Director, Head of Global Procurement

With our plans for continued pipeline advancement and organizational scale we are seeking a Director Head of Global Procurement. Sitting within the Finance department and reporting to the CFO this leader will be highly visible and play a critical role in standardizing and leading our global procurement processes driving cost efficiency and managing organizational spend with a specific and immediate focus on Clinical Research Organization (CRO) costs clinical trial spend and other external R&D costs. By establishing best-in-class processes and building strong partnerships with key functions like Clinical Operations R&D Finance Legal and IT you will drive significant value cost-efficiency and supply security directly enabling our continued growth and pipeline advancement.

The ideal candidate will be a passionate strategic and experienced procurement leader who can take charge of our global spend implement best-in-class procurement practices and collaborate closely with Clinical Operations R&D CMC Legal IT and Finance. This successful candidate will drive supply/service security cost-efficiency and supplier compliance ensuring that Bicycles external investments are optimized to support our growth.

Strategic Sourcing

• Lead and execute end to end global procurement strategies and processes across the company prioritizing high-value areas such as clinical development CMC specialty labs and R&D service providers.
• Partner with various teams (e.g. Clinical Operations CMC R&D Legal Quality IT) to design and execute RFP/RFI processes for outsourced work.
• Evaluate system requirements to streamline operations for growth and scale.
• Implement risk assessment and mitigation initiatives including dual-sourcing or multi-sourcing strategies where appropriate.

Vendor Management & Supplier Governance

• Establish formalize and lead a comprehensive key vendor management and supplier relationship management framework to drive accountability and high performance across the supply base.
• Design manage and continuously improve the supplier evaluation and management process ensuring operational quality and financial performance metrics are met.

Contract Negotiation & Management

• Lead contract negotiations including Master Service Agreements (MSAs) Statements of Work (SOWs) and change orders in close collaboration with Legal and the relevant subject matter experts and external parties.
• Partner closely with Legal and internal subject matter experts to review red-line and finalize contract terms to ensure optimal commercial structures competitive pricing clear deliverables and favorable risk-mitigation terms.

Spend Analysis Budgeting & Governance

• Design and implement global procurement policies and procedures to ensure compliance and that purchasing is aligned with strategic priorities and budgets.
• Establish and monitor report on key performance indicators (KPIs) supplier scorecards to identify areas for cost optimization and efficiency.
• Work in close coordination with Finance to support annual budgeting forecasting and the tracking of procurement-driven savings
• Monitor industry trends supplier market dynamics and regulatory impacts to proactively advise internal leadership on sourcing strategies.

Change Management & Process Integration:

• Lead change management initiatives to ensure the smooth adoption of any new global procurement processes tracking systems and policies across the organization.
• Foster a collaborative culture of strategic spend accountability working in close partnership with cross functional teams.

Team Leadership & Development

• You will lead coach and mentor your team investing in their professional growth and fostering a culture of high performance and psychological safety.
• You will set clear goals and strategic priorities for your team ensuring their work is directly aligned with departmental and organisational objectives.
• You will champion the Bicycle Values in all that you do acting as a role model and embedding a culture of collaboration accountability and innovation within your team.

WHO ARE YOU: SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

Key Skills & Competencies

• Vendor Governance & Performance: Advanced capability to establish robust oversight frameworks driving continuous vendor improvement through rigorous service level agreements (SLAs) key performance indicators (KPIs) and proactive relationship management.
• Negotiation & Collaboration: Advanced ability to collaborate influence and negotiate complex business terms with senior leaders and external executives.
• Analytical Thinking: Exceptional analytical skills with a strong ability to interpret complex spend data model total cost of ownership (TCO) and build presentations for senior management.
• Project Management: Strong project management skills including the ability to prioritize and execute multiple initiatives simultaneously in a fast-paced environment. Experience with system implementations and integration of AI into processes is a plus.
• Communication: Outstanding written and verbal communication skills with the capability to convey sourcing strategies and financial impacts clearly to diverse audiences.
• Tools: Proficient with Microsoft Excel PowerPoint and Word as well as experience with contract management and procurement systems.

