Direct Sourcing Lead - BU Category
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Sep 25, 2026. First seen by Alion on Sep 24, 2026. Danaher Corporation scores B on the Alion truth index.
Bring more to life.
Are you ready to accelerate your potential and make a real difference within life sciences, diagnostics and biotechnology?
At Cytiva, one of Danaher’s 15+ operating companies, our work saves lives-and we’re all united by a shared commitment to innovate for tangible impact.
You’ll thrive in a culture of belonging where you and your unique viewpoint matter. And by harnessing Danaher’s system of continuous improvement, you help turn ideas into impact - innovating at the speed of life.
Working at Cytiva means being at the forefront of providing new solutions to transform human health. Our incredible customers undertake life-saving activities ranging from fundamental biological research to developing innovative vaccines, new medicines, and cell and gene therapies.
At Cytiva you will be able to continuously improve yourself and us - working on challenges that truly matter with people that care for each other, our customers, and their patients. Take your next step to an altogether life-changing career.
Learn about the Danaher Business System which makes everything possible.
The Direct Sourcing Lead is accountable for strategic and operational sourcing execution with full ownership for assigned commodities and suppliers. This role owns supplier strategy, supply assurance, commercial performance, and risk management across a highly regulated, technically sensitive, and customer-critical category.
The role partners closely with Manufacturing, MSAT, Quality, Regulatory, S&OP, and Commercial teams to ensure continuity of supply, regulatory compliance, and long-term category sustainability.
What You Will Do:
- Develop and execute sourcing strategies for assigned commodities and suppliers, driving supplier selection, development, consolidation, risk mitigation, and performance optimization.
- Lead the end-to-end procurement lifecycle, including RFQs, supplier negotiations, contract management, purchase execution, and implementation of supply agreements.
- Drive supplier performance, cost reduction, deflation, quality improvement, and delivery performance while achieving sourcing KPIs and business objectives.
- Conduct cost modeling, manufacturing process analysis, and market assessments to identify opportunities for total cost of ownership improvements and supply continuity.
- Partner with Operations, Quality, R&D, Product Management, and other stakeholders to qualify suppliers, support NPI/NPD initiatives, and ensure business requirements are met.
- Monitor global commodity markets, supplier capacity, and regulatory developments to proactively manage risk and maintain long-term supply security.
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives related to sourcing processes, supplier performance, issue resolution, and procurement system data management.
Who You Are:
- Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Engineering, Materials Science, Industrial Engineering, Packaging Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, or a related discipline.
- Minimum 8 years of experience in direct procurement, strategic sourcing, supply chain management, or category management within regulated manufacturing environments.
- Demonstrated experience negotiating supplier agreements, managing RFQ processes, and executing sourcing strategies for direct materials.
- Experience utilizing ERP systems and advanced data analysis tools to manage spend, supplier performance, and procurement activities.
- Experience working with GMP, regulated chemical, life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or similarly regulated supply chains.
Travel, Motor Vehicle Record & Physical/Environment Requirements:
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 25% of the time.
- Must have a valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record if operating a company or rental vehicle.
- Ability to work in office, manufacturing, laboratory, and supplier environments as required.
- Ability to occasionally lift or move materials and equipment up to 25 lbs.
It Would Be a Plus If You Also Possess Previous Experience In:
- Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical, or Cell Culture Media industries.
- Masters degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business Administration (MBA), or related field.
- Professional certifications such as CPSM, CIPS, PMP, APICS/ASCM CPIM, or CSCP.
Join our winning team today. Together, we’ll accelerate the real-life impact of tomorrow’s science and technology. We partner with customers across the globe to help them solve their most complex challenges, architecting solutions that bring the power of science to life.
For more information, visit www.danaher.com.