Head of North America Commercial Procurement

The Head of Procurement, N.A. Commercial provides direction and management support for the NA Commercial procurement team with responsibility to manage, analyze, and buy goods and services for North America. The incumbent will also define performance expectations and savings goals and overseeing local categories strategies and execution/

This role will monitor supply markets and anticipate impending labor disputes, market or industry usage changes, commodity shortages, price changes, and other factors in order to develop and implement contingency plans and ensure supply. Key components of this role is to engage, develop, and foster relationships directly with the N.A. senior leadership team to ensure alignment with business unit strategy and goals. This role will also work closely with the VP Commercial Procurement and the Global Category leaders to provide input into global category strategies and ensure that global strategies are executed where appropriate.

The spend profile for this role includes but not limited to, Marketing and Sales, Digital services, Corporate services, Market Data and Market Access, Site services and equipment, Information Technology, Travel and Fleet, Real Estate, Facility Management and Energy.

This role will also be driving procurement transformation initiatives at Global Procurement level (i.e. beyond N.A.) including cost improvement opportunities, simplification of the Procurement experience, Process optimization, improved supplier risk management, and ESG initiatives through the management of new/existing vendor relationships (i.e. contract execution and negotiations).

Main Responsibilities

• Sits at North America Finance Leadership Team, provides thought leadership and spend stewardship to executive stakeholders
• Consult and advise senior leadership teams on the impact of procurement and vendor management activities on projects and budgets. Identify cost savings and cost reduction opportunities and enterprise-wide consolidation.
• Partners with the business to build and maintain a co-owned/co-shared mindset for every step of value creation: identifying value creations/savings opportunities together with finance and budget holders, and delivering them together.
• Provides direction and management support for the NA procurement team, including setting goals in line with both NA commercial and priorities and procurement strategy (competitive value, simplification, risk mitigation, vendor alignment and ESG ambition). and ensuring that the team is working towards achievement of those goals.
• Collaborates with Global Category teams to drive efficient category management process in the region and owns the category management lifecycle process for NA categories including development of long-term, multi-year category strategies and development and evaluation of “go to market” strategies and supports the efforts of the team members with their categories.
• Leverages multiple sources of market intelligence and data to make data-informed decisions.
• Develops a comprehensive view of the balance between supply and demand and actively monitors market conditions for the team’s categories on an ongoing basis in order to make informed decisions.
• Has responsibility for the development and evaluation of “go to market” strategies for NA categories and can achieve creative commercial outcomes through negotiation planning and successful execution by directing cross functional teams of stakeholders.
• Develop procurement and vendor management strategies for long-term growth, short-term output and execution of best practices.
• Manage complex negotiations with key vendors that require a detailed strategic plan and that have a direct correlation with operational needs and/or goals.
• Able to work across business units and engage with Global Category teams and leadership to facilitate positive outcomes for the organization
• Involved in the performance management process for global strategic suppliers and local suppliers, including regular business reviews and supports the efforts of the team members with their suppliers.
• Delivers structural cost savings, supplier rationalization, contract implementation, payables enhancement and other KPIs to established targets
• Sponsors and champions the Supplier Diversity Program within the North America region with specific target to drive expenditure towards small and diverse suppliers.
• Engages with the Business Development team to plan and prepare any company or asset integration efforts. This role would typically lead the Procurement integration’s team and efforts related to future mergers and acquisitions.
• Ensure development of procurement talent by making such talent visible at Procurement talent reviews both and talent review of the business unit.

Key Technical Competencies

• People management and inspirational leadership
• Influencing/leadership skills and overall credibility with senior stakeholders
• Analytics & fact base building: spend analysis, vendor market analysis, clean sheet costing,
• Category strategy development: RFXs, stakeholder alignment, Sourcing strategy
• Fully skilled in Procurement strategies, processes, systems & tools.
• Verbal and written communication skills

Knowledge and Experience

• Progressively increasing responsibility in Sourcing, Category Management, Finance, or business-related operations.
• Proven success in delivering competitive advantage to the business and in leading projects
• Experience working collaboratively across functions
• Demonstrated successful use of risk management and strategic supplier relationship management
• Demonstrated experience in Procurement in an international environment & local culture
• Track record of successful influencing/leadership skills and overall credibility with senior stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to challenge status quo
• Solid knowledge of the Pharmaceutical industry
• Experience of working and negotiating across/within local cultures

Education / Certifications

• BA/BS in a relevant field is required
• MBA or other advanced degree is preferred

Language

• English is required, French would be a plus

The annual base salary range for this position is $217,500 to $310,000

This job is eligible to participate in our short-term incentives program. The pay range displayed above is the range of base pay compensation within which Ipsen expects to pay for this role at the time of this posting. Individual compensation within this range depends on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, prior education and experience, job-related knowledge and demonstrated skills.

At Ipsen we are proud to offer a comprehensive employee benefits package, including 401(k) with company contributions, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, short- and long-term disability insurance, as well as flexible spending accounts. Ipsen also provides parental leave, paid time off, a discretionary winter shutdown, well-being allowance, commuter benefits, and much more.