Senior Supplier Relationship Manager

Senior Supplier Relationship Manager - Global Supply Chain

Location: Ireland / Hybrid

Our client, a leading global healthcare manufacturer, is seeking an experienced Senior Supplier Relationship Manager to lead a global team and oversee a complex portfolio of external manufacturing partners across multiple regions.

This is a strategic leadership role responsible for ensuring supply continuity, driving supplier performance, and managing critical Contract Manufacturing Organisation (CMO) relationships across a diverse product portfolio. The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping supplier strategy, developing high-performing teams, and delivering operational excellence across the end to end supply chain.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor and develop a global supply chain team, fostering a high performance culture and supporting long term capability development.
• Manage strategic relationships with multiple CMOs and key external manufacturing partners across global markets.
• Drive supplier performance through structured governance, KPI management and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure reliable product supply and effective risk management across a diverse product portfolio.
• Lead supply review meetings and governance forums with internal and external stakeholders.
• Develop and execute supplier performance improvement plans where required.
• Support New Product Introductions, technical transfers, product launches and change control activities.
• Ensure compliance with contractual obligations, regulatory requirements and company standards.
• Partner with senior leadership to deliver strategic supply chain initiatives and operational excellence programmes.
• Identify opportunities to enhance efficiency, resilience and performance across the external manufacturing network.

Candidate Profile

• Proven experience leading and developing supply chain teams, with a strong track record in people management and talent development.
• Significant experience managing external manufacturing partners and supplier relationships within a complex supply chain environment.
• Demonstrated success managing CMOs and multi site manufacturing networks.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with experience working across global or regional organisations.
• Experience within the pharmaceutical, medical device, healthcare or FMCG sectors is highly desirable.
• Strong understanding of supply chain governance, supplier performance management and risk mitigation.
• Experience supporting New Product Introductions, technical transfers and change management activities would be advantageous.
• Degree qualified in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, Science or a related discipline.

What's Needed to Succeed

• Strategic mindset combined with strong operational execution.
• Ability to lead through complexity and influence senior stakeholders.
• Strong commercial awareness and supplier management expertise.
• Excellent communication and relationship building skills.
• Resilient, proactive and solutions focused leadership style.