Director of Procurement

Director, External Manufacturing

A global medical device organization undergoing a period of transformation is seeking a Director of External Manufacturing to lead and elevate its outsourced manufacturing network across North America and select international markets. This is a critical, high-impact role responsible for driving performance, operational rigor, quality, and strategic alignment across a network of third-party manufacturing partners.

Unlike traditional procurement-focused or purely strategic sourcing roles, this position requires a strong operations foundation . The ideal candidate has spent meaningful time in manufacturing, plant operations, engineering, or quality environments and can engage, challenge, and influence contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) at the shop-floor level —not just from a commercial or contractual standpoint.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the day-to-day and strategic oversight of a network of contract manufacturing partners supporting both commercial products and new product introduction (NPI) programs
• Drive consistent performance across quality, delivery, cost, and compliance
• Lead complex external manufacturing activities including technical transfers, process improvements, investigations, and operational escalations
• Maintain deep, hands-on engagement with external manufacturing sites, working directly with plant leadership and engineers to challenge assumptions, validate processes, and drive continuous improvement
• Apply operational excellence principles and performance metrics to elevate supplier performance and execution

Supplier & Governance Leadership:

• Lead supplier and contract governance, including ownership of Manufacturing Service Agreements (MSAs) and commercial negotiations
• Develop and implement robust Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) frameworks
• Partner closely with Quality, R&D, and technical teams to ensure regulatory compliance, successful audits, timely deviation resolution, and seamless NPI execution from development through commercialization

Team Leadership:

• Lead, develop, and mentor a high-performing external manufacturing team
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and operational rigor across internal teams and external partners

*Please note. Ideal location for this role is New Jersey. Option for CT as well.