Associate Director Vendor & Relationship Management

Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc.•Princeton, NJ

About The Position

Acadia is committed to turning scientific promise into meaningful innovation that makes the difference for underserved neurological and rare disease communities around the world. Our commercial portfolio includes the first and only FDA-approved treatments for Parkinson’s disease psychosis and Rett syndrome. We are developing the next wave of therapeutic advancements with a robust and diverse pipeline that includes mid- to late-stage programs in Alzheimer’s disease psychosis and Lewy body dementia psychosis, along with earlier-stage programs that address other underserved patient needs. At Acadia, we’re here to be their difference. The Associate Director, Vendor & Relationship Management will support and optimize strategic partnerships with clinical vendors, CROs, and functional service providers to ensure operational excellence, compliance, and value delivery across global clinical development programs. This role will drive vendor governance, performance management, and continuous improvement initiatives while collaborating cross functionally to support R&D business objectives and foster a culture of partnership and innovation. The Associate Director will partner closely with R&D stakeholders, Procurement, Quality, Finance, and Legal to enable effective vendor oversight and consistent outsourcing practices across the Acadia R&D organization.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in life science or a related field; Advanced degree preferred.
Targeting 8 years of experience in clinical trial operations, vendor/CRO oversight, supplier relationship management, or related roles within the biopharmaceutical industry.
Experience managing complex vendor relationships and supporting performance improvement initiatives required.
An equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be considered.
Strong understanding of clinical trial operations and outsourced service models.
Working knowledge of ICH GCP, regulatory requirements, and quality expectations for outsourced clinical activities.
Strong analytical skills, including experience with supplier scorecards, KPIs, and performance dashboards.
Experience in R&D outsourcing, vendor governance, or business operations functions.
Exposure to financial management of outsourced services, including budgeting and accruals.
Experience supporting audits, inspections, or inspection readiness activities.
Familiarity with alliance or partnership management methodologies.
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
Ability to work effectively in a fast paced, matrixed environment while managing multiple priorities and working cross-functionally.
Willing and able to travel both domestically and internationally.

Responsibilities

Support the development and execution of vendor and supplier relationship management strategies, including identification and management of critical partners (CROs, central and specialty labs, functional service providers, clinical technologies, patient recruitment and retention vendors).
Serve as a primary point of contact for vendor related operational issues, coordinating resolution and escalating unresolved matters through established governance pathways.
Coordinate and facilitate, when appropriate, vendor governance, including operational and steering committee meetings.
Develop and maintain supplier scorecards, dashboards, and KPIs to monitor vendor performance and identify trends and risks.
Conduct routine business reviews with vendors to ensure alignment on priorities and performance expectations, partnering with Sourcing and Legal as needed.
Oversee vendor performance supporting outsourced clinical trials, through partnership with the Clinica Operations team. Ensure alignment with program timelines, budgets, and quality expectations.
Partner with Clinical Operations, Clinical Supply Chain, Quality, Finance, and other cross functional teams to support timely and compliant delivery of services.
Support inspection readiness activities, including audits, vendor oversight documentation, and CAPA development in collaboration with Quality.
Contribute to process mapping, documentation, and implementation of standardized vendor oversight practices.
Identify opportunities to improve vendor performance, efficiency, and collaboration through data driven insights and process improvements.
Support innovation initiatives within vendor relationships, including new operating models, technologies, or ways of working.
Contribute to the development and rollout of best practices, standards, and tools for R&D vendor management.
Identify opportunities for cost optimization, demand management, and improved vendor utilization.
Support the development and maintenance of vendor performance reporting and dashboards.
Analyze performance metrics to proactively identify risks, issues, and opportunities for improvement.
Partner with internal teams to support implementation and optimization of vendor management tools and systems.
Act as a mentor and subject matter resource for team members and matrixed stakeholders involved in vendor oversight.
Foster strong, collaborative relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners to enable transparent communication and proactive issue resolution.
Effectively influence stakeholders across a matrixed organization without direct authority.
Other responsibilities as assigned.

Benefits

Competitive base, bonus, new hire and ongoing equity packages
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Employer-paid life, disability, business travel and EAP coverage
401(k) Plan with a fully vested company match 1:1 up to 5%
Employee Stock Purchase Plan with a 2-year purchase price lock-in
15+ vacation days
13 -15 paid holidays, including office closure between December 24th and January 1st
10 days of paid sick time
Paid parental leave benefit
Tuition assistance