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Dear Applicant,
17 years ago I founded Amici, and I have never been as excited about the opportunity we have and the rate of progress of the business. We now seek an experienced leader to head up our Strategic Sourcing function, set the direction for the future and drive step change in the service we deliver to our customers which will have a direct impact on our business performance. Let me tell you the story of Amici and how you could fit into our future.
I studied science at uni, but quickly pivoted into commercial and operations management before finding my home in procurement. I worked my way around blue chip Pharma and Biotech in the early days of strategic sourcing and did everything from global category management to site procurement to process and organisational transformation.
Amici was founded in 2005 to provide a turnkey procurement solution for small to mid-sized biotech companies. In order to have any negotiation leverage, we needed to use the buying power of all of the customers. Biotech operations are mostly R&D where 70% of the spend is bought on a one off basis to fulfil unpredictable innovation. Understanding the business needs of the customer has over the 17 years led to the evolution of our service.
Our customers require significant investment to fund their drug discovery activities and prefer to focus their headcount and operation on their core competence. Amici’s technology enabled service fits their needs. We provide a full eProcurement and inventory management software solution. Catalogue management and full end to end procurement services to support every PO transaction and sourcing request.
The Strategy Sourcing function takes full ownership for the hosted catalogue suppliers – managing the strategy, the suppliers, the pricing and the optimisation of the data to provide a world class procurement solution.
We have grown rapidly, and in recent times have been diverted onto the management of supply chain issues that have presented as a result of covid and Brexit. In setting up the Strategic Sourcing function we have started with building the right organisation, and have a fantastic, ambitious and very capable team. We now require a leader to set the direction, coach and mentor the team and drive the delivery of strategic procurement in order to deliver the best of breed solution our customers deserve.
This role reports into the Chief Procurement Officer Lonnie, Salmon and sits on the Sourcing Leadership Team. It would really suit an experienced leader who enjoys the challenge and empowerment of driving change. We are a dynamic high growth business, passionate about making things happen, measuring our success and having some fun working together! I think I speak for the whole team when I say that our culture and values are a core principle to us all, working together to make a great environment, celebrating our successes and supporting each other.
I welcome your evaluation of this role and both Lonnie and I would be happy to support any further information requests.
Amici Procurement Solutions History:
Founded in 2005, Amici has quickly become the market leader in procurement and materials management software solutions for Biotech businesses in the UK, with huge growth within the US market.
Amici’s proprietary cloud based (SaaS) eProcurement software, along with their consultancy services and smart use of data, drive customer operational efficiencies and controls. They are able to act as a virtual purchasing department for biotech companies, delivering services through their software solutions.
Their customers are high growth, high investment Biotechs, who have brought life changing sciences such as the Covid-19 vaccine, immunotherapies and brain degeneration therapies to the market. They work with companies from prefunding to manufacturing scale up and beyond – very much as a trusted partner throughout their customers’ journeys. Amici take extreme pride in delivering solutions of the highest standard, which result in both customer satisfaction and retention. All of their new business growth to date has come through referrals.
In recent years, Amici have significantly invested in the business and now have over 80 employees, all of whom are ambitious, passionate and hardworking. Now with over 200 customers, the business is debt-free and profitable, with significant cash reserves and an established heritage within the market. As they embark on the next adventurous phase of growth, the need is now to add some seasoned expertise to drive exceptional procurement delivery to their business and their customers.
Amici’s primary market is the UK’s fast growth, high investment Biotechnology sector, where the business is faced with an unprecedented opportunity. The UK is currently enjoying a ‘golden age’ for life sciences, with exponential levels of investment across this broad sector. 2021 saw a record £4.5bn invested into this space, a 60% increase on 2020’s figure, and activity shows no sign of slowing down. The level of IPO activity seen in 2021, with over £1.3bn raised on both sides of the Atlantic, is suggestive of a market reaching maturity, whilst the huge levels of VC investment are testament to the strength of the earlier stage companies coming through. As such, there is no better time to be providing services to this market, and Amici are extremely well placed to seize this opportunity. Additionally, there is significant longer term opportunity overseas, particularly within the US, which Amici are keen to exploit.
At Amici, the culture is defined and shaped by their people, who have a true say in what happens within the business. Their success depends upon fostering an entrepreneurial culture and Amici encourage our people to freely express their ideas which can be considered, debated, and pursued. Their values and culture are central to their success – these values are not just words; they are values that the company lives by. They capture the essence of the business, who they are and the way they work.
