Head of Direct Materials - Global Procurement

Roche seeks a Director to lead global procurement for direct materials within its Pharma division, based in Basel. This onsite role focuses on strategic sourcing, team leadership, and supply resilience.

This position serves as a key member of the Materials, Manufacturing & Capex (MMC) Procurement community leadership team, reporting to the Chapter Lead of Global Procurement. The incumbent is responsible for defining the procurement strategy and vision for Roche’s global Pharma direct materials spend, ensuring alignment with broader corporate goals while providing expert guidance on category management and delivery capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic thought leadership and expert advice on procurement delivery capabilities, strategies, and industry best practices.
• Direct and enhance the execution of sourcing, category management, contracting, technology adoption, and supplier relationship strategies.
• Monitor and ensure the achievement of core objectives, including supply resilience, financial targets, and other corporate or category-specific goals.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Procurement Category Experts and Senior Experts.
• Collaborate with the MMC Leadership Team to implement the Global Procurement strategy effectively.
• Optimize workforce allocation to ensure operational flexibility, high-performance execution, and continuous talent development.

Requirements

• University degree, preferably in business administration or life sciences.
• Over 12 years of procurement experience, covering both strategic and operational aspects, with specific expertise in relevant categories, ideally within a matrix organization.
• Proven track record of building, managing, and cultivating large, senior global teams.
• Extensive experience within the pharmaceutical procurement production end-to-end value chain.
• Strong leadership abilities, including excellent communication, conflict resolution, and influencing skills.
• Deep understanding of direct material categories and the associated supply market dynamics.
• Business-level fluency in English.

Nice to have

• Prior experience working within a matrix organizational structure.
• Broad knowledge of procurement categories beyond direct materials.

What the company offers

• Relocation support for eligible candidates.

About the company

Roche is a global healthcare company dedicated to advancing science to prevent, stop, and cure diseases, ensuring access to healthcare for current and future generations. With a workforce of over 100,000 employees worldwide, the company fosters a culture of creativity, ambition, and genuine human connection. Employees are encouraged to explore new possibilities and are valued for their unique contributions in a respectful and open environment.

• A culture that values personal expression, open dialogue, and genuine connections.
• An environment where employees are accepted, respected, and valued.
• A mission-driven focus on preventing, stopping, and curing diseases.
• Empowerment to explore new possibilities and maintain high ambitions.
• A global community of over 100,000 employees dedicated to advancing science.