Job Description

Associate Director, Strategic Sourcing – Animal Health Global Supplier Management, API Category

Global health care leader with a diversified portfolio of prescription medicines, vaccines and consumer health products, as well as animal health products. Today, we are building a new kind of healthcare company – one that is ready to help create a healthier future for all of us.

Animal Health Global Supplier Management (AH-GSM) is an organization of approximately 100+ professionals with the common objective of compliant, competitive, and innovative acquisition of goods & services from leading suppliers and partners that deliver a competitive advantage to the Company. AH-GSM manages approximately $1.2B of third party spend through an organizational structure encompassing the global leverage of center-led categories and regional operating resources.

Our ability to excel depends on the integrity, knowledge, imagination, skill, diversity and teamwork of people like you. To this end, we strive to create an environment of mutual respect, encouragement and teamwork. As part of our global team, you’ll have the opportunity to collaborate with talented and dedicated colleagues while developing and expanding your career.

Role:

As part of the API and Drug Product Category team, the Associate Director, Strategic Sourcing leads global strategic sourcing to ensure compliant and cost competitive active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) supply to Animal Health Manufacturing. The Associate Director plays a leadership role in the development of global sourcing strategies, category management, contract management, risk management and stakeholder management within this category.

Duties and Responsibilities:

· People leadership- May lead and be responsible for direct reports. Expected to lead and influence peers, as appropriate, in the leadership of projects or other initiatives (for example, cross functional team members on a sourcing project team).

· Procurement Leadership:

• Leads development, recommendation/presentation, and implementation leadership of category sourcing strategies and ensures alignment, compliance and delivery of business requirements/needs.

• Collaborates with Supplier Relationship Managers to support their needs form a strategic souricng perspective.

· Project Management:

• Leads strategic sourcing projects (using an established sourcing management process) to establish sources of supply via market intelligence gathering and analysis, competitive sourcing events (RFIs, RFP/RFQs), costs analyses, strategic analyses, due diligence/compliance assessments, and contract negotiations.

• Leads cross-functional sourcing teams (key manufacturing support functions) to execute sourcing projects

· Proactive Cost Management: Leads development, negotiation, and implementation of cost savings projects

· Stakeholder Engagement/Management: Leads engagement with the business stakeholders (at same organizational level or one to two levels above and across manufacturing support functions such Supply Chain Management, Quality Assurance, Technology, Environmental Health and Safety, Finance, Regulatory Affairs, Legal) across the world in support of strategic sourcing and relationship management.

· Strategy Development/Implementation: Create breakthrough strategies which deliver quick wins and generate legitimate business value. Drive innovation.

· Continuous Improvement: Ensure that every supplier relationship is established with intent of future continuous improvement, and to lead and manage the measurement and review process to ensure delivery of expectations.

Minimum Education Requirement:

· Undergraduate degree preferably in Engineering, Science, or Business fields

Required Experience or Skills:

· Overall 10+ years procurement and business management experience, within manufacturing environment or company.

· Minimum Five (5) years of hands on work experience in strategic sourcing, API or direct materials management, contract negotiations and execution

· Experience working with suppliers and customers across the world (“global” experience) in the pharmaceutical industry

· Excellent English speaking, writing and presentation skills.

· Demonstrated ability to work well with people from many different disciplines.

· Project management experience specifically related to strategic sourcing projects

· High degree of flexibility and adaptability to deal with ambiguous and dynamic situation

· Experience managing multiple simultaneous and complex projects requiring frequent communication, organizing/time management and problem solving skills.

· Excellent interpersonal, communication, collaboration, negotiation, analytical, and project management skills.

· Demonstrated strong leadership, problem solving, and team building skills/experience and sensitivity to diverse cultures

· Ability to work independently with minimal coaching

Preferred Experience and Skills:

· Post graduate degree in business, engineering or technical fields

· Ability to translate strategic vision into tactical plans and manage the change required to execute.

· Ability to work with senior management with professionalism and discretion.

Primary Location: Working From Home, India

Relocation offering: NONE except as required by local country regulations or minimal practice

Schedule: Full-time

Employee Status: Regular

Travel: Yes, up to 20 % of the time

Number of Openings: 1

Band: 400 Pathway Level: P4 Grade (Union): NA

Hiring Manager: Nil Mahajan, Director API Procurement, API Category Head.

Required Skills:

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API), Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API), Adaptability, Business Management, Category Management, Contract Management, Cost Management, Decision Making, Environment Health and Safety, Financial Acumen, Inventory Control Management, Leadership, Logistics, Logistics Management, Manufacturing Sourcing, Packaging Procurement, Procurement Management, Production Planning, Quality Assurance (QA), Relationship Building, Risk Management, Sourcing and Procurement, Stakeholder Engagement, Stakeholder Management, Strategic Procurement {+ 5 more}

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

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Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Remote

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

01/5/2026

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