It is incredibly important to Amici that people not only enjoy their work but also their working environment – they have a fun and engaging culture which they are always investing in to ensure that people feel a sense of belonging and happiness.
They have nominated cultural ambassadors who drive social and cultural activities within the business throughout the year including; nights out, team building, virtual cook-alongs, quizzes, bingo nights, exercise classes, walking challenges, secret Santa and charity activities to support local causes.
As the business looks to the future, Amici is now seeking to recruit an experienced Head of Strategic Sourcing to play a key role in the next stage of the company’s growth and development. This individual will be a key member of the Service Management Team, with significant input into Amici’s company strategy and operational direction. The role has both responsibility for value creation in both regions (UK & US) and the supplier relationship management underpinning these strategic suppliers partnerships.
The team consists of
• Four Category Managers
• Supplier Relationship Manager
Leadership and Strategy:
• Collaborate with the Chief Procurement Officer, and wider Service Management Team to develop a sourcing & service strategy for each market which drives a best in breed supply chain solution
• Lead the Strategic Sourcing Team through the creation of a Strategic Sourcing Plan to underpin the Service and Corporate Strategy.
• Provide inspiring leadership within the team and across the business.
Department Management:
• Build and maintain a high performing department that delivers the delegated responsibilities and objectives:
• Cascade the departmental goals and objectives into strategic plans and individual objectives.
Supplier Management:
• Maximise value contribution to Amici and our customers.
• Implement a supplier buying policy which maximises on the selected preferred relationships.
• Implement and maintain preferred supplier SLA and contracts aligned to the needs of the customer base.
• Manage the supply chain to drive enhanced relationships, clarity of expectations and outcomes delivered.
• Consolidate catalogue and hosted SKU’s to ensure efficiency of the web based operating environment.
• Optimise the hosted database to align products to customer behaviour.
Category Management:
• Design a best in class category management process harnessing all that is great in web based and conventional procurement wisdom.
• Support, design and implement the procurement taxonomy.
• Manage a category opportunity pipeline exploit best value for Amici’s customers.
• In collaboration with the Business Intelligence and Master Data Team, drive optimal e-procurement experience through optimised data and key product fields.
• With support of the Business Intelligence Team, establish reporting methodologies.
Operational Efficiency
• Establish a strategic sourcing management cadence engaging all appropriate functions in the business.
• Champion and drive strategic sourcing initiatives which result in reduced workload for other service teams.
• Establish and maintain performance reporting routines and drive continuous improvement.
• Complete gap analysis and value steam mapping of existing process to support a continuous improvement objective to develop best of breed process and operating methodology.
Customer Communications
• Establish quarterly webinars and publications to update and provide insight with the prevailing market conditions, value impact to customers and future roadmap.
• Instil a process rigour which provides 360 degree information capture pertinent to the sector.
People and High Performance:
• Develop the organisational structure ensuring fitness for scale.
• Ensure clarity of ownership and expectations through JD, quarterly goals, and performance mgmt. cycles.
• Upskill the organisation to drive greater business performance outcomes.
• Drive Amici values to ensure they are embedded in the organisation.
Essential:
• Experience working at Senior Management level with influence across the organisation
• Thrives in a high growth fast paced environment, delivering outcomes without compromise.
• Adaptable from Snr. Mgmt. player to department leader.
• Proven track record in Strategic Sourcing & Category Management design, coupled with procurement transformation delivery experience.
• Ability to coach and mentor team.
Desirable:
• e-Procurement platform experience and catalogue hosting experience.
• Procurement to Pay process, controls and financial regulation.
• Familiarity with Biotech, scientific procurement, and life sciences operations.
• Contract knowledge.
Highly competitive and dependant on experience.
Interested candidates should contact Jacqui Paterson of JP Executive Search, our retained advisors, in the first instance: jacquipaterson@jpexecutivesearch. First stages will be managed by JP Executive Search before moving to interviews for formation of long list and short list then:
a. Initial interview of shortlist with Lonnie Salmon CPO
b. Detailed technical interview with Lonnie Salmon and Caroline Briggs ( CEO)
We don’t just want to secure an appointment that will work for you right now, we’re committed to finding you a role that aligns with your future career aspirations.
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