Assoc Dir, Supplier Relationship Mgmt

We are seeking a collaborative leader with operations experience to join the SRM Team as Associate Director, Supplier Relationship Management. This role is pivotal in supporting the continued development of the Operations Supplier Relationship Management model and business processes across the operations supply network. The successful candidate will lead key supplier engagements, drive supplier performance, and partner with internal and external stakeholders to support our vision to deliver a sustainable and resilient supply network. 

• Support the continued development and lead implementation of the Operations Supplier Relationship Management model and business processes across the operations supply network. 
• Act as the Relationship Manager for assigned key direct materials Suppliers (API, Drug Product, Packaging, Components). 
• Lead the monitoring of Supplier contracts for compliance with contractual terms and drive execution against contract terms to secure value for Alkermes. 
• Lead Business Review Meetings with key Suppliers along with other appropriate periodic engagement to manage performance and manage the business relationship
• Lead supplier performance management by developing, maintaining, and managing KPI’s and scorecards and agree root cause analysis and action plans to remedy poor performance.
• Engage with the Operations Network Risk Management process and maintain Risk Assessment and Risk Management tools and processes to evaluate Supplier risk profiles. Establish remediation strategies/plans to reduce risk and improve supply chain robustness. 
• Collaborate with Development & External QA, to progress Quality goals with suppliers. 
• Facilitate multi-disciplinary Supplier Relationship Management Teams (SRMTs) to support achievement of functional and business goals by aligning on priorities, issue resolution, resourcing and execution plans in line with Operations and enterprise goals.
• Facilitate cross-functional (including Development & External QA Lead, Technical Operations Lead, Commercial Supply Chain Lead and other SMEs as required) Joint Operations Teams (JOTs) to collaborate with counterparts at suppliers to manage and oversee routine operations and achieve robustness of supply in line with contractual agreements including Quality, Confidentiality and Supply Agreements.
• Facilitate communication, visibility and escalation of supply operations execution issues between the SRMT/JOTs and the External Operations Leadership Team via the weekly Operations Execution (S&OE) meeting.

• Collaborate and work closely with the Technical Operations function in supporting activities including but not limited to Technology Transfer and Supplier Selection.
• Collaborate with Environmental Health, Safety & Security to progress EHSS agenda with suppliers. 
• Collaborate with Commercial Supply Chain colleagues to support network supply planning via the S&OP Supply Review and other business processes as required. 
• Support the preparation and management of the Supply Chain budget.
• Develop strong internal collaborations with stakeholders in Operations and beyond to ensure alignment and delivery of mutual goals.
• Identify continuous improvement/ best practice projects & processes across the Supply Chain and the external network and work collaboratively to implement these aligned with business strategy.

Enhance and contribute 

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Engineering, or a related area is required, 12+ years of progressive experience in the life sciences or pharmaceutical industry, with 7+ years in operations/external operations, supplier management, or contract manufacturing leadership roles.
• Proven track record of operations leadership in external operations, including oversight of CMOs, vendors, and global supply networks.
• Deep understanding of GMP manufacturing processes, regulations, quality systems, and compliance frameworks across global markets.
• Demonstrated ability to lead high-impact, cross-functional initiatives involving Technical Operations, Quality, Regulatory, and Supply Chain teams.
• Experience in contract negotiation and lifecycle management, including high-value, complex agreements with external partners.
• Strong background in operations management, including supply continuity planning, risk mitigation, and performance optimization.
• Skilled in supplier governance, including KPI development, scorecard management, and business review facilitation.
• Proven ability to influence and collaborate across matrixed organizations, driving alignment and accountability across internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement, and technical writing skills.
• Demonstrated success in project and change management, including technology transfer and external network transformation.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and make autonomous decisions in high-stakes, complex scenarios.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally (10–20%) to support network oversight.
• Role based in Dublin, Ireland, with flexibility to support global operations.

COMPETENCIES

Accountability: Meets commitments, works independently, accepts responsibility, handles change, sets personal standards, stays focused under pressure, meets attendance/punctuality requirements, drives results independently while aligning with corporate objectives. 

Business Acumen: Understands Alkermes’ patients, the business model, the industry, the competition, the macro conditions of the global market, the compliance environment and their collective impact on the future direction of the company. 

Collaboration & Communication: Builds and maintains strategic partnerships across internal functions and external suppliers. Influences senior stakeholders and drives consensus. Communicates well both verbally and in writing, creates accurate and punctual reports, delivers presentations, shares information and ideas with others, has good listening skills.

Leadership & People Development: Mentors and develops talent within External Operations. Leads by example and fosters a high-performance culture.

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement: Is attentive to detail and accuracy, is committed to excellence, looks for improvements continuously, monitors quality levels, finds root cause of quality problems, owns/ acts on quality problems. Champions lean principles, digital transformation, and process optimization across the external network.

Decisive Decision Making: Recognizes problems and responds, systematically gathers information, sorts through complex issues, seeks input from others, addresses root cause of issues, makes timely decisions, can make difficult decisions, uses consensus, when possible, communicates decisions to others. Makes informed, timely decisions in complex environments. Balances risk, cost, and quality to ensure supply continuity.

Technical & Regulatory Expertise: Serves as a subject matter expert in GMP and operations management. Maintains up-to-date knowledge of industry and regulatory trends.