Vendor Relationship Manager

Job overview:

The Manager, Vendor Relationship will serve as the main operational point of contact for Compass CDMO/CMOs, and critical material suppliers in our clinical and commercial supply chain.Reporting directly to Supply Chain leadership, this position manages the high-complexity vendor landscape inherent to Scheduled controlled substances.

Location: Remote in the United Kingdom.

Reports to:Associate Director, Supply Chain.

Roles and responsibilities
(Include but are not limited to): 

• Responsible for the end-to-end management of supply chain vendors to ensure availability of outsourced Drug Substances, Drug products or Finished Goods
• Identify critical issues and risks, develop action plans, and keep stakeholders apprised of any impact upon supply
• Collect and maintain relevant information on the entities such as contractual terms, financial expenses and strategic road maps
• Ensure the accountability for the entities’ performance
  • Set up business review meetings to report on performance, action plan and recommendations
  • Supervise the collection and review of KPIs (Supply Chain, Finance, Quality, etc.)
• Clinical/Commercial Vendor Management
  • Coordinate vendor schedules to secure timely, GXP-compliant manufacturing and distribution of Schedule 1materials for active global Phase 2/3 clinical protocols
  • Drive the dual-track operational strategy: manage supply chain flexibility for clinical needs while supporting process-scale frameworks with commercial vendors
• Controlled Substance Governance & Regulatory Interface
  • Collaborate with Regulatory Affairs and supply chain to ensure timelines are met for the application and procurement of applicable manufacturing and distribution licenses
  • Vendor management oversight to ensure supply quotas for manufacturing and supply sites are delivered on time and fulfilled
• Vendor Performance & Contract Management
  • Serve as primary relationship owner for CDMOs, CMOs, driving routine external and internal meetings
  • Partner with Supply Chain and legal leaders to negotiate Master Services Agreements (MSAs), Statements of Work (SOWs), and commercial supply agreements with highly structured SLAs
  • Oversee vendor risk assessments and formulate proactive dual-sourcing strategies to mitigate high-barrier entry constraints of scheduled product manufacturing
  • Responsible for the project management of resources to resolve supply issues and support life cycle management in coordination with all stakeholders
  • Supervise the collection and review of KPIs (Supply Chain, Finance, Quality, etc.)
  • Review and manage the CMC Manufacturing Financial budget for Clinical and Commercial manufacturing

Candidate profile

• Desirable: BSc in a Life Sciences discipline or relevant experience with 2-3 years spent in a similar role
• Minimum: BSc or equivalent in a Life Sciences or Engineering discipline, with 1-2 years spent in a similar role.e.g. chemistry or biochemical engineering. Experience project managing manufacturing/packaging initiatives in the CGMP industry
• Broad knowledge of biotech/pharmaceutical manufacturing processes with excellent scientific analysis and interpretation skills and the ability to creatively problem solve
• Controlled Substance Expertise: Experience handling Scheduled controlled drugs, including specialized vault requirements, high-security logistics, and quota management
• Regulatory Knowledge: Understanding of MHRA, FDA cGMPs, DEA regulations governing high-restriction pharmaceutical components
• Key Competencies
  • Cross-Functional Fluency: Exceptional ability to translate technical CMC complexities into actionable Vendor management supporting supply chain and technical teams with planning and logistics requirements
  • Strategic Versatility: Competent at switching between the agility needed for clinical trial troubleshooting and the rigid process control needed for commercial launch