Associate Director, Supply Chain

About this role

Associate Director, Supply Chain

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: Onsite - Hybrid Eligible

: United States - California - El Segundo

: Full time

: Posted Yesterday

: R0055588

We’re here for one reason and one reason only – to cure cancer. Every moment is dedicated to developing treatments and every action moves us one step closer to our goal. We’ve made incredible scientific breakthroughs and our pioneering personalized CAR T-cell therapies have changed the paradigm. But we're not finished yet.

Join Kite, as we make even bigger advances in cancer therapies, and help shape where our business and medical science goes next.

We believe every employee deserves a great leader. People Leaders are the cornerstone to the employee experience at Gilead and Kite. As a people leader now or in the future, you are the key driver in evolving our culture and creating an environment where every employee feels included, developed and empowered to fulfil their aspirations. Join Kite and help create more tomorrows.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities- External Supply Enablement & Program Management

• Support CTL, CMO, and Partnerships Focus Factory Teams (FFTs) through Project Management, including reporting and developing/enabling tools to manage risk, escalations, decisions, and tracking of activities. This includes maintaining integrated plans, timelines, and RAID (Risks, Actions, Issues, Decisions) logs to ensure timely execution and leadership visibility.
• Manage and report overall performance for Contract Testing Laboratories (CTLs), Contract Manufacturing Organizations (CMOs), and Partnerships, consolidating KPI data into executive-ready dashboards and scorecards for monthly/quarterly business reviews. Establish and maintain standardized reporting, dashboards, and data flows that provide accurate, timely visibility across the external network.
• Develop and manage annual budget cycles, coordinating with Finance, Focus Factory Team Leads, and functional owners to consolidate submissions, align to spend targets, and escalate risks or overages.
• Develop and manage overall ES&P goals in alignment with Kite, Tech Ops, and Supply Chain (SC) goals, partnering with the ES&P Functional Leadership Team to cascade strategic priorities and track progress throughout the year.
• Manage risk and the business continuity program for the External Manufacturing, External Testing, and partnership network, ensuring mitigation and contingency plans are in place where required.
• Act as the point of contact for managing internal audits, coordinating audit readiness activities, document requests, and response tracking across ES&P functions.
• Support/lead preparation for and facilitation of internal governance forums (e.g., internal Joint Steering Committees (JSCs), internal performance reviews), workshops, and staff meetings, ensuring pre-reads, minutes, and follow-up actions are captured and closed out on time.
• Serve as a trusted operational partner to the ES&P Executive Director and Functional Leadership Team, providing structure, discipline, and connective tissue across FFTs, Workstreams, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Drive Operational Excellence by applying Lean principles and continuous improvement methodologies across ES&P processes.
• Communicate effectively with senior management through clear, concise written and verbal updates.
• Apply sound organizational and time management skills to manage multiple priorities effectively across a broad, matrixed set of stakeholders.

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Life Sciences, Engineering, or another relevant discipline with at least 10+ years of relevant, progressively responsible experience in program/project management, business operations, or supply chain.

OR

• Master’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Life Sciences, Engineering, or another relevant discipline with at least 7+ years of relevant, progressively responsible experience in program/project management, business operations, or supply chain.
• Demonstrated project/program management experience, including risk/issue management, governance facilitation, and cross-functional plan integration.
• Experience with budget planning and financial tracking processes (Latest Estimate/Budget/Long-Range Plan cycles).
• Proven ability to interact effectively with senior management and cross-functional teams.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• APICS CPIM/CSCP certification or MBA (advanced degree).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting or partnering with external manufacturing (CMO), contract testing (CTL), or strategic partnership relationships, ideally within cell & gene therapy or broader biopharma manufacturing.
• Advanced expertise in stakeholder management, executive communication, and governance facilitation.
• PMP certification or equivalent formal project/program management training.
• Advanced proficiency with reporting and collaboration tools (Power BI, Smartsheet, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint).
• Experience supporting internal or external audits/inspections in partnership with Quality.
• Working knowledge of pharmaceutical GMPs and the CMO/CDMO landscape.

The salary range for this position is: $165,495.00 - $214,170.00. Kite considers a variety of factors when determining base compensation, including experience, qualifications, and geographic location. These considerations mean actual compensation will vary. This position may also be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, discretionary stock-based long-term incentives (eligibility may vary based on role), paid time off, and a benefits package. Benefits include company-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans\*.