Lead Category Manager - Lab Reagents

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Position Overview

The Lead Category Manager - Lab Reagents is responsible for the development, execution, and leadership of category strategies for the Reagents category. This role is accountable for identifying and managing strategic suppliers and contracts to support the company's diagnostics portfolio and laboratory operations. The role requires close collaboration with internal stakeholders in R&D, Quality, Lab Operations, Manufacturing, and Regulatory Affairs to ensure continuity of supply, quality, compliance, and cost optimization. The Category Manager will play a vital role in shaping the sourcing strategy for lab reagents, including biological materials, enzymes, antibodies, chemicals, and other consumables used in assay development and commercial production. This role reports to the Associate Director, Strategic Sourcing - Global Category Management.

Essential Duties

Include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Serve as the sourcing subject matter expert (SME) for the Lab Reagents category, encompassing critical materials used in our Invitro Diagnostics (IVD) and Research Use Only (RUO) applications across Exact Sciences' diagnostic product lines. Monitors the external environment to identify new trends and opportunities.
• Develop and execute multi-year sourcing strategies for reagents that support long-term growth, technology advancement, regulatory requirements, and risk mitigation.
• Partner cross-functionally with Laboratory Operations, R&D, Quality Assurance, Regulatory, and Legal to assess reagent specifications, lead times, and lifecycle requirements that impact sourcing decisions.
• Engages business stakeholders to clarify and prioritize the value that is required from the category. Collaborates to establish category targets and tracks progress against targets.
• Partners to negotiate contracts meeting cost savings and risk mitigation objectives.
• Ensures development and application of advantageous sourcing strategies, managing strategic vendor selection through proven/approved RFx processes.
• Provides problem-solving and innovative ideas to support internal customers. Identifies value-generating opportunities (e.g. savings, efficiencies, or revenue growth).
• Drives an awareness of supplier expectations and requirements within the organization to foster win-win relationships.
• Monitors overall category strategy development and implementation, suggests changes to the strategy in line with the changing business environment. Identifies and resolves emerging issues with suppliers within category.
• Plays a key role in the phased roll out of category management across the organization, partnering closely with business stakeholders to ensure business objectives are met.
• Drives forward aggressive savings initiatives for indirect spend while continuously managing savings pipeline based on key procurement targets.
• Documents and communicates the savings success and engages business owners in needed process changes.
• Ensures Category Management policies are followed across the organization through education to impacted departments.
• Regularly presents to internal and external stakeholders.
• Leads and manages several varied projects at one time, with frequent changing priorities.
• Ability to effectively communicate to all levels within the organization.
• Ability to adapt to a quickly changing work environment with rapidly changing needs and requests.
• Ability to make decisions with limited information and operate with autonomy.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and negotiating skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to organize, present, and convey complex problems or issues within and across other functions.
• Uphold company mission and values through accountability, innovation, integrity, quality, and teamwork.
• Support and comply with the company's Quality Management System policies and procedures.
• Ability to act with an inclusion mindset and model these behaviors for the organization.
• Regular and reliable attendance.
• Ability to lift up to 20 pounds for approximately 5% of a typical working day.
• Ability to work on a mobile device, tablet, or in front of a computer screen and/or perform typing for approximately 90% of a typical working day.
• Ability to comply with any applicable personal protective equipment requirements.
• Ability and means to travel between local Madison Exact Sciences locations.
• Ability to travel 15% of working time away from work location, may include overnight/weekend travel.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in supply chain, finance, business or related to clinical and lab professional services.
• 7+ years of industry experience in category management, supply chain, clinical and lab professional services, or a field related to the essential duties.
• Demonstrated experience developing category management strategy and successful execution with a preferred emphasis on professional services or demonstrated experience and knowledge of clinical and lab professional services.
• Demonstrated experience in negotiation and contract management, including a working understanding of contractual terms and conditions and risk mitigation.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office programs, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.
• Demonstrated ability to perform the Essential Duties of the position with or without accommodation.

Preferred Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience working within Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, such as SAP.
• Demonstrated experience in organizational sourcing transformation and/or change management.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex and/or detailed information to multiple individuals/audiences with differing knowledge levels.
• Professional working knowledge with 21 CFR Part 820, ISO 13485, and/or cGMP structured environments.

Salary Range:

Exact Sciences is proud to offer an employee experience that includes paid time off (including days for vacation, holidays, volunteering, and personal time), paid leave for parents and caregivers, a retirement savings plan, wellness support, and health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage. Learn more about our benefits.

Our success relies on the experiences and perspectives of a diverse team, and Exact Sciences fosters a culture where all employees can develop personally and professionally with a sense of respect and belonging. If you require an accommodation, please contact us here.

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