Category Manager, R&D Outsourcing

This position can be located in either St Louis, MO or Salt Lake City, UT

The Category Manager, R&D Outsourcing is responsible for building, leading, and deploying the global sourcing strategy for a newly created portfolio of R&D-related services. This role establishes category definitions, develops short- and long-term category strategies, aligns with scientific and technical leaders across R&D franchises, and ensures effective implementation through project buyers or direct execution depending on the scope. In addition, the role will benefit from strong and active support from Procurement leadership, ensuring guidance, sponsorship, and visibility throughout the organization.

The Category Manager will operate in a matrix R&D organization structured by technology franchises (e.g., Microbiology, Immunoassays, Sequencing, Molecular Biology), each involving cross-functional development domains (Hardware, Software, Biosciences etc). Outsourcing topics may apply simultaneously to several franchises or to transversal R&D disciplines, requiring strong coordination, influence, and category governance. The role will also be backed by explicit endorsement and continuous engagement from R&D Executive Leadership, providing strategic alignment, easier access to key decision-makers, and a highly supportive environment for driving change.

Primary Duties

1. Define and structure the Global R&D Services category, including detailed sub-categories such as hardware engineering, systems development, biosciences, clinical affairs, and project management services.
2. Deploy a category management approach covering a wide portfolio of R&D services across regions and franchises.
3. Analyze internal demand, R&D operating models, and supplier markets to identify opportunities, risks, consolidation levers, and innovation potential.
4. Design, maintain, and implement comprehensive category strategies, including segmentation, outsourcing models, preferred supplier frameworks, sourcing methodologies, and innovation roadmaps.
5. Co-define short- and long-term outsourcing strategies with internal stakeholders to support the evolution and transformation of R&D practices.
6. Ensure full alignment with R&D leadership, franchise heads, functional stakeholders, and global procurement policies while integrating new Group R&D requirements.
7. Design, standardize, and deploy outsourcing methodologies across global R&D teams (decision frameworks, operating models, processes, templates).
8. Promote consistency and harmonization of outsourcing practices across franchises, ensuring fit-for-purpose contracting models and supplier selection approaches.
9. Act as the primary procurement counterpart for global R&D leaders across all franchises.
10. Represent Procurement in cross-functional working groups, ensuring a deep understanding of stakeholder needs and translating them into actionable sourcing strategies.
11. Facilitate cross-franchise alignment on outsourcing needs, sourcing strategies, contracting models, and preferred supplier lists.
12. Lead category governance routines, including decision-making forums, alignment reviews, and leadership touchpoints.
13. Foster a collaborative, value-driven sourcing culture within global R&D.
14. Lead complex and strategic sourcing initiatives spanning multiple projects, franchises, or transversal R&D domains.
15. Support and guide Project Buyers for project-specific or franchise-specific sourcing activities.
16. Identify, evaluate, and qualify new suppliers to enrich the R&D supply base and address emerging needs.
17. Develop, negotiate, and manage MSAs, framework agreements, and rate card structures when relevant.
18. Ensure supplier compliance with quality, regulatory, ethical, and CSR requirements.
19. Establish and lead supplier performance monitoring and governance, including KPIs, service level agreements, business reviews, risk assessments, and continuous improvement plans.
20. Oversee supplier innovation pipelines and assess emerging capabilities to support evolving R&D priorities.
21. Support corporate procurement objectives related to performance, CSR, responsible sourcing, and eco-design, ensuring their consistent deployment at supplier level.
22. Drive alignment with company sustainability strategy and contribute to Scope 3 reduction initiatives where applicable.
23. Conduct ongoing market intelligence across R&D services ecosystems.
24. Perform supplier and industry benchmarks to identify trends, opportunities, disruptions, and best practices.
25. Translate insights into actionable category enhancements and long-term strategies.
26. Ensure effective execution of category strategies across all R&D franchises, with robust governance and operational discipline.
27. Establish R&D-specific sourcing processes, templates, governance models, and workflow standards to reinforce procurement excellence.
28. Track and report category performance (savings, quality, service levels, risk mitigation, innovation, CSR metrics) to Procurement and R&D leadership.
29. Support make-or-buy evaluations, risk assessments, and full contract lifecycle management.
30. Build and collaborate with cross-functional project teams to secure efficient deployment of category and sourcing strategies.
31. Ensure new Group R&D requirements are embedded into supplier strategies, contract models, and sourcing decisions.
32. Perform all work in compliance with company quality procedures and standards.
33. Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance or similar degrees required. 
  • Or HS Diploma/GED and 4 years of additional experience in Procurement, category management, or strategic sourcing. 
• 7+ years of experience in Procurement, category management, or strategic sourcing required

Preferred Experience

• Master’s degree preferred
• Experience in Procurement/Strategic Sourcing, preferably in a corporate and global environment in biotech, technical, or medical industry
• Experience working with R&D teams or dual technical/business background
• Practical experience in some of the following: procurement of Indirect services in a technical background, change management projects, global and multi-site/organization strategy deployment, top management presentations, and reporting.
• Skilled at listening internal stakeholders, engaging them in a procurement approach, proposing solutions, and implementing a clear procurement vision.
• Knowledge of SAP & Jaggaer

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 

• Consistently upholds and reflects the core ethical principles and values that bioMérieux promotes.
• Effective Presentation Skills – including the ability to present technical data
• Demonstrates assertiveness and confidence in the face of a challenge
• Creativity in forming new ideas, solutions, and approaches to challenges; to think outside-the-box
• Analyze data and make decisions/recommendations, using data to guide decision-making and provide suggestions for improvement.
• Collect and analyze data to drive informed decision-making to improve performance and identify issues
• Advanced skills in MS Office tools to include but not limited to Outlook, Teams, Word, and Excel
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills (active listening, collaboration, ability to influence, etc.)
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.