Category Buyer, Medical Communications & Events, Japan

Sanofi is an innovative global healthcare company headquartered in Paris, France with one purpose: Chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives. 

We are dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of the patients and families we serve, and we accomplish our goals through world-class research and with the compassion and commitment of our employees. 

The company is focused on accelerating development to deliver breakthrough medicines and vaccines to patients, delivering excellence though Diversity.

Sanofi operates in 90 countries with 91 000 employees worldwide, working in 59 manufacturing and 20 Research & Development (R&D) sites. In 2022 business net income was €10.3 Billion, delivered by 4 Global Business Units: Specialty care, Consumer Healthcare, Vaccines & General Medicines.

Sanofi covers major therapeutic areas, including immunology, cardiovascular, diabetes, oncology, rare diseases, etc. 

ABOUT THE JOB

Within Sanofi, the Procurement function is a powerhouse maximizing savings to fund the company’s future growth. The Chief Procurement Officer is reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, member of the sanofi executive committee. The Procurement organization is divided into five Domains (Manufacturing & Supply, Marketing & Sales, Professional Services, Scientific & Medical and Digital) leveraging Global Procurement Operations and the Procurement Center of Excellence & Transformation.  The yearly spend coverage is around 15B€ with a special focus on Procurement excellence, Supplier Diversity and Sustainability. Closely collaborating with Finance, Business Operations and Business Units, Procurement is instrumental in achieving cost efficiency and savings. Procurement plays a critical role in optimizing Business Operational Impact with a focus on driving simplification, efficiency, and productivity. It forges strategic partnerships with suppliers, prioritizing innovation and data driven solutions.

Our Hubs are a crucial part of how we innovate, improving performance across every Sanofi department and providing a springboard for the amazing work we do. Build a career and you can be part of transforming our business while helping to change millions of lives. Ready? As Events and Medical Communication Buyer within the Marketing & Sales domain, you will be responsible for implementing sourcing strategies according to category management strategies and leading sourcing for the category of spend & geographic scope assigned, and across all business units. 

This includes activities such as, but not limited to, partnering with the internal business teams to support their objectives, assist with building project scopes, consolidate all business needs and specification, conduct Global Request for Proposal (RFP), negotiate contracts renewals, rate cards / discount schedules, and manage overall relationships with key suppliers. Maintain all procurement documentations updated, report KPIs for his geographies to GCM/GLBs, key focus of this role will be to: manage local procurement projects for his/her geographies, business partnering with the GBUS, GTMC, SBO Hubs leaders and Medical function and report to Global team all relevant information to improve Global procurement strategy with the geographic scope.

Geographic scope

The geographic scope of this role is Japan

Main responsibilities:

• Ensures Global strategy's execution in Japan

• Delivers savings pipeline in line with targets and leads local RFIs/RFPs and contract negotiations for his/her category

• Reports on status, savings, performance and risks on the sourcing activities he/she is in charge of including regular touchpoints with Finance business partners

• Supports pre/post-audit management, crisis management

• Maintains comprehensive understanding of Procurement Policies/Processes related to risk/CSR/Compliance and ensures that these are adhered to by relevant team members

• Identifies non-compliant processes and defines appropriate corrective measures while

• Develops strong partnerships with his/her key internal customers and foster two-way supportive relationships with them

·       Drive and influence Business Partner’s to act on strategy set up by demonstrating a clear leadership.

·       Challenge status quo and put best practices in place

·       Presents Procurement strategies to key internal customers for review and input

·       Identify cross-GBU synergies even in absence of cross-GBU stakeholders

ABOUT YOU

Experience:

• 4+ years’ experience in Procurement or related field (including agency-side experience)

Soft skills

·       Project Management skills (planning, prioritizing )

·       Knowledge of best-in-class Procurement techniques and processes

·       Consistency of focus upon delivery of outcomes and results

·       Demonstrated analytical skills and ability to utilize tools/systems accordingly

·       Ability to work independently on multiple concurrent priorities/projects

·       Defines and balances strategic priorities against immediate operational challenges

·       Able to quickly assimilate new information/skills 

·       Readily adapts to new environment, processes, ways of working, etc.

·       Willingness and ability to challenge the status quo, with leadership

·       Encourages collaboration within team and across other functions/groups

·       Strong communication, presentation, change management and negotiation skills. 

·       Role model in compliance and ethics

·       Actively seeks feedback to identify opportunities for improvement

·       Resilience and aptitude to navigate in a complex organization

The position requires sourcing professional skills with a strong ability to develop relationships within and across the different lines of business and throughout the Procurement organization, including transversal / project management skills as well as management skills in a multi-cultural environment.

Education:

• Minimum Bachelor degree from accredited University (master degree is preferred)

Languages

• Fluent in Japanese is a must

• Fluent in English is a must