Global Category Manager – Clinical

Global Category Manager – Clinical / Direct Procurement Pharma, Healthcare & Animal Health – Madrid/Multiple Hubs Across Europe We are partnering with a leading organisation within the healthcare and life sciences sector, continuing its procurement transformation journey across direct clinical and R&D categories. This is an opportunity to bring structure, innovation, and best-practice procurement to a growing European operation. With an expanding footprint across pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and animal health, this role suits individuals looking to combine operational delivery with strategic influence in a regulated, science-driven environment. The Opportunity A Global Category Manager – Clinical / Directs is required to drive sourcing excellence from the organisation’s hub in Madrid . You will work closely with R&D, clinical operations, legal, finance, regulatory and quality teams to shape category strategies, strengthen supplier relationships, and embed consistent sourcing standards and documentation. What Makes This Role Different Global remit supporting a maturing procurement function across clinical and scientific categories Influence category strategy, implement sourcing frameworks, and standardise processes across areas such as: Clinical trial services, full-service CROs and specialist providers Biomarker, central laboratory and bioanalytical services Lab equipment, consumables, and scientific technology Packaging, materials, and external manufacturing partners Drive both commercial value and risk/compliance outcomes , including GxP alignment, audit readiness, and service quality Opportunity to contribute to project governance , reporting, dashboards, benchmarking initiatives, templates, process descriptions, and continuous improvement projects Qualifications Proven experience in clinical or R&D procurement within pharmaceuticals, biotech, healthcare or related regulated sectors Hands‑on experience managing RFP/RFI cycles, rate cards, master service agreements (MSAs), scope of work (SOW) development, and contract execution with clinical vendors or CROs Ability to conduct market analysis , benchmark service offerings, and manage supplier performance using defined KPIs Strong cross‑functional stakeholder engagement with teams such as clinical operations, regulatory affairs, QA, finance, legal , and technical/scientific functions Confidence working with structured reporting , savings tracking, documentation standards, and procurement systems (e.g. Ariba, contract management workflows, dashboards) A mindset for process improvement , simplification, and bringing consistency to sourcing documentation, templates, and workflows Location & Ways of Working My client is open to candidates based in most locations throughout Europe Occasional European travel to engage suppliers and global teams Why Apply This role offers scope far beyond transactional procurement. You will be part of a transformation journey with the chance to: Shape how clinical and scientific categories are sourced Build long‑term supplier partnerships Create templates, tools, best‑practice documentation and reporting structures Influence strategic decision-making in a science‑led, global environment If you are motivated by ownership, process maturity, stakeholder collaboration, and delivering measurable value , we would love to hear from you. Apply now Send your CV to Adam at Keywords Procurement, Clinical Procurement, Category Manager, Directs, CRO Management, Biomarkers, Central Labs, RFP, MSA, SOW, R&D Procurement, Pharmaceuticals, Life Sciences, Healthcare, Animal Health, Madrid, GxP, Contracting, Process Improvement, Supplier Management, Transformation #J-18808-Ljbffr