Manager, R&D Business Operations

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United Kingdom.

📋 Description

• Develop, generate, and oversee purchase orders in Ariba/SAP following the full execution of contracts.

• Convert contractual payment terms, milestones, and fee structures into precise purchase order formats.

• Examine executed agreements for financial setups, funding distributions, payment timelines, and budget monitoring.

• Manage change orders, PO modifications, closures, and funding alterations.

• Collaborate with R&D, Finance, and Strategic Sourcing to address system or budget discrepancies.

• Track purchase order lifecycle activities, which include invoice matching, goods receipt confirmations, accrual support, and PO reconciliation.

• Ensure adherence to internal financial controls, delegation of authority policies, and procurement guidelines.

• Act as the subject matter expert for Ariba/SAP purchase order workflows.

• Provide training to business partners on purchase requisition and PO procedures.

• Lead operational status meetings regarding PO issuance, budget monitoring, and financial metrics.

• Create reports and dashboards that track PO cycle times, open commitments, expenditures against budget, and operational KPIs.

• Assist with month-end and year-end closing activities, which include accrual validation and financial reconciliation.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree is mandatory; an advanced degree is preferred.

• At least 5 years of experience in pharmaceutical/biotech business operations, procurement operations, finance operations, or contract-to-PO management.

• Proven experience in creating and managing purchase orders within enterprise systems (e.g., SAP, Ariba).

• In-depth knowledge of procure-to-pay (P2P) processes, including requisitioning, PO generation, invoice matching, and accruals.

• Experience collaborating across functions with R&D, Finance, Strategic Sourcing, Legal, and Accounts Payable.

• Strong analytical abilities to interpret contract financial terms and convert them into operational system requirements.

• Familiarity with pharmaceutical/biotech regulatory and compliance factors affecting vendor payments and financial controls.

• Capability to identify financial discrepancies or operational risks and escalate them as needed.

• Excellent organizational skills with the capacity to manage numerous purchase orders, vendors, and deadlines simultaneously.

• Legal authorization to work in the country where the position is located.

🏝️ Benefits

• Competitive base salary along with performance-related incentives.

• Health and wellbeing programs that include medical, dental, and vision coverage where applicable.

• Retirement and pension plans.

• Life insurance and disability coverage.

• Employee assistance programs and wellbeing resources.

• Opportunities for learning and development through structured training and career pathways.