Analyst I Business Operations

Kite Pharma; Santa Monica (CA); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 97,000; Full time

Job summary

Kite Pharma in Santa Monica, CA, is hiring a Commercial Operations Analyst to streamline contracting, PO workflows, invoicing, and vendor coordination within Commercial Operations. You’ll engage with Finance, Procurement, Legal, and cross‑functional teams to improve processes and support AI adoption initiatives.

The role requires 2+ years of relevant experience, a BS/BA, and strong organizational skills. The office relocation plan to El Segundo/ Thousand Oaks is noted; two days remote, three

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience with BS/BA; 0 yrs MS/MA
• Bachelor’s degree with 2+ years in pharma/biotech or related field
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills

Responsibilities

• Support contracting, PO issuance, invoicing, and vendor coordination
• Assist spend tracking, PO visibility, and documentation for spend management
• Maintain operating model docs, process maps, and trackers
• Support AI adoption and training materials development

Skills

Project coordination

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Detail oriented

Data analysis

Problem solving

Education

BS/BA

MS/MA (nice to have)

Tools

SAP/Ariba

Oracle EBS

Copilot

Microsoft Office

Excel

Job description

We’re here for one reason and one reason only – to cure cancer. Every moment is dedicated to developing treatments and every action moves us one step closer to our goal. We’ve made incredible scientific breakthroughs and our pioneering personalized CAR T-cell therapies have changed the paradigm. But we're not finished yet.

Join Kite, as we make even bigger advances in cancer therapies, and help shape where our business and medical science goes next.

We believe every employee deserves a great leader. People Leaders are the cornerstone to the employee experience at Gilead and Kite. As a people leader now or in the future, you are the key driver in evolving our culture and creating an environment where every employee feels included, developed and empowered to fulfil their aspirations. Join Kite and help create more tomorrows.

Job Description

We are seeking a highly motivated individual to join the Commercial Business Strategy and Operations team as a Commercial Operations Analyst. This role will support Commercial Operations by maintaining core contracting, purchase order, invoice, and vendor coordination responsibilities while also providing project support for business operations initiatives such as spend tracking, process improvement, operating model documentation, and AI adoption efforts.

The successful candidate will be self‑motivated, detail‑oriented, organized, and comfortable working across Commercial, Finance, Procurement, Legal, and functional business teams. This role requires strong follow‑through, clear communication, and an interest in learning how business operations processes can be simplified and improved.

Kite is transitioning from its current Santa Monica headquarters, with employees expected to relocate to our El Segundo or Thousand Oaks offices beginning in January 2027. While this role will be based in Santa Monica through 2026, applicants should take this planned relocation into consideration. Kite supports a flexible working policy, offering a balanced approach with two days of remote working and three days working onsite.

Responsibilities

Contracting, Procurement, and Commercial Operations:

• Manage onboarding of new vendors and suppliers in coordination with Legal and Procurement.
• Manage end‑to‑end purchase order activities including creating orders, invoicing and reconciling issues.
• Maintain positive relationship with internal customers and external vendors.
• Prioritize multiple procurement activities and deadlines in a fast‑paced environment, ensuring timely execution.
• Partner with Legal, Procurement, Accounting and PDM Finance to support contracting, purchase orders (PO) workflows and timely payment and budget execution.
• Support continuous improvement efforts by identifying routine operational issues and recommending improvements to enhance efficiency and reduce cycle times.
• Maintain accurate supplier and PO records.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of procurement dashboards and metrics, providing visibility into spend, cycle times and vendor performance.
• Serve as subject matter expert on procurement systems and PO workflows and provide training and guidance to cross‑functional partners as needed.
• Ensure compliance with Gilead policies, procurement and financial controls, data integrity standards, and confidentiality requirements.

Business Operations Analysis and Project Support:

• Support business operations projects by helping coordinate workstreams, track actions, organize information, and follow up on next steps across Commercial functions.
• Assist Commercial Operations, Finance, Procurement, and business owners with basic spend tracking, purchase order visibility, and documentation to support spend management initiatives.
• Help maintain operating model documentation, process maps, role clarity materials, trackers, and meeting materials under the guidance of the Commercial Operations team.
• Support AI adoption and process improvement efforts by documenting workflows, coordinating pilot activities, tracking feedback, and helping maintain training or reference materials.
• Compile basic data, process metrics, and stakeholder input to help identify common issues, trends, and opportunities for improvement.
• Prepare concise materials, meeting notes, action trackers, and leadership updates that support cross‑functional project execution and decision follow‑through.

Basic Qualifications

2+ years of experience with BS/BA; 0 yrs MS/MA

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 2+ years of experience in the pharma/biotechindustry or other relevant background, OR
• Associate’s degree with 4+ years of experience in the pharma/biotech industry or other relevant background, OR
• High School Diploma/GED with 5+ years of experience in the pharma/biotech industry or other relevant background
• Strong customer service, organizational, and written/verbal communication skills, with the ability to support cross‑functional teams and communicate status clearly.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Teams, Excel, and PowerPoint; experience with or willingness to learn procurement, finance, and AI‑enabled productivity tools such as SAP/Ariba, Oracle EBS, and Copilot.
• Ability to follow established processes, identify routine operational issues, and suggest practical improvements.
• Interest in supporting business operations, project coordination, spend tracking, process improvement, operating model documentation, or AI/digital adoption efforts.
• Ability to organize information, update trackers, capture meeting notes, and prepare clear summaries for team review.
• Comfort managing multiple priorities, asking clarifying questions, and escalating issues when guidance is needed.
• Ability to work independently on assigned tasks while collaborating with colleagues across functions and geographies.
• High level of self‑motivation, curiosity, positive attitude, ownership mindset, and strong work ethic.

The salary range for this position is: $74,715.00 - $96,690.00. 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: https://www.gilead.com/careers/compensation-benefits-and-wellbeing

• 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. For more information on Kite, please visit www.kitepharma.com.

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Kite Pharma is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, and is dedicated to fostering an inclusive work environment comprised of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. Employment decisions regarding recruitment and selection will be made without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, genetic information or characteristic, gender identity and expression, veteran status, or other non‑job related characteristics or other prohibited grounds specified in applicable federal, state and local laws. In order to ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Act of 1974, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicants who require accommodation in the job application process may contact [e-mail] for assistance.

For more information about equal employment opportunity protections, please view the 'Know Your Rights' poster.

NOTICE: EMPLOYEE POLYGRAPH PROTECTION ACT

YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT

Kite Pharma will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, (c) consistent with the legal duty to furnish information; or (d) otherwise protected by law.

Our environment respects individual differences and recognizes each employee as an integral member of our company. Our workforce reflects these values and celebrates the individuals who make up our growing team.

Kite Pharma provides a work environment free of harassment and prohibited conduct. We promote and support individual differences and diversity of thoughts and opinion.

For Current Kite Pharma Employees and Contractors: