Associate Director – External Engagement

Zealand Pharma

. Lead vendor strategy and governance, including RFP support, vendor selection, contract negotiation input, and ongoing relationship management in partnership with Procurement .

Posted 5/7/2026full-timeRemote • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $190,000 - $240,000 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead vendor strategy and governance, including RFP support, vendor selection, contract negotiation input, and ongoing relationship management in partnership with Procurement
Own end-to-end planning and oversight of vendor-delivered logistics across external engagement types (advisory boards, HCP/KOL engagements, congresses, and partner meetings)
Ensure compliant, timely contracting, honoraria processing, expense payments, and accurate reporting for external expert interactions in collaboration with Medical Affairs Operations
Drive clear cross-functional communication before and after major engagements to ensure alignment, readiness, and continuous improvement
Own vendor-related budget planning, forecasting, tracking, invoice review/approvals, and financial governance aligned with contractual terms
Identify and implement cost-saving opportunities, operational efficiencies, and value realization from vendor partnerships, with a strong risk and compliance mindset

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor's degree required
7+ years of experience in vendor management, outsourcing, or operations leadership within pharmaceutical, biotech, or healthcare environments
Demonstrated experience with external engagement logistics, events operations, and/or HCP interaction support
Strong vendor management capabilities, including negotiation and performance management
Strong knowledge of global compliance and regulatory requirements relevant to external expert engagements, including fair market value (FMV) and aggregate spend reporting principles
Strong financial acumen with experience managing budgets, forecasting, and invoice/contractual governance

Benefits

Comp & perks

Exciting responsibilities

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

vendor managementcontract negotiationbudget planningforecastinginvoice reviewfinancial governancecompliance reportingevent operationsrisk managementcost-saving implementation

Soft Skills

cross-functional communicationrelationship managementoperational efficiencycontinuous improvementleadership

Certifications

Bachelor's degree