The mission of a Vendor Strategy Manager is to design, implement and manage effective strategies for the selection, evaluation, and optimization of key vendors supporting clinical trial operations.

The Vendor Strategy Manager will strive to maximize the value of the vendor network, foster long-term trusted relationships, and mitigate risks associated with outsourcing services in a regulated and dynamic environment, also serving as the primary point of contact between the company and its vendors, ensuring that contracted services meet the required standards of quality, timelines, and budgets essential for the success of clinical trials.

Key responsibilities (supply chain focus)
Vendor/category strategy

Build and maintain the strategy for transportation/logistics, warehousing, cold chain, packaging, or other supply chain vendor categories.
Define network and vendor footprint approach (coverage, redundancy, lanes, service tiers).

Sourcing and vendor selection

Lead/coordinate RFPs for carriers, 3PLs, packaging, temperature-controlled services, and related providers.
Develop evaluation models (service capability, compliance maturity, cost-to-serve, network fit, scalability).
Contracting, SLAs, and commercial management

Negotiate rate cards, lane pricing, accessorials, fuel surcharge structures, and contract terms (with Procurement/Legal).
Define SLAs/KPIs such as OTIF, on-time pickup/delivery, claims rate, temperature excursion rate, order accuracy, dock-to-stock, cycle time, and customer-impact metrics.

Performance governance

Run operational governance (weekly/monthly) and QBRs; build scorecards and performance dashboards.
Drive corrective actions for service failures (late deliveries, damages, shortages, temperature excursions).
Risk, quality, and compliance

Ensure vendors meet requirements around GDP/GxP (as applicable), cold chain handling, chain of custody, security, DEA/controlled substance handling (if applicable), audits, CAPAs, and business continuity.
Maintain contingency plans for lane/carrier disruption and capacity constraints.
Cost-to-serve and savings delivery

Identify and realize savings via lane optimization, mode shifts, consolidation, packaging optimization, and demand shaping.
Monitor cost drivers (accessorial leakage, detention/demurrage, re-delivery, expedited freight, spoilage).
Operational improvement and initiatives

Lead joint continuous-improvement projects (dock scheduling, pick/pack process, returns, packaging standards).
Drive adoption of tools (TMS/WMS visibility, track-and-trace, exception management).

Stakeholder leadership

Partner closely with Distribution Center ops, Transportation, Customer Service, Quality, Security, Finance, and Procurement.
Communicate vendor health, risks, and major escalations to leadership.
Typical metrics owned/tracked
Service: OTIF, on-time delivery %, order accuracy, cycle time, fill rate
Quality: damage/claims %, temp excursion %, deviation/CAPA closure time
Cost: cost per shipment/order, accessorial %, premium freight %, savings realized
Risk: audit findings, insurance compliance, incident rate, BCP readiness

.

Education and Background:

• Bachelor’s in:

  • Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Operations Management

  • Business, Finance, Industrial Engineering

  • Data/Analytics or Information Systems (for TMS/WMS-heavy roles)

• Master’s (nice to have):

  • MBA, MS Supply Chain/Operations, MS Industrial Engineering

• Certifications (often valued)

• APICS/ASCM: CPIM, CSCP, CLTD

• ISM: CPSM (procurement/vendor management)

• Lean Six Sigma: Green Belt / Black Belt

• If cold chain/regulated distribution is in scope: familiarity with GDP/GxP concepts (certs vary by region)

• 5–10+ years in a mix of:

  • Transportation management (parcel/LTL/FTL, international freight, brokerage)

  • 3PL/warehousing operations and performance management

  • Procurement / strategic sourcing for logistics, packaging, or ops services

  • Supplier/vendor management with structured governance (QBRs, scorecards, SLAs)

• Proven track record in:

  • RFPs and negotiations (rate cards, lanes, accessorial controls)

  • KPI/SLA design and performance improvement programs

  • Cost-to-serve analysis and savings realization

  • Risk management (capacity, disruptions, contingency planning)

• Tools and skills (commonly expected)

• Analytics: Excel (advanced), Power BI/Tableau, basic SQL a plus

• Supply chain systems: TMS/WMS, track-and-trace/visibility platforms

• Contracting: SOWs, SLAs, penalty/credit frameworks, governance cadence

• Strong cross-functional leadership (Ops, Quality, Security, Finance, Customer teams)

• Domain knowledge that stands out in pharma distribution

• Cold chain handling basics, deviation/CAPA mindset, audit readiness

• Security/chain-of-custody awareness (especially for high-value or controlled products)

What Cencora offers

​Benefit offerings outside the US may vary by country and will be aligned to local market practice. The eligibility and effective date may differ for some benefits and for team members covered under collective bargaining agreements.

Full time

Affiliated Companies

Affiliated Companies: Alcura Health España S.A.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Cencora is committed to providing equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or membership in any other class protected by federal, state or local law.

The company’s continued success depends on the full and effective utilization of qualified individuals. Therefore, harassment is prohibited and all matters related to recruiting, training, compensation, benefits, promotions and transfers comply with equal opportunity principles and are non-discriminatory.

Cencora is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the employment process which are consistent with legal requirements. If you wish to request an accommodation while seeking employment, please call 888.692.2272 or email [email protected]. We will make accommodation determinations on a request-by-request basis. Messages and emails regarding anything other than accommodations requests will not be returned