Category Manager, Commercial Procurement
Alkermes · Waltham · $113,000–$131,000 (stated in the posting)
The Category Manager, Commercial Procurement is responsible for developing and executing category strategies that support the Commercial organization, with primary responsibility for Market Research, Sales Operations, and Market Access spend categories. This role partners closely with commercial business leaders to deliver strategic sourcing initiatives, supplier innovation, cost optimization, risk management, and contract value realization.
The individual will lead end-to-end sourcing activities, manage key supplier relationships, and provide procurement expertise to support business objectives across Commercial Operations, Brand Teams, Market Access, Patient Services, Field Operations, and Commercial Analytics. The successful candidate will combine strong procurement capabilities with a deep understanding of commercial services and healthcare market dynamics to drive business value beyond savings.
Essential Functions
Category Strategy & Business Partnership
- Develop and execute comprehensive category strategies for Market Research, Sales Operations, Market Access, Commercial Analytics, and related commercial services categories.
- Partner with Commercial leadership to understand business priorities, upcoming initiatives, and procurement requirements.
- Translate business objectives into sourcing strategies that optimize cost, quality, service, innovation, and supplier performance.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to stakeholders regarding market intelligence, supplier capabilities, contracting approaches, and procurement best practices.
- Build strong partnerships with Legal, Finance, Compliance, Medical, and Commercial stakeholders to support strategic business initiatives.
Strategic Sourcing & Contracting
- Lead end-to-end sourcing events, including spend analysis, market assessments, RFI/RFP development, supplier evaluation, negotiations, supplier selection, and contract execution.
- Conduct commercial market analysis to identify emerging suppliers, industry trends, innovative solutions, and competitive benchmarking opportunities.
- Negotiate pricing, commercial terms, service levels, data rights, performance metrics, and contractual protections that align with organizational objectives.
- Drive supplier consolidation and rationalization initiatives where appropriate to improve efficiency and leverage enterprise spend.
- Ensure sourcing activities comply with company policies, regulatory requirements, and procurement governance standards.
Supplier Relationship Management
- Establish and manage strategic supplier relationships across key commercial service providers.
- Conduct business reviews with critical suppliers and monitor performance against contractual obligations and service-level agreements.
- Drive supplier accountability, continuous improvement, and innovation opportunities.
- Identify and mitigate supplier-related risks, including operational, compliance, financial, and business continuity risks.
- Partner with suppliers to identify new capabilities, technologies, and service solutions that enhance commercial effectiveness.
Spend Management & Value Creation
- Analyze spend, utilization, and supplier performance data to identify opportunities for cost optimization and process improvement.
- Track and report sourcing benefits, including cost savings, cost avoidance, value creation, and operational efficiencies.
- Support budget planning activities by providing market intelligence and pricing insights.
- Develop fact-based recommendations to maximize ROI from commercial service investments.
- Drive compliance with negotiated contracts and preferred supplier programs.
Procurement Operations & Governance
- Support the procure-to-pay process and assist stakeholders with procurement systems, purchasing procedures, and supplier onboarding activities.
- Ensure contracts and sourcing events are appropriately documented and compliant with procurement policies.
- Maintain category dashboards, sourcing pipelines, supplier performance metrics, and executive reporting.
- Participate in cross-functional initiatives that improve procurement processes, stakeholder experience, and operational effectiveness.
Required Education and Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing, Economics, or related field.
- 5+ years of strategic sourcing, procurement, category management, or related experience.
- Experience supporting commercial services categories such as Market Research, Sales Operations, Market Access, Patient Services, Commercial Analytics, Data Providers, Consulting, or Marketing-related spend.
- Demonstrated experience leading sourcing events, supplier negotiations, and contract management activities.
- Proven track record delivering measurable business value through procurement initiatives.
- Experience working in a cross-functional, matrixed environment.
Preferred Education and Experience
- Pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare, or life sciences industry experience.
- Experience supporting Commercial, Market Access, or Sales organizations.
- MBA, CPSM, CPM, CIPS, or related professional certification preferred.
- Familiarity with procurement technologies, spend analytics platforms, and contract lifecycle management systems.
Competencies
- Strong strategic sourcing and category management expertise.
- Excellent stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
- Strong commercial acumen and understanding of commercial operations in healthcare or life sciences organizations.
- Analytical mindset with the ability to translate data into actionable business recommendations.
- Strong negotiation, influencing, and conflict resolution capabilities.
- Ability to lead initiatives through influence in a matrixed environment.
- Excellent project management and organizational skills.
- Strong verbal, written, and presentation skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Results-oriented with a focus on continuous improvement and value delivery.
Work Environment & Travel
- Hybrid work environment.
- Domestic travel up to 15%.
- Occasional supplier and stakeholder meetings may require additional travel.
The annual base salary for this position ranges from $113,000 to $131,000. In addition, this position is eligible for an annual performance pay bonus. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, training, knowledge, and experience. Alkermes offers a competitive benefits package. Additional details can be found on our careers website: www.alkermes.com/careers#working-here
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Why join Team Alkermes?
Alkermes applies its decades of deep neuroscience expertise to develop medicines designed to help people living with complex and difficult-to-treat psychiatric and neurological disorders. A global biopharmaceutical company, headquartered in Ireland with U.S. locations in Massachusetts and Ohio, we seek to make a meaningful difference in the way people manage their diseases. We have a portfolio of proprietary commercial products for the treatment of alcohol dependence, opioid dependence, schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder and narcolepsy, and a pipeline of clinical and preclinical candidates in development for various psychiatric and neurological disorders.
We are proud to have been recognized as an employer of choice by many national organizations. In 2024 and 2025, we were certified as a Great Place to Work in the U.S. and named one of Massachusetts’ Top Places to Work by the Boston Globe, a Best Place to Work in Greater Cincinnati by the Cincinnati Business Courier and recognized as a Best Place to Work in BioPharma by Fortune Magazine.
Alkermes, Inc. is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any qualified applicant or employee because of race, creed, color, age, national origin, ancestry, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression and identity, disability, genetic information, veteran status, military status, application for military service or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law. Alkermes also complies with all work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act and IRCA. Alkermes is an E-Verify employer.
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