Purchasing Coordinator – R&D

Advantage Technical; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 39,000 - 41,000; Full time

Job summary

Advantage Technical in San Diego seeks a Senior R&D Supply Coordinator to manage procurement, ordering, tracking, and delivery of materials for its medical device R&D teams. You will work with Engineering, Laboratory Operations, Procurement, and Finance to ensure timely availability and accurate POs.

The role emphasizes Excel reporting, invoice reconciliation, and supplier communications, with an emphasis on accuracy, organization, and the ability to juggle multiple requests in a regulated

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent; associate degree preferred.
• 3+ years in purchasing, procurement coordination, or vendor management.
• Experience processing POs, requisitions, and supplier deliveries.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel and data reporting.
• Experience with purchasing, ERP, procurement, or business systems.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate daily purchasing for R&D teams including labs, engineering, software, and services.
• Process and track purchase orders and requisitions per procedures.
• Monitor orders, delivery dates, backorders and delays to ensure material availability.
• Escalate complex issues to Procurement or management when necessary.
• Maintain purchasing records and supplier information.
• Communicate with suppliers on availability, pricing, and delivery.
• Collaborate with Finance to resolve invoice discrepancies.
• Prepare regular spending updates using Excel.
• Support process improvements and documentation.

Skills

Strong communication

Organization

Attention to detail

Multitasking

Vendor management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Associate degree in Business Admin / Supply Chain / Logistics

Tools

Microsoft Excel

ERP systems

Job description

Senior R&D Supply Coordinator – Medical Device

Employment Type: 6 month contract with opportunity to extend

Pay Rate: Up to $30.00 per hour or about $61,000 a year

Industry: Medical Device / Research & Development / Supply Chain

Company Overview

This company is a global medical device company dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with insulin-dependent diabetes through its innovative Omnipod insulin delivery platform.

As this company continues to expand globally, the company is seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Senior R&D Supply Coordinator to support purchasing, supply coordination, vendor management, and financial tracking activities for its Research & Development teams.

Position Overview

The Senior R&D Supply Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating the procurement, ordering, tracking, and delivery of materials, equipment, software, and services needed to support Research & Development (R&D) operations.

This individual will work closely with Engineering, Laboratory Operations, Procurement, Finance, suppliers, and internal stakeholders to ensure materials and services are available when needed, purchase orders are processed accurately, and supply-related issues are resolved efficiently.

The ideal candidate will have experience in purchasing, procurement coordination, purchase order management, vendor communication, invoice reconciliation, inventory tracking, and Excel reporting, preferably within a medical device, laboratory, engineering, or regulated manufacturing environment.

This is an individual contributor position requiring strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple purchasing requests independently.

Key Responsibilities

Purchasing & Supply Chain Coordination

• Coordinate daily purchasing activities for R&D teams, including laboratory supplies, engineering materials, equipment, software, and professional services.
• Process and track purchase requisitions, purchase orders (POs), and supply requests in accordance with established procurement procedures.
• Monitor order status, expected delivery dates, backorders, and shipment delays to ensure timely availability of materials.
• Prioritize urgent purchasing requests based on project timelines, laboratory needs, and business requirements.
• Work with engineering, laboratory, and site personnel to identify upcoming material requirements and prevent supply shortages.
• Resolve routine purchasing discrepancies and escalate complex issues to Procurement or management when necessary.
• Maintain accurate purchasing records, supplier information, and order documentation.
• Communicate directly with suppliers regarding product availability, pricing, quotations, order confirmations, and delivery schedules.
• Follow up on outstanding purchase orders, delayed shipments, and supplier-related issues.
• Partner with Procurement to address sourcing questions, supplier concerns, and purchasing approvals.
• Identify opportunities to consolidate recurring purchases and improve purchasing efficiency.
• Maintain positive working relationships with internal stakeholders and external vendors.
• Partner with Finance and Accounts Payable to review purchase orders, invoices, and purchasing discrepancies.
• Investigate and help resolve invoice mismatches, incorrect charges, missing documentation, and payment-related questions.
• Track R&D purchasing expenses and provide regular spending updates to internal teams.
• Maintain accurate purchasing and expense records to support financial reporting and audits.
• Use Microsoft Excel to organize purchasing information, monitor spending, and prepare reports.

Process Improvement & Documentation

• Identify opportunities to streamline purchasing workflows, reduce delays, and improve supply coordination.
• Support implementation of approved purchasing and supply chain process improvements.
• Maintain organized documentation for purchasing activities, vendor communications, and expense tracking.
• Ensure purchasing activities follow internal policies, established procedures, and applicable quality requirements.
• Share purchasing process knowledge and best practices with team members.

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; associate degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Logistics, or a related field preferred.
• 3+ years of experience in purchasing, procurement coordination, supply chain operations, order management, or vendor management.
• Experience processing and tracking purchase orders, purchasing requests, and supplier deliveries.
• Experience with invoice reconciliation, expense tracking, and purchasing documentation.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including spreadsheets, data tracking, and reporting.
• Experience using purchasing, ERP, procurement, or business management systems.
• Ability to independently manage multiple requests, prioritize deadlines, and resolve routine purchasing issues.
• Strong communication skills and experience working with vendors, Procurement, Finance, and internal departments.
• Excellent organizational skills, accuracy, and attention to detail.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience supporting Research & Development (R&D), engineering teams, laboratory operations, or medical device manufacturing.
• Experience purchasing laboratory supplies, engineering components, technical equipment, software, or services.
• Familiarity with procurement or ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, Coupa, Ariba, or similar platforms.
• Experience coordinating material availability and supporting inventory or stockroom activities.
• Knowledge of purchasing procedures, supplier management, and basic supply chain principles.
• Experience working in an FDA-regulated, ISO 13485, GMP, or other quality-controlled environment.
• Professional certifications such as CPSM, CSCP, or CPPB are a plus but not required.