Vice President, Global Supply Chain

At Kailera, we are bold, authentic, and committed to developing therapies that empower individuals to transform their lives and enhance overall health. Rooted in an entrepreneurial spirit and a team-oriented culture, we are advancing novel therapies for obesity and related conditions.

What You’ll Do:

Reporting to the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), the Vice President (VP), Global Supply Chain will lead Kailera’s end-to-end clinical and commercial supply chain, ensuring patients and clinical sites receive a reliable, uninterrupted supply of both Investigational Medicinal Product (IMP) and commercial drug product. This leader will set the global supply strategy, build and develop a high-performing team, and establish strong, well-governed partnerships with external service providers.

Working closely with CMC, Clinical, Regulatory, Quality, Commercial, and Corporate functions, the VP will ensure supply plans meet global quality and regulatory standards and scale with the company’s growth. As a senior member of the Technical Operations leadership team, this individual will partner with the CTO to shape and sustain a culture of collaboration, accountability, and operational excellence.

Required location: Waltham, MA (hub-based, onsite 3-4 days per week) OR Remote (home-based, onsite at a hub 1 week every other month).

Responsibilities:

• Recruit, develop, and retain a strong global supply chain organization. Establish clear governance structures and performance metrics for tracking and reporting
• Manage performance of external partners, including packaging and labeling vendors, third-party logistics providers (3PLs), and distributors, API and device suppliers, through governance meetings, quality and supply agreements, and KPI dashboards
• Establish global logistics and distribution, including cold chain management where applicable, import/export and trade compliance, and supply to international markets through direct distribution, partners, or named patient/early access programs
• Ensure supply chain operations comply with GMP/GDP and global regulatory requirements, including FDA, EMA, EU Annex 13, QP release, and serialization requirements such as DSCSA and EU FMD
• Lead selection, implementation, and optimization of supply chain systems (e.g., ERP, IRT/RTSM, and supply planning tools) to improve visibility and forecasting accuracy
• Accountable for establishing compliant and effective clinical and commercial supply chain processes and driving operational excellence across the SCM organization
• Coordinate cross-functional efforts across CMC, Legal, Procurement, Commercial, Regulatory, Clinical Development, and Clinical Operations to ensure reliable drug supply delivery
• Develop a best-in-class sourcing/procurement organization and coordinate with cross-functional teams to drive enterprise-wide cost optimization initiatives
• Apply market insights and modern digital and AI-enabled tools across sourcing and supply planning for greater visibility, better decision-making, and a supply chain that can scale efficiently
• Design and implement strategic plans to supply drug to complex global clinical trials and commercial markets using robust, industry-leading supply chain practices
• Develop and manage the supply chain budget, and track performance against key metrics such as service level, inventory health, forecast accuracy, and write-offs

Required Qualifications:

• 15+ years of relevant biopharmaceutical industry experience, including clinical supply management and commercial supply chain
• Extensive experience managing multiple complex global supply chain operations for development-stage and commercial products covering Plan, Source, Make, and Deliver
• Direct involvement in at least one commercial product launch in the US and/or international markets
• Proven people leadership experience, including building, scaling, and developing high-performing teams at the Director level or above
• Working knowledge of GMP/GDP, global clinical and commercial regulatory requirements, and serialization/track-and-trace requirements
• Experience with S&OP processes, supply planning, and supply chain systems such as ERP (e.g., SAP) and IRT/RTSM
• Ability to build a collaborative environment and manage multiple projects with global CDMOs
• Strong executive presence and the ability to influence senior leadership and external partners on supply strategy and risk
• Hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves, collaborative approach with a high sense of urgency and drive for results
• Ability to think creatively and challenge the status quo
• Desire to work in a fast-paced, innovative environment
• Local candidates are strongly preferred; relocation and remote talent will be considered. Remote employees must adhere to the Hub & Home working model, including a minimum of one week per month in the Waltham, MA corporate office (in addition to any other work-related travel), with overall work-related travel estimated at least 25%

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience at a late clinical-stage biotechnology company transitioning toward commercial launch, including launch readiness and post-approval supply chain management
• Experience scaling a global supply chain function from a lean, pre-commercial organization

Education:

A Bachelor’s degree in pharmaceutical science, biology, life sciences, or another relevant field; an advanced degree (MS, MBA, PharmD, or PhD) and/or APICS/ASCM certification is preferred.