Senior Manager, Supply Chain

Description

:

• As the External Manufacturing Scheduler at Kite, you are responsible for building and maintaining executable production schedules across our external manufacturing (CDMO/CMO) network. You act as the primary planning conduit between Kite Network Planning, Site Supply Chain and our external partners, translating demand plans into contractually-aligned external forecasts, securing plasmid, vector and other critical material availability, managing purchase orders and invoicing, and governing schedule performance. This role ensures that external partner capacity, slot reservations, material readiness and release convert into stable, reliable supply across all external manufacturing nodes.

Responsibilities :

External Production and Release Scheduling

• Own, build, and maintain the production schedule across all external manufacturing nodes, maintaining synchronized calendars with partners for end-to-end visibility. Validate slot reservations, campaign timing, yield expectations, testing sequences, and release timelines with external partners. Protect schedule stability within the frozen window while enabling agility in the longer horizon. Manage exceptions through established supply governance forums and provide partners with rolling 6–24 month visibility to enable proactive contracting, capacity planning, and risk mitigation. Reconcile forecasted demand against contracted capacity, escalating gaps or over-commitments for resolution.

Plasmid & Critical Material Management

• Own forward CMO planning for plasmid and Cell Banks confirming supplier feasibility and readiness ahead of scheduled campaigns. Partner with Procurement, Materials, and External Quality to align material availability, safety stock, and procurement strategies with the schedule. Proactively identify material constraints and drive mitigation to prevent disruption.

Purchase Order & Invoicing Management

• Issue and manage POs to external partners in alignment with the schedule, forecast, and contract terms, tracking status through the full lifecycle to closure. Manage invoicing with partners, including validation, reconciliation against POs/deliveries, and resolution of discrepancies. Partner with Finance, Procurement, and Accounts Payable for timely financial processing, budgeting, accruals, and spend visibility.

Performance Management & Reporting

• Track, analyze, and report KPIs across the external network: schedule adherence, capacity utilization, supply reliability/OTIF, forecast accuracy, inventory health, and PO/invoicing accuracy. Partner with Quality to capture deviations, understand root-cause drivers, and drive corrective actions with partners. Ensure adherence to plan stability metrics, managing exceptions through established governance processes.

External Tools & Maintenance to Support Daily Operations

• Partner with system/IT teams to establish and maintain robust, efficient systems, tools, and data structures for managing external information. Establish standardized reporting, dashboards, and data flows for accurate, timely visibility across the network. Lead continuous improvement initiatives to strengthen planning discipline, reduce cycle time, and improve integration.

Cross-Functional & Partner Coordination

• Serve as the central scheduling interface between Kite and the External Manufacturing organization and external partners. Coordinate shipments with internal sites, logistics and trade compliance to assure timely supply across Kite’s network. Lead recurring scheduling forums with External Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, Technical Operations, and Supply Chain to align on feasibility, constraints, and assumptions. Assure variation management is aligned with external manufacturing schedule including part number management

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Operations, Engineering, Life Sciences, or related field with relevant experience; OR Master’s degree with correspondingly less experience; OR PhD with correspondingly less experience. Supply chain planning experience with strong exposure to external manufacturing (CDMO/CMO) and network/site planning. Deep understanding of GMP operations, external manufacturing, batch-based production, and global distribution flows. Experience translating demand plans into supplier forecasts and managing supply within contractual frameworks. Experience issuing and managing purchase orders and invoicing with external partners. Proficiency with ERP and advanced planning systems (SAP, IBP, OMP, Kinaxis). Strong influencing skills across global, matrixed organizations and external partners.

Preferred

• APICS CPIM/CSCP certification or MBA (advanced degree). Experience with cell & gene therapy, commercial biologics, or sterile injectables. Experience with plasmid / critical raw material planning. Experience with S&OP/S&OE processes and supply governance frameworks.

Key Capabilities

• Strong ability to translate strategy and demand into executable external production plans. Excellent communication, alignment, and stakeholder engagement skills across internal teams and external partners. Highly analytical with advanced scenario planning capability. Effective at navigating complex external networks, contracts, and competing priorities. Calm, structured, and decisive during supply escalations.

The salary range for this position is: $143,225.00 - $185,350.00. 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*.

For additional benefits information, visit:

* Eligible employees may participate in benefit plans, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans.

Kite is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of innovative cancer immunotherapies with a goal of providing rapid, long-term durable response and eliminating the burden of chronic care. The company is focused on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T cell receptor (TCR) engineered cell therapies designed to empower the immune system's ability to recognize and kill tumors. Kite is based in Santa Monica, CA.