Associate Director, Trade Operations – Middle East & Russia
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Key skills for this role
About the Role
Gilead Sciences seeks an Associate Director of Trade Operations to lead regional trade operations across the Middle East and Russia. The role ensures patient access through demand planning, supply chain governance, tender management, and strategic supply network management.
Key Skills for This Role
Responsibilities
- Lead regional demand planning process across multiple markets, ensuring accurate, data driven forecasts
- Oversee Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) processes, providing visibility of supply risks and mitigation strategies
- Lead operational readiness for new product launches, line extensions, market expansions, and product discontinuations
- Serve as regional escalation lead for supply related issues requiring global coordination
- Lead end to end tender and RFQ management across Middle East and Russia markets
- Lead strategic supply chain projects aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and market responsiveness
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on forecasting accuracy, inventory management, service levels, and operational efficiency
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Pharmacy, Life Sciences, or related field
- Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in supply chain, trade operations, demand planning, commercial operations, or related disciplines
- Experience within pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare, or highly regulated industries
- Proven track record managing complex cross functional and multi country operations
- Strong experience in tender management, institutional procurement, supply planning, and inventory management
- Experience working within global matrix organizations
- Advanced degree (MBA or Master's) preferred
Full Job Posting
Role Purpose
- The Associate Director, Trade Operations is responsible for leading the regional trade operations strategy across the Middle East and Russia, ensuring uninterrupted patient access through robust demand planning, supply chain governance, tender excellence, and strategic supply network management.
- The role serves as the critical link between regional commercial teams and global supply chain functions, driving end to end planning, mitigating supply risks, optimizing inventory and distribution models, and enabling successful execution of procurement opportunities.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the regional demand planning process across multiple markets, ensuring accurate, data driven forecasts aligned with commercial objectives and market dynamics.
- Drive integration of demand, supply, inventory, and financial considerations to optimize service levels, working capital, and product availability.
- Oversee Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) processes, providing visibility of supply risks, constraints, and mitigation strategies.
- Partner with global planning teams to ensure forecast alignment, supply continuity, and execution readiness.
- Develop and maintain supply continuity and contingency plans to proactively manage market volatility, regulatory changes, and geopolitical risks.
- Lead operational readiness for new product launches, line extensions, market expansions, and product discontinuations.
- Ensure effective coordination between commercial, regulatory, quality, supply chain, and market access teams throughout the product lifecycle.
- Drive launch planning activities, including supply allocation, inventory strategies, market specific requirements, and implementation timelines.
- Serve as the regional escalation lead for supply related issues requiring global coordination and executive visibility.
- Drive resolution of complex supply challenges by engaging planning, manufacturing, logistics, quality, and regulatory stakeholders.
- Establish structured governance forums to monitor supply performance, identify emerging risks, and drive mitigation actions.
- Lead decision making processes during supply constraints, balancing patient needs, business priorities, and regulatory requirements.
Tender, Contracting & Market Access Operations
- Lead end to end tender and RFQ management across Middle East and Russia markets.
- Oversee opportunity assessment, demand validation, supply confirmation, bid coordination, contract execution, and performance monitoring.
- Partner with Commercial, Market Access, Finance, and Pricing teams to ensure alignment between commercial strategy, supply commitments, and financial objectives.
- Support business case development and strategic assessments for tender participation and institutional procurement opportunities.
- Ensure compliance with internal governance standards and external procurement requirements.
Supply Chain Transformation & Strategic Initiatives
- Lead strategic supply chain projects aimed at enhancing operational efficiency, market responsiveness, and customer service excellence.
- Drive implementation of regional Trade Operations and Transformation projects, including implementing third party logistics (3PL), secondary packaging operations, distribution optimization, and localization programs.
- Lead deployment and adoption of global supply chain platforms and digital tools, including SAP implementation across the region.
- Support network optimization, supplier engagement, and logistics transformation programs to improve scalability and operational resilience.
- Provide strategic insights and recommendations to support long term supply chain capability development.
Cross Functional Leadership & Governance
- Act as a trusted business partner across Commercial, Finance, Market Access, Regulatory, Quality, Legal, and Global Supply Chain functions.
- Facilitate alignment between regional and global stakeholders on supply priorities, business objectives, and operational strategies.
- Establish and maintain governance frameworks that ensure compliance, transparency, and accountability in planning and supply management processes.
Operational Excellence, Analytics & Continuous Improvement
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on forecasting accuracy, inventory management, service levels, and operational efficiency.
- Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess supply chain performance and identify improvement opportunities.
- Champion the adoption of advanced analytics, reporting tools, and dashboards to support proactive decision making.
- Ensure data integrity and consistency across planning, procurement, inventory, and supply management systems.
- Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and operational excellence across the organization.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Pharmacy, Life Sciences, or related field.
- Advanced degree (MBA or Master's degree) preferred.
- Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in supply chain, trade operations, demand planning, commercial operations, or related disciplines.
- Experience within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare, or highly regulated industries.
- Proven track record managing complex cross functional and multi country operations.
- Strong experience in tender management, institutional procurement, supply planning, and inventory management.
- Experience working within global matrix organizations.
Core Competencies
- Strategic Thinking, Business Partnership, Decision Making Under Uncertainty, Change Leadership
- Demand Forecasting & Supply Planning, Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP), Supply Risk Management, Tender & Contract Management, Product Launch Excellence, Distribution & Logistics Operations, especially 3PL
- Stakeholder Management, Cross Functional Leadership, Negotiation & Influence, Problem Solving & Escalation Management, Project & Program Management
- Data Analytics & Performance Management, Scenario Planning & Risk Assessment, ERP & Planning Systems (SAP preferred), Business Intelligence & Dashboard Reporting
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience managing operations across Middle East, or other emerging markets.
- Hands on experience with supply chain transformation – especially 3PL, supply network design, or localization initiatives.
- Knowledge of pharmaceutical tendering and government procurement environments.
- Experience leading SAP or other major ERP implementations.
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