Job Title: Vendor Qualification Associate I
Location: Foster City, CA – Hybrid (3 days onsite/week)
Contract: 1 Year Contract
Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM
Possibility: Contract extension possible
Job Summary
Our client, a leading biopharmaceutical company, is seeking a Vendor Qualification Associate I to support vendor qualification and oversight activities across the global R&D portfolio, including Phase I–IV clinical trials.
This role will support and lead cross-functional activities related to vendor capability assessments, sourcing, contracting, procurement, category management, compliance, and inspection readiness. The ideal candidate will have strong pharmaceutical/biopharmaceutical industry experience, project management skills, and the ability to effectively collaborate with internal stakeholders and external vendors.
Key Responsibilities
- Conduct and support Request for Information (RFI) and vendor qualification activities.
- Perform vendor capability assessments and due diligence.
- Support Data Privacy & Security IT Assessments.
- Conduct Anti-Bribery & Anti-Corruption (ABAC) due diligence.
- Support vendor financial health assessments.
- Assist with sourcing, contracting, procurement, and category management activities.
- Support inspection readiness and compliance preparation activities.
- Analyze vendor data and perform benchmarking to identify trends, insights, and continuous improvement opportunities.
- Prepare presentations, reports, and training materials for internal stakeholders.
- Partner with Clinical Operations, R&D Quality & Compliance, Finance, Legal, Business Conduct, Vendor Relationship Management, and other cross-functional teams.
- Manage multiple projects and competing priorities with minimal supervision.
- Maintain strong relationships with external vendors and internal stakeholders.
- Support vendors involved in clinical trial activities such as clinical monitoring, data management, RWD/RWE, biostatistics, medical writing, central labs, biomarker labs, bioanalytical labs, RTSM, eCOA, medical imaging, safety, e-consent, telemedicine, and wearable technologies.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree (BS/BA) in a relevant field.
- 10+ years of relevant experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or healthcare industry.
- Strong project management experience; candidates with current or previous Project Manager experience are highly preferred.
- PMP certification or equivalent certification preferred.
- Experience with vendor qualification, vendor management, outsourcing, sourcing, procurement, or category management.
- Experience supporting clinical trials / clinical development, preferably across Phase I–IV.
- Strong understanding of GCP, GVP, GLP, GDP, and ICH E6 R2 requirements.
- Experience with vendor due diligence, compliance assessments, and inspection readiness.
- Strong analytical, critical-thinking, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong stakeholder management and presentation skills.
- Ability to interact confidently with internal executives and external vendors.
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and manage competing priorities.
Preferred Background
Ideal candidates may come from backgrounds such as:
- Clinical Project Management
- Clinical Outsourcing
- Vendor Management
- Vendor Qualification
- Pharmaceutical Procurement
- Strategic Sourcing
- R&D Project Management
- Healthcare Project Management
Work Arrangement
Hybrid – Foster City, CA
Candidate must be able to work onsite 3 days per week.
Contract Duration: 1 year, with possibility of extension