R&D PO Operations Manager (SAP/Ariba)

Socket.dev; Center Square (PA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

Health and wellbeing programmes

Retirement plans

Life assurance

Job summary

ICON Strategic Solutions is seeking a Manager, Business Operations focused on Purchase Order Management. You will own end-to-end PO creation, tracking, and financial alignment in collaboration with R&D, Finance, and Strategic Sourcing.

The role requires deep SAP/Ariba experience and a sharp eye for accuracy and timeliness. In this sponsor-dedicated position, you will drive process improvements, support audits, and deliver reporting dashboards that monitor PO cycle times, spend, and KPIs, helping

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• 5+ years 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 impacting vendor payments and financial controls.

Responsibilities

• Create, generate, and manage purchase orders in Ariba/SAP following full contract execution.
• 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.

Skills

PO management

Ariba/SAP

P2P knowledge

Cross-functional collaboration

Excel skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

SAP

Ariba

Job description

ICON Strategic Solutions is seeking a Manager, Business Operations focused on Purchase Order Management. You will own end-to-end PO creation, tracking, and financial alignment in collaboration with R&D, Finance, and Strategic Sourcing.

The role requires deep SAP/Ariba experience and a sharp eye for accuracy and timeliness. In this sponsor-dedicated position, you will drive process improvements, support audits, and deliver reporting dashboards that monitor PO cycle times, spend, and KPIs, helping