimizing Procurement processes for business partners involved in acquiring goods and services for the organization. 

This role supports the development and implementation of procurement strategies and policies that enable the Procurement and Sourcing functions to effectively manage supplier relationships, negotiate/execute contracts, leverage best-in-class reporting, streamline transactional processes, optimize technology capabilities and ensure compliance with relevant regulations. At the core of this role will be a comprehensive understanding of the Sourcing & Procurement transformation strategy and a deep awareness of the customer voice, ensuring the work of Sourcing & Procurement has a tangible impact to the organization.

Overall Responsibility

Process and Policy:

• Supports the development and implementation of procurement strategies aligned with organizational goals, forecasting needs, and managing the procurement planning process. 

• Ensuring compliance with federal, state and local laws, regulations, and organizational policies related to procurement.  This includes in depth knowledge of taxability on goods and services.

• Develop, update and enforce procurement policies, procedures and standard operating guidelines in line with regulatory requirements, corporate governance and best practice.

• Support maintenance and administration for procurement related compliance issues.

• Partner with Sourcing, Legal, Compliance, Information Security, Finance and Quality to embed regulatory risk and controls into the purchasing process.

• Identify and recommend process improvement initiatives to streamline the end-to-end Source to Pay (S2P) process, including sourcing, contracting, purchasing and supplier management.

• Partner with Sourcing and Vendor Management professionals to identify, evaluation and manage relationships and ways of working with suppliers.

• Administer and maintain established approval workflows, evaluation and implementation of delegation of authority thresholds and control mechanisms to mitigate risk while enabling efficient business operations.

• Implement standardized templates, RACI matrices, and playbooks to ensure consistency across companies and purchasing categories.

• Promote a culture of innovation, collaboration and continuous learning.

• Development and distribution of monthly success metrics across the S2P process.

• Ad hoc responsibilities to address emerging business need and leadership requests

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Provide training and guidance to internal Procurement team and business partners on procurement policies and procedures, acting as a resource for procurement-related questions.

• Collaborate with business stakeholders to support procurement processes with business objectives and operational needs.

• Support change management efforts to drive stakeholder adoption.

Technology:

• Collaborate with IT to prioritize and define system requirements, workflows, and controls within procurement platforms.

• Support operational excellence initiative and execution across S2P, emphasizing automation, lean processes and continuous improvement in conjunction with IT.

• Build business cases and success measures for major system enhancements.

• Ensure cleanliness or procurement master data and develop compliance reporting, and ensure adequate audit trails.

• Establish KPIs and dashboards powered by advanced analytics for spend, performance, cycle times and savings tracking.

• Support adoption of Generative AI and advanced analytics to automate purchasing processes and performance reporting.

• Manage seamless transitions and process integrations, especially across affiliated companies and/or acquisitions.

Risk & Compliance:

• Monitor supplier and contract compliance with company policies and regulatory requirements.

• Support internal and external audits by ensure adequate documentation, approvals and governance controls are in place.

• Proactively identify gaps and emerging risks in current procurement practices and recommend correction actions.

Knowledge/ Experience and Skills:

Knowledge

• Deep knowledge of Source to Pay processes and best practices including in the technology landscape, including SAP Ariba.

• Strong understanding of procurement compliance, risk management, and regulatory requirements within the pharma industry.

• Familiarity with procurement technology platforms.

• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and training skills.

• Analytical mindset with the ability to design and implement metrics, SLAs and scorecards.

• Proficient in AI and analytics tools, Gen AI platforms and digital story telling.

• Demonstrated successful delivery on transformative projects.

• Strategic mindset with financial acumen to assess ROI and cost-benefit for process improvements.

Skills and Experience
 

Minimum of 8+ years of diverse experience in varying procurement roles:

• Strong procurement operations and process management with demonstrated ability to tell a story and influence the direction of the organization.

• Strategic thinker able to anticipate trends, understand implication and create actionable plans to prepare for future needs.

• Outstanding communication skills, ability to speak to the business and simplify complex technical aspects into concepts business partners can understand, assess, and ultimately use to make decisions.

• Strong customer service focus and ability to think, plan and act at the enterprise versus functional level.  Experience listening to client needs and partnering to deliver results that are mutually beneficial for the client and the organization.

• Strong background in S2P processes, strategic sourcing, ERP systems and procurement analytics, including leadership experience in operational excellence.

• Superior analytical skills, able to rapidly understand and synthesize disparate data into meaningful information to support critical business decisions.

• Strong understanding of the pharmaceutical industry and development/commercialization of new drugs.

Education
Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, or relevant technical expertise.  Advanced degree (MBA/MS) preferred. 

Competencies
Accountability for Results - Stay focused on key strategic objectives, be accountable for high standards of performance, and take an active role in leading change.
Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving - Make decisions considering the long-term impact to customers, patients, employees, and the business.
Patient & Customer Centricity - Maintain an ongoing focus on the needs of our customers and/or key stakeholders.
Impactful Communication - Communicate with logic, clarity, and respect. Influence at all levels to achieve the best results for Otsuka.
Respectful Collaboration - Seek and value others’ perspectives and strive for diverse partnerships to enhance work toward common goals.
Empowered Development - Play an active role in professional development as a business imperative.

Minimum $150,034.00 - Maximum $224,250.00, plus incentive opportunity: The range shown represents a typical pay range or starting pay for individuals who are hired in the role to perform in the United States. Other elements may be used to determine actual pay such as the candidate’s job experience, specific skills, and comparison to internal incumbents currently in role. Typically, actual pay will be positioned within the established range, rather than at its minimum or maximum. This information is provided to applicants in accordance with states and local laws.

Company benefits:  Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, company provided basic life, accidental death & dismemberment, short-term and long-term disability insurance, tuition reimbursement, student loan assistance, a generous 401(k) match, flexible time off, paid holidays, and paid leave programs as well as other company provided benefits.

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Disclaimer: 

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the people assigned to this position. It is not intended to include every job duty and responsibility specific to the position. Otsuka reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet business and organizational needs as necessary. 

Otsuka is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will be given consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, national origin, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected characteristic.   

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation, if you are unable or limited in your ability to apply to this job opening as a result of your disability.  You can request reasonable accommodations by contacting [email protected]. 

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