Senior Specialist, Procurement
Operations & Supply ChainPosted 16 Jul 2026
Advertised as “Sr. Spclst, Procurement”
Posted 16 Jul 2026
Advertised as “Sr. Spclst, Procurement”
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
| Base salary | US$96,000 – US$151,500 / yr |
|---|
CertificationsMaster’s Degree
Field of studyOrganic Chemistry, Chemical Engineering
Job Description
Advanced Strategy & Procurement is responsible for the development and implementation of all supplier management strategies and initiatives, improving supply chain resiliency, and driving improvements in cost, supplier performance and working capital, in support of manufacturing and supply of our company products.
Strategic Supplier Management is a rigorous, data-driven methodology which relies upon high-quality market intelligence for suppliers, supply markets and supply chains, as well as strategic analysis and reporting of internal business requirements, supplier performance, spend and savings data.
The successful candidate will actively engage in the interphase between our Research & Development division and our Manufacturing division by providing supporting strategic sourcing solutions during the development of new Pipeline Products
The successful candidate will be responsible for the gathering, creating, delivering, tracking, analyzing, modeling, and managing data for various strategic initiatives within Small, Large Molecules area of Direct Materials Procurement. The candidate will also support bioconjugates and antibody drug conjugates. Will enable progress on projects and procurement organizational objectives and accelerate organizational performance through effective project management and communications, strategy execution, and focused team performance.
General Responsibilities:
Responsible to collect and present market trends and dynamics, competitive environment and industry best practices in order to assist in the creation of the sourcing strategy.
Collaborate along with other key functions - the overall sourcing strategy and ensure seamless execution across all modalities until launch + 2 years.
Support strategic and operating objectives for the procurement function including product sourcing, supply risk management, supplier performance improvement, cost reduction, supplier development, working capital improvement, and supplier relationship management.
Work with cross functional teams including Legal, Finance, Procure-to-Pay, internal stakeholders, and external suppliers.
Conduct detailed market analyses looking at facts and data with the objective of providing deep and meaningful insights
Implement procurement strategies and execute tactical procurement processes. Serve as a resource regarding processes, procedures and systems for procurement function.
Support selection of suppliers to ensure appropriate savings and service levels. Ensure that all legal contract requirements are met. Manage relationships with selected external contacts to ensure optimal team performance.
Enforce compliance with all Global Procurement policies and procedures by using a data driven business case approach.
Additional responsibilities are as follows:
Supplier and Supply Market Analysis – To conduct rigorous market intelligence and detailed supplier and supply market analyses, to provide deep and meaningful insight to sourcing teams.
Cost Modeling / Cost reduction – To construct detailed cost models/purchase price analysis of goods and services that are supplied to our company. At times, this will require supplier visits to create a complete understanding of the cost structure of suppliers and develop cost reduction opportunities.
Strategic Analysis – To conduct project analysis which transforms information into insightful, well-structured breakthrough options and opportunities. Examples include Portfolio Analysis, Supplier Preferencing, and Day One Sourcing.
Financial Analysis & Reporting – To prepare analysis and reporting of category spend, savings, compliance, and other metrics. To support the annual budget / profit planning process for the category at the global level. To maintain financial reporting and management systems (including SAP) with up-to-date data on an ongoing basis.
Negotiation Planning – To create detailed pre-negotiation plans, to support and participate in prolonged negotiation sessions with suppliers and to conduct post negotiation debriefs and follow through plans.
Sourcing – To create and execute RFIs, RFPs, and e-Auctions, together with subsequent structured information analysis wherever possible using electronic procurement processes.
Risk Assessment and Mitigation – To conduct effective risk assessment (including Financial Solvency Analysis, compliance with FCPA, Business Partner Code of Conduct, etc.) and establish appropriate risk mitigation plans within the supply-base pursuant to our company Manufacturing Division's risk management framework.
Category Team Membership – To be an active member of one or more category teams using the techniques and content created in above as input in the creation of breakthrough strategies delivering cost reduction targets.
Sharing of Learnings – The candidate will be expected to generate high-quality work and to share and transfer this to colleagues throughout Global Supplier Management Group (GSMG)
Education Minimum Requirement:
Required Experience and Skills:
Minimum 2+ years of relevant work experience in the pharmaceutical industry.
Adaptability and ability to work across multiple enterprise initiatives, able to communicate effectively across different levels of organization.
Possess excellent verbal and written communication skills including ability to make clear and concise presentations, sensitivity to cultural differences in communication.
Ability to influence external partners to drive meaningful outcomes.
Advanced data collection, management, analytics and reporting skills.
Excellent project management skills
Ability to work independently with a high degree of flexibility and adaptability to deal with ambiguous and dynamic situations.
Quick learner and motivated to cultivate technical, business and commercial skills by applying their knowledge within company’s environment.
Proficient in Microsoft office suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)
Preferred Experience and Skills:
Prior pharmaceutical industry experience or any fortune 500 company experience.
Cost modeling experience
Experience with using MS Teams, SharePoint or other similar collaboration websites.
Experience with PowerBI or other data analytic/visualization tools
Experience with using Excel to manage large datasets.
Experience managing external relationships.
Experience with data collection methods.
Required Skills:
Adaptability, Adaptability, Analytical Thinking, Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADC), Benchmarking, Contract Management, Contract Requirements, Cost Reduction Initiatives, Data Analytics, Driving Continuous Improvement, Drug Development, Financial Acumen, Financial Analysis, Global Sourcing, Influencing Skills, Procurement Management, Production Planning, Product Risk Management, Project Management Support, Regulatory Compliance, Risk Assessments, Risk Evaluation And Mitigation Strategy (REMS), Risk Management, Supplier Management, Supplier Relationship Management {+ 3 more}
Preferred Skills:
Current Employees apply HERE
Current Contingent Workers apply HERE
US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:
Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.
As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:
We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.
Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts
The salary range for this role is
$96,200.00 - $151,400.00
This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.
The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.
We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.
You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.
San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance
Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance
Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully
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:
No relocation
VISA Sponsorship:
No
Travel Requirements:
50%
Flexible Work Arrangements:
Not Applicable
Shift:
Not Indicated
Valid Driving License:
Yes
Hazardous Material(s):
N/A
Job Posting End Date:
07/30/2026
*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.