Clinical Supply Chain Forecasting Team Lead

About the role

The Clinical Supply Forecasting Team Lead is responsible for leading and managing clinical supply forecasting, planning, and budgetary requirements across clinical programs within the Global Clinical Supply (GCS) organization. This role ensures that forecasting activities support the timely and cost-effective delivery of clinical supplies while maintaining compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and applicable internal and external regulatory requirements.

The incumbent contributes to due diligence evaluation assessments by providing clinical supply chain expertise for new assets, partnerships, and acquisitions, and supports the successful integration of acquired programs into Ipsen processes and ways of working. The role also owns and oversees the enterprise clinical supply forecasting technology platform, ensuring its effective utilization to support forecasting and planning activities. All responsibilities are performed in alignment with approved timelines, resources, budgets, and company standards.

Responsibilities

Leadership

• Lead a team in a matrix and global environment.
• Maintain staff by recruiting, selecting, and orienting employees.
• Define annual objectives for the team in alignment with Pharmaceutical Development and R&D priorities, and lead the team in achieving these objectives by driving engagement, execution, and accountability while evaluating outcomes and overall performance.
• Provide effective and continuous feedback through employee recognition, rewards, performance appraisal, and development discussions.
• Define and propose the training/development plan for the team, ensure its implementation, and carry out follow-up.
• Develop, monitor, and guide the levels of expertise of the team in terms of knowledge and know-how. Ensure continuous professional development of employees.
• Anticipate resource needs to ensure the team delivers on time with expected quality.

Clinical Forecasting

• Drive clinical supply forecasting and budgetary requirements of clinical programs by providing consolidated estimates of Investigational Medicinal Products (IMPs) to be produced compared to patient needs.
• Own the clinical supply forecasting software platform, including vendor management, change management, training, and adoption.
• Represent GCSM in due diligence discussions, asset on-boarding, and divestments.
• Manage portfolio-level reporting and analytics.
• Ensure adequate clinical forecast estimates/reviews are implemented for new and ongoing clinical studies:
  • Organize review meetings with relevant cross-functional departments.
  • Translate the design of any new clinical study into the forecasting tool according to the study protocol and recruitment projections (duration and speed of recruitment).
  • Monitor the evolution of validated clinical study forecasts and share them with coordination, planning, packaging, and distribution teams. Analyze deviations, decide on corrective actions, control readjustments, report on study progress, and validate milestones.
• Align with the clinical manufacturing team to ensure proper planning of semi-finished goods production when required.
• Anticipate and assess the impact of changes in clinical studies managed by the GCSM team (e.g., addition of new countries, sites, number of patients, changes in protocols). Propose mitigation plans for facilitating prioritization decisions.
• Challenge Clinical Project Managers when relevant and consolidate new/updated forecasts in the appropriate systems. Report on study progress and validate milestones.
• Communicate and follow up within Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) on the impact on the schedule due to observed or reported changes.
• Coordinate and lead meetings for new clinical studies (IMP kick-off meeting & IMP estimation meeting) involving relevant stakeholders to ensure timely engagement of each team member.

Continuous Improvement

• Lead change management initiatives with cross-functional teams both internally and externally to Ipsen.
• Perform activities according to Ipsen’s Quality Management System.
• Contribute to the performance of the site supporting the compliance of KPIs (First Time Quality, On-time CAPA closed).
• Contribute to continuous improvement projects within the Global Clinical Supply Management Department and/or wider Pharmaceutical Development.
• Respect and ensure respect for applicable good practices (GMP, GMPD, etc.) and Environmental, Health, and Safety rules through established procedures.
• Drive and implement actions to develop Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) within the framework of Ipsen's orientations.

Quality, Environmental, Health, and Safety (QEHS) & CSR

• Respect applicable good practices, Energy, Environment, Health, and Safety rules through established procedures.
• Apply and make proposals within the framework of Ipsen's guidelines for actions aimed at developing CSR.

Qualifications

Behavioral Competencies

• Excellence in Execution:
  • Approaches priority setting through the lens of execution.
  • Establishes clarity about goals, accountabilities, timelines, and next steps; identifies opportunities for real impact on patients and society.
  • Able to be focused and performance-driven with clear KPIs.
  • Plans and aligns effectively (steps, timelines, etc.).
  • Displays a commitment to best practice sharing and setting.
  • Promotes single points of accountability.
• Manage Complexity:
  • Identifies contradictory information/demands/inputs to effectively solve problems.
  • Develops and evaluates alternative scenarios and solutions.
  • Able to identify what truly matters and prioritize decisions with real impact.
• Communicates Effectively:
  • Asks open questions and digs deeper; shows care and respect for different perspectives (verbally and non-verbally).
  • Communicates transparently, “tells it how it is” while keeping communication respectful.
  • Builds clear and crisp messages with structure and focus, using visual communication and storytelling to make messages easy to digest and connect with outcomes, adapted to the audience.

Knowledge & Experience

• Essential:
  • 15+ years of relevant pharmaceutical industry experience with a Bachelor's degree, 12+ years with a Master's degree, or 8+ years with a doctoral degree, with significant experience working in global and international environments.
  • Demonstrated experience managing complex investigational supplies for global clinical trials.
  • Deep experience in using advanced supply forecasting tools, including advanced use of Excel.
  • Knowledgeable of Good Manufacturing Principles (GMP) and other relevant clinical study regulations.
  • Strong organizational, coordination, interpersonal, and coaching skills; able to organize, prioritize, and manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
  • Ability to work effectively within teams and in a multidisciplinary, matrix environment.
  • Strong people skills with the ability to communicate and interact at all levels within the business and with external partners.
• Preferred:
  • Experience with RTSM platforms and ability to partner with external CDMOs.
  • Experience in project management and facilitating communications in a highly matrixed environment.

Education & Certifications

• Essential:
  • Bachelor’s degree or global equivalent in pharmacy, engineering, operations, or supply chain management.
• Preferred:
  • Advanced degree, including MBA, Masters, PhD, or global equivalent.
  • Certification in APICS, PMP, etc.

Languages

• Essential: Fluent in English.
• Preferred: French is a plus.

Pay

The annual base salary range for this position is $177,000 - $236,000. This job is eligible to participate in our short-term incentives program.

Benefits

• 401(k) with company contributions.
• Group medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Life and disability insurance (short- and long-term).
• Flexible spending accounts.
• Parental leave.
• Paid time off.
• Discretionary winter shutdown.
• Well-being allowance.
• Commuter benefits.