Santen is a specialized life sciences company with a proud 130-year heritage focused exclusively on ophthalmology. As a Japan-originated, global company with our footprint in over 60 countries, we are dedicated to delivering innovative treatments and digital solutions for eye health and addressing vision-related social issues for people around the world. 

Due to the expansion, we are looking for a talented Head of External Manufacturing and Sourcing (EM&S) in to be based Singapore.  

As a key partner to the business, the Head of External Manufacturing and Sourcing (EM&S) is responsible for the strategic planning and execution of EM&S operations across three of Santen’s Regions (Japan, China and Asia).

This position leads and manages the manufacturing, sourcing and Contract Manufacturing Organizations (CMOs) for all Santen products produced externally within the Region. Additionally responsible for assessing new business development opportunities and for developing and implementing the required organization, standards, processes and procedures.

The position reports to the Head of Global EM&S and is responsible for delivering overall performance results from the Regions’ CMO network.

What you will do

• Drives and develops the regional EM&S vision in partnership with global EM&S, for pharmaceutical and biologics CMOs
• Develops the strategy for EM&S across the Region, with direct accountability for external manufacturing operational performance, including on-time in-full supply, COGS management, capacity management and business continuity planning.
• A key member of the Product Supply (PS) department, provides strategic input and ensures alignment with senior stakeholders to ensure the attainment of the company’s short- and long-term goals.   
• Implements and leads Supplier Relationship Teams (SRTs) to manage the key strategic partners, acting as the virtual plant manager for the CMO, with matrix responsibility for cross-functional team members such as Quality, Planning, Procurement, Project Management and MS&T.  Ensures optimal supplier relationship management and the seamless delivery of products to meet the needs of the business.
• Negotiates and runs RFPs to ensure the continuity of product supply requirements and delivers timely execution of Technical Transfer projects, for existing and new product launches.
• Leads external manufacturing and sourcing in a cost-efficient manner, developing quantitative performance monitoring and the rollout of relevant KPI’s that can be used as a platform to continuously improve supply from external manufacturers.
• Builds a quality ethos into all decisions and processes, reinforcing the implementation of Santen’s Global Tech Transfer Process (GTTP) standards to support Make-or-Buy decisions, Supplier Selection, Technology Transfers and the Management of Commercial Products. 
• Owns and controls the regional EM&S budget including capital investments with external partners, technical transfer expenses and other expenses needed to support the life cycle management of the products.
• Drives change management and continuous improvement of EM&S, driving end-to-end value creation projects across the total supply chain to deliver competitive advantage for the business.  
• Provides due diligence evaluation and advice on new sourcing and external manufacturing business opportunities in partnership with the Business Development (BD) team. Manages the integration and set up of new BD suppliers and represents Santen on external governance committees, such as Joint Manufacturing Committees.
• Negotiates and executes legal contracts, together with the Legal and BD teams, including Manufacturing & Supply Agreements and Technical Transfer Agreements, structuring such contracts in an optimal manner to ensure the security of long-term supply and the protection of the Santen business
• Performs other duties as necessary as assigned by management

What you will bring to the role

Education: 

Degree in Life Sciences, Biological Sciences or Product Supply related areas. Post-graduate training preferred (e.g. eMBA, finance training, engineering, lean 6 sigma etc.) is desirable 

Experience:

• Ten years plus experience in product supply and manufacturing in the pharmaceutical industry and/or the biologics industry
• Experience and solid track record in leading and managing external manufacturing suppliers in Asia
• Solid understanding of the drug development process, of GMP requirements and the manufacturing of sterile products.  Cell and gene therapy awareness an advantage
• Strong understanding of end-to-end supply chain management requirements
• Experience in a matrix organization, operating and communicating with senior level management, both internally and externally, and managing interdepartmental processes.
• Strong business acumen, and demonstrated improvements of business performance (optimization of cost, resources, results), as well as a sound understanding of relevant financial and legal aspects
• Experience in leading and managing in an international environment.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems
• Ability to think critically and fast, to make both strategic and tactical decisions in design, management and execution of the sourcing and external manufacturing alliances
• Comfortable in a matrix organization, able to navigate political and cultural differences. Strong communication abilities and inter-personal skills.  Adept at working cross-functionally.
• Planning and prioritization
• Strong organizational development and change management skills
• Results focused and customer service orientated self-starter
• Strong management and leadership skills
• Proven track record of negotiating, both with internal stakeholders and with external partners
• Excellent writing, editing and computer skills including MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Vision) and other planning and mapping tools
• Fluency in English (oral and written). Additionally able to communicate in either Chinese and/or Japanese. 

Grow your career at Santen

A career at Santen is an opportunity to make a difference. We aspire to contribute to the realization of “Happiness with Vision” by providing eye health products and services to patients, consumers, and medical professionals around the world. Guided by our CORE PRINCIPLE, “Tenki ni sanyo suru”, Santen is engaged in the global research & development, manufacturing, and sales and marketing of pharmaceutical products in opthlamology. We have team members around the world using their diverse talents to unlock new modalities and drive innovations for patient outcomes, education and treatment. At Santen, we believe in empowering all our team members with flexible ways of working and a highly inclusive work environment.

The Santen Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building diverse teams and ensuring a safe and inclusive physical and virtual workplace for every one of our team members. All employment decisions are based on business needs, role requirements and individual qualifications regardless of race, color, ethnicity, national origin/ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/ expression, age, disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you require any kind of accommodation during our recruitment process, please let the recruiter from our team know.