Associate Director/Director Of Procurement

Caribou Biosciences is a leading clinical-stage CRISPR genome-editing biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing transformative therapies for patients with devastating diseases. Our next-generation genome-editing technology enables superior precision to develop cell therapies that are armored to potentially improve antitumor activity. We believe the future of cell therapy is off-the-shelf, and we are advancing our pipeline of off-the-shelf, or allogeneic, cell therapies from our CAR-T and CAR-NK platforms as readily available treatments for patients with devastating disease.
Caribou is a dynamic biotech company rapidly advancing three clinical stage CAR-T programs directed in hematologic oncology indications. Our lead program, CB-010, is advancing in a Phase 1 dose escalation study, and expected to enter a pivotal study by the end of 2024. Caribou is today a clinical-stage company, and building toward commercial aspirations.
Members of the Caribou herd open their minds to new ideas and welcome diverse perspectives. We proudly assert that teams do their best work when their members are personally engaged, their ideas are taken seriously, and contributions are recognized. Members of the herd work from our headquarters in Berkeley, California, or remotely.
We are seeking an Associate Director/Director of Procurement to lead all aspects of the procurement process and work with herd members across all departments in the organization to assist in making strategic sourcing decisions and the selection of new vendors. In addition, they role will be responsible for developing new policies, practices, and systems where required, to ensure the Procurement function operates efficiently, provides high customer service & satisfaction, and continuously improves performance. The incumbent will examine existing practices to assess the organizational value-add and recommend improvements based on data-driven analyses. Establish internal and external resources to enable a high-performing and customer-oriented procurement function. This role may be onsite or hybrid with visits to headquarters in Berkeley, CA.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree required, ideally in a field related to operations or procurement
• Minimum 10 years’ procurement experience in the life sciences industry
• Ability to develop, design, implement, and monitor plans, policies, procedures and systems
• Expertise in all aspects of the procurement function and workflow: vendor assessment and onboarding, purchasing negotiations, reviewing contracts, consulting engagements, contract management, etc.
• Ability to build, lead and grow a procurement function for a clinical-to-commercial stage biotech
• Ability to analyze, review and advise on contract terms and conditions, and evaluate their impact on Caribou’s business
• Possess strong communication and leadership skills
• Have knowledge of purchasing operations, including, but not limited to, vendor development, contract negotiation, procurement, and raw materials management
• Have a proven track record of managing vendor relationships demonstrating negotiated savings, high quality and service
• Possess strong interpersonal, influencing, problem solving and time management skills
• Have the ability to analyze financial data and advise employees on purchases
• Knowledge of Coupa and NetSuite strongly preferred

Caribou compensation and benefits include:

• Comprehensive compensation package, which includes competitive salary, bonus, and equity for all employees
• Salary Range: $175,0000 to $240,000 - This represents the present low and high end of the Company’s pay range for this position. Actual pay will vary based on various factors, including but not limited to location, skill, experience, and performance.
• Generous paid vacation time, in addition to company-observed holidays and floating holidays
• Excellent medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement savings plan, which includes matching employer contributions
• Tuition reimbursement program

The benefits and stock purchase described above are subject to the terms and conditions of any governing plans, policies, practices, agreements, or other materials or documents as in effect from time to time, including but not limited to terms and conditions regarding eligibility.
Caribou is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), sex (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding), genetic information, taking or requesting statutorily protected leave, or any other basis protected by law. In addition, Caribou prohibits the harassment of any individual on any of the bases listed above or any other characteristics protected under federal, state, or local laws.
Legal authorization to work in the United States is required. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.
For more information about Caribou, visit www.cariboubio.com and follow the company @CaribouBi

• Implement policies, procedures, technologies, end-to-end automation, and industry “best practices” to establish a consistent, reliable and compliant Procure-to-Pay process
• Be recognized as the business process owner and champion for continuous improvement for Caribou’s procurement function
• Establish strong working relationships with business partners, including AP, Finance, Legal, and other stakeholders across the organization to drive change and adherence to applicable policies and processes. Specific focus on relationship-building with AP/Finance to drive collaboration and integration of the groups in management of the Procure-to-Pay process
• Assist in the design and enhancement of Caribou’s Procure-to Pay system (Coupa) into Netsuite system, including necessary enhancements to current processes
• Manage, maintain, and drive process improvements for the entire procurement process including, developing bids, requests for proposals, and the signing of supply agreements with vendors
• Negotiate terms, ensuring the most favorable outcome for Caribou including risk reduction and industry compliance
• Seek, identify, evaluate and recommend appropriate primary suppliers and, when necessary, secondary suppliers
• Proactively identify new ways to achieve and track cost savings and operational efficiencies, such as consolidating contracts and recommending supply chain process improvements
• Use industry best practices to identify trends and alternative vendor opportunities to support evolving business needs
• Track and trend internal purchasing activities
• Collaborate with the Legal Department in developing strategies, policies, and processes to ensure that the contract request and review process aligns with vendor qualification, procurement processes, and budgetary approvals
• Effectively communicate procurement strategy, processes, and results to stakeholders and leadership – conducting meetings and reviews as necessary to drive timely procurement processes
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to resolve supplier quality and/or services issues as appropriate
• Perform SOX-compliance reports; support audit requirements, when necessary.
• Support Procurement training to all new employees; periodically review and refresh training materials as required.
• Additional opportunities to work on new and on-going projects within the Finance area.