Knowledge

• Core Expertise: As a leading expert in biopharmaceutical procurement you will influence the technical and strategic direction of our sourcing activities. You will lead major programs advance our procurement capabilities and translate functional strategy into impactful initiatives.
• Data & Insight: You interpret complex and often ambiguous commercial and operational information to resolve critical issues drive innovation in our sourcing strategies and shape departmental priorities.

Stakeholder Influence & Collaboration

• You engage extensively with senior leadership and external stakeholders influencing organisational priorities and strategic decisions. You are recognised internally as a trusted advisor on procurement and supplier management.
• Demonstrated success in building collaborative trust-based relationships with key internal business partners (e.g. Clinical Operations Clinical Business Operations CMC Legal IT Finance) and external vendor leadership to align commercial objectives.
• Clinical Financial Acumen: Deep understanding of clinical trial and drug development cost structures including unit-cost drivers in CRO and CDMO contracts.
• Ability to model budgets and financial scenarios to back up negotiation positions.

Job Complexity

• Task & Project Delivery: You lead significant departmental initiatives exercising judgment to solve ambiguous and unstructured problems. Your work requires conceptual thinking and the evaluation of multiple factors to shape solutions.
• Problem-Solving: You lead the resolution of significant and complex procurement challenges where existing approaches may not apply developing new frameworks and policies that guide work across the organisation.
• Strategic Impact: You shape solutions to complex departmental challenges affecting multiple functions ensuring that major procurement initiatives deliver their intended financial and operational outcomes.

Independence

• Autonomy: You operate with significant autonomy and authority making final decisions on the implementation of sourcing strategies and operational effectiveness within your scope.
• Decision-Making: You make major decisions affecting procurement programs departmental priorities and resource allocation operating with significant autonomy to determine trade-offs.
• Leadership & Mentorship: You provide authoritative guidance on complex strategic matters mentoring senior professionals and leaders and fostering collaboration across functions.

Values & Behaviours

• One Team: You create alignment across multiple functions actively challenging yourself to broaden your perspective while translating corporate objectives into a clear functional procurement strategy.
• Adventurous: You champion the adoption of transformative ideas and encourage a culture of innovation within your function balancing bold thinking with strategic risk management.
• Dedicated to our Mission: You hold yourself and your function accountable for delivering on Bicycles mission inspiring broad teams by connecting procurement outcomes to our ultimate purpose of serving patients.

Travel Requirements

Willingness to travel (locally and internationally) to develop promote and maintain strategic supplier relationships (up to 20%).

Qualifications :

Experience & Education

• Education: A relevant degree and/or deep expertise at the relevant level. A professional procurement certification (e.g. MCIPS CPSM) or an advanced degree (e.g. MBA) is desirable.
• Experience: Demonstrated deep expertise in strategic sourcing and procurement gained through significant experience in a global biopharmaceutical or biotechnology environment.
• CRO Expertise: Proven track record of successfully negotiating and managing high-value complex contracts particularly with Clinical Research Organisations (CROs) and other clinical development vendors.
• Systems Knowledge: Experience in designing implementing or optimizing procurement systems e-sourcing tools and ERP integrations supplier relationship management frameworks to support organizational growth and efficiency.

Additional Information :

• Pension 12% employer contribution
• Private Medical Insurance (PMI) (including optical and dental cover)
• Health Cash Plan
• Group Life Assurance (4x basic salary)
• Group Income Protection
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Gym membership (subsidized by Company if on campus subsidized by PMI if joined elsewhere)
• Time off (28 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays & the option to buy up to 5 additional days annually)
• Competitive reward including annual company bonus
• Employee recognition schemes
• Enhanced parental leave policies
• Flexible working environment
• State-of-the-art campus environment with on campus restaurant and Montessori nursery
• Eligibility for an option grant to subscribe to shares in Bicycle Therapeutics plc.

Bicycle Therapeutics is committed to building a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. We recognize that diverse and inclusive teams build a stronger and more innovative company. Therefore all qualified applicants will be considered for employment and we do not discriminate on the basis of race religion colour gender sexual orientation age disability status marital status or veteran status.

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time

Department / Functional Area: Finance
Experience: years
Vacancy: 1