R&D Partnership Manager

One of our client, a world leading pharmaceutical company, is looking for a

R&D PARTNERSHIP MANAGER

DURATION

Until June 2013

FUNCTION DESCRIPTION
* In the context of Vaccine development, the mission of Partnership within the department is to develop and manage the network of Preferred & Strategic Partnerships with External Laboratories worldwide within the scope of Phase I to post licensure studies in standard regulatory environment (eg Clinical testing Management, Central laboratory management, PBMC & Whole Blood stimulation management, HBSM management, ).

Objectives
* Management of a remote Matrix network of different external partners to build alliances and influence across national and cultural boundaries (up to 20 in different countries, including Africa and China).
* Coordination of complex Laboratory procedures, in terms of PBMC or whole blood processing, short timing, quality compliance and various regulatory requirements & act as "primary" point of contact
* Define and ensure standard processes across projects in collaboration with different internal & external stakeholders within GVCL
* Ensure overall performance is respected & analyse pre-defined project & non-project specific KPI's within the designed Partner
* Ensure escalation & communication roadmap is created and maintained for GVCL
* Establish network of communication and continuously build external collaboration to facilitate smooth partnerships and support proactively all external laboratories operational aspects
* Follow up & supervise the partnership with External Partners and ensure constant process improvements
* Negotiation of service agreements (budget, business requirements, timelines, quality, workload planning, ) and further follow-up of all types of contracts in close collaboration with the business requester & Procurement R&D.
* Participate to control expenses linked to out-contracted laboratory work of projects under his/her responsibility
* Ensurance of daily deliverables & project milestones under his/her responsibility are respected and surface issues to upper management when appropriate
* Able to turn their experience into business value, whether thats mentoring other members of the team, pulling the team and the project towards higher quality code, interacting more with the non-operational aspects of the project and provide process improvement supports.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Accountability
* Within the scope of Phase I to post licensure clinical studies, maintain the collaboration & business operational relationship with External Partners
* The impact on business is to ensure/optimize partnership between GVCL and external Partners to pro-actively create and improve the working environment which would ensure standardization & alignment in order to assure best value for money
* Being the interface between GVCL and External Partner
* Being the point of escalation between GVCL and External Partner
* Responsibility to maintain or improve the level of relationship with our External Partners by organizing Quarterly Management meetings
* Under close supervision with management, participate to Laboratory selection (RFP) process in collaboration with business requesters, R&D procurement and ad hoc parties (eg external expert, GVCL expert)

Complexity
* Broad scope and complex nature of Clinical Laboratory needs across the customer base (GVCL Study Management, CI&AM, GVCL Project Management, Development Unit, Local operating entities ...) coupled with the significant variability in regulatory, political and cultural constraints
* Working & taking decisions within a Matrix structure
* Working within a Supplier - Vendor relationship mindset
* Remote management of Preferred & Strategic Partnerships worldwide
Requirements & Knowledge
* Master or Bachelor's degree in sciences or equivalent background
* Broad general knowledge and competency in the area of out-contracting & vendor relationships
* Demonstrate good scientific Knowledge in the domain of Vaccines
* Good helicopter view especially to proactively detect problems and define possible solution and/or to surface issues to Management.
* Knowledge of GCP/ICH processes and GLP or GCLP processes with at least 5 years of hands on Clinical Trial experience.
* Ability to participate in a variety of meetings (eg Operational meetings with contracted laboratories, GCLP L2 audits)
* Customer oriented and flexible thinking and problem solver with sense of urgency
* Good presentation, communication and negotiation skills
* Strong Leadership, positive team spirit and interpersonal skills
* Good mastery of IT tools (Data bases, Excel, Remote Data collection and reporting tools, )
* Demonstrated fluency in spoken and written English beyond scientific English