Manager, R&D Business Operations

Job Summary

The Manager, R&D Business Operations provides operational and analytical support to R&D business functions, with primary responsibility for the creation, generation, and management of purchase orders following contract execution within enterprise systems (e.g., Ariba/SAP). This role ensures accurate translation of executed contracts into purchase orders, maintains financial alignment with approved budgets, and supports compliant, efficient, and cost-effective financial operations.

The Manager partners cross-functionally with R&D stakeholders, Legal, Global Strategic Sourcing, Finance, Accounts Payable, and external vendors to ensure timely PO issuance, proper system documentation, and adherence to internal controls and financial policies.

The Manager works independently in managing purchase order workflows and system processes, operating with moderate autonomy while escalating complex financial, compliance, or risk-related matters as appropriate.

• Create, generate, and manage purchase orders in Ariba/SAP following full contract execution, ensuring alignment with contract terms, budgets, and approved scopes of work in compliance with company policies and service level standard turnaround times.
• Translate contractual payment terms, milestones, and fee structures into accurate and compliant purchase order structures.
• Review executed agreements to ensure proper financial setup, including funding allocations, payment schedules, and budget tracking.
• Process and manage change orders, PO amendments, closures, and funding adjustments in accordance with contract modifications.
• Partner with R&D, Finance, and Strategic Sourcing to ensure timely PO issuance and resolution of system or budget discrepancies.
• Monitor purchase order lifecycle activities, including invoice matching, goods receipt confirmations, accrual support, and PO reconciliation.
• Ensure compliance with internal financial controls, delegation of authority policies, and procurement procedures prior to PO release.
• Serve as system subject matter expert (SME) for Ariba/SAP purchase order workflows and provide guidance to internal stakeholders.
• Train business partners on purchase requisition and PO processes, including proper documentation and system requirements.
• Facilitate weekly or monthly operational status meetings related to PO issuance, budget tracking, and financial metrics as appropriate.
• Generate reports and dashboards to track PO cycle times, open commitments, spend against budget, and operational KPIs.
• Support month-end and year-end close activities, including accrual validation and financial reconciliation.
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance PO accuracy, system efficiency, and compliance with internal policies and external regulations.
• Support audit requests and compliance reviews related to procurement and purchase order activities.

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in pharmaceutical/biotech business operations, procurement operations, finance operations, or contract-to-PO management.
• Demonstrated experience creating and managing purchase orders within enterprise systems (e.g., SAP, Ariba).
• Strong understanding of procure-to-pay (P2P) processes, including requisitioning, PO generation, invoice matching, and accruals.
• Experience working cross-functionally with R&D, Finance, Strategic Sourcing, Legal, and Accounts Payable.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret contract financial terms and translate them into operational system requirements.
• Working knowledge of pharmaceutical/biotech regulatory and compliance considerations…