About this role
Job title: Senior Category Manager
About the Role Senior Category Manager, supporting multiple categories focused on professional services and functional outsourcing in Clinical Development. You will develop and execute global category strategies, manage end-to-end sourcing and contracting, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure quality, compliance, and cost effectiveness across a diverse portfolio of trials and geographies.
What You'll Do
- Develop and implement global category strategies and sourcing plans aligned to development objectives across IRB, Meeting Planning, Quality and related professional services.
- Lead end-to-end sourcing and contracting lifecycle (RFI/RFP, vendor evaluation, bid defense, negotiation, change orders, closeout) and translate science and business needs into contract terms.
- Negotiate complex/high-value agreements and lead bid defenses and vendor capability assessments.
- Ensure governance, risk and compliance by aligning sourcing with Legal, Quality and regulatory standards and supporting inspection readiness and proper contract closeout.
- Partner with cross-functional stakeholders to define study requirements, drive adoption of category strategies and maintain relationships with Operations, Legal, Quality, Regulatory and vendor management.
- Drive value optimization through benchmarking, market intelligence, standard rate cards, and continuous improvement of contracting and category management.
- Provide advisory support on complex sourcing and contracting issues and train internal stakeholders on contracting, budgeting, and processes.
What We're Looking For
- Bachelor's degree with 8 years of experience or Master's with 6 years.
- Demonstrated leadership, thought leadership and stakeholder management in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
- Deep expertise in end-to-end sourcing and contracting (RFP, vendor evaluation, negotiation, budget development, contract management).
- Strong knowledge of clinical research, global regulatory requirements, and industry practices across clinical development outsourcing, central labs and category management.
- Financial, legal and clinical operations acumen; ability to analyze cost drivers and structure complex budgets and agreements.
- Experience managing central lab vendors and supporting clinical procurement.