Procurement and Supply Chain Manager (Austin, TX - On-site)
Fortrea
Summary
The Procurement and Supply Chain Manager is an individual contributor responsible for leading strategic sourcing, supplier management, inventory management, and supply chain operations supporting Fortrea's Clinical Pharmacology Services (CPS) business, including laboratory and Clinical Research Unit (CRU) operations. This role will initially focus on establishing and optimizing core procurement and supply chain capabilities within the Austin laboratory environment, including supplier onboarding, contract management, item master governance, inventory control, purchasing, receiving, fulfillment, and logistics processes. The position will partner closely with business stakeholders to build scalable processes, systems, and controls that support operational excellence and business growth. As capabilities mature, the role will expand its focus toward strategic sourcing, category strategy development, supplier performance management, and business partnership across the broader CPS organization.
Job description
Procurement & Strategic Sourcing
- Lead development and execution of sourcing strategies for assigned spend categories.
- Conduct supplier evaluations, competitive sourcing events, negotiations, and contract development activities.
- Establish and maintain supplier relationships focused on value creation, service excellence, risk mitigation, and innovation.
- Partner with stakeholders to identify sourcing opportunities and procurement process improvements.
- Negotiate pricing, commercial terms, service levels, and contractual obligations within established guidelines.
- Monitor supplier performance utilizing KPIs, scorecards, and business reviews.
- Support savings identification, tracking, and reporting activities.
- Ensure procurement decisions are based on total value, incorporating cost, quality, service, risk, and operational considerations.
Supply Chain Operations
- Support the development and implementation of warehouse, inventory, and supply chain operating procedures.
- Establish and oversee inventory management processes supporting laboratory operations.
- Lead item setup, supplier catalog/contract management strategy.
- Develop inventory optimization strategies balancing service levels, working capital, and obsolescence risk.
- Monitor inventory accuracy, cycle counting, and inventory controls.
- Manage purchasing, receiving, replenishment, and fulfillment processes to ensure material availability.
- Coordinate shipping, logistics, and distribution activities with internal stakeholders and third-party providers.
- Participate in demand and supply planning to support anticipated business needs and operational growth.
Process & Systems Leadership
- Serve as a key business subject-matter expert for procurement and supply chain system implementation, enhancement, and optimization activities.
- Ensure that business is aligned with Fortrea Supplier Onboarding Process.
- Develop scalable workflows, controls, documentation, and governance processes.
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency through automation, standardization, analytics, and technology.
- Work with Global Procurement Services team and Accounts Payable to ensure procurement and supply chain master data integrity including suppliers, items, and related records.
- Provide data driven insights and develop operational reporting and performance metrics.
Business Partnership
- Serve as a trusted advisor to CPS laboratory and operational leaders.
- Collaborate effectively with Finance, Quality, Operations, Legal, and other functional stakeholders.
- Lead cross-functional initiatives requiring procurement and supply chain expertise.
- Support change management activities associated with business growth and integration efforts.
- Promote a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and customer service.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Operations, Finance, Life Sciences, or related field
- 5+ years of procurement, strategic sourcing, supply chain, inventory management, or operations experience
- Experience negotiating supplier agreements and managing supplier relationships
- Experience supporting inventory, purchasing, receiving, warehouse, or logistics operations
- Experience implementing process improvement initiatives
- Experience working within procurement, ERP, inventory management, or related business systems
- Experience collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders to deliver operational outcomes
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving capabilities
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to influence stakeholders across multiple business functions without direct authority
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment
- High degree of personal integrity and commitment to ethical business practices
Benefits
- Medical, Dental & Vision
- Life Insurance
- Short Term Disability
- Long Term Disability
- 401(k)
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan
- Paid Time Off
- Flexible Time Off
- Company Bonus
Company overview
Fortrea Holdings Inc. is a leading global contract research organization (CRO) that provides comprehensive clinical development solutions to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries. Headquartered in Durham, North Carolina with operations in over 90 countries, Fortrea specializes in managing all aspects of clinical trials from Phase I through IV, including clinical pharmacology and post-approval services. The company offers a wide range of services including regulatory affairs, protocol design, operational planning, patient recruitment, project management, data management, biostatistics, pharmacovigilance, and medical writing. With over 30 years of clinical research experience, Fortrea has evolved from its heritage as Covance and Labcorp into a pureplay CRO focused on delivering agile, fit-for-purpose solutions for both emerging and established life sciences companies. The company has conducted more than 5,850 clinical trials involving over 1 million subjects in the past five years, with particular expertise in oncology, central nervous system disorders, rare diseases, and cell and gene therapies.