Temp Purchasing Operations Specialist

Ionis Brand; Carlsbad (CA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in Carlsbad, California, seeks a proactive, detail-oriented Temp Purchasing Operations Specialist to support the Procurement team with day-to-day purchasing, supplier onboarding, and PO processing.

The role partners with internal stakeholders, Accounts Payable, and Receiving to ensure timely procurement while maintaining policy compliance. The ideal candidate will be highly organized, customer focused, and comfortable in a fast-paced environment requiring multitasking

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years in procurement, purchasing, sourcing, or P2P operations.
• Experience with procurement systems; Coupa preferred.
• High school diploma or equivalent required; bachelor's degree preferred.
• Strong customer service and organizational abilities are essential.

Responsibilities

• Review and validate purchase requisitions for completeness and policy compliance.
• Create, process, and maintain purchase orders in the P2P system.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to fulfill procurement requests for labs and operations.
• Monitor POs and expedite deliveries with timely updates to requestors.
• Identify alternative suppliers and sourcing strategies to minimize disruption and costs.
• Support supplier onboarding and documentation in Coupa and related systems.
• Serve as a point of contact for supplier inquiries and resolve order issues.
• Work with Accounts Payable to investigate invoice discrepancies and payments.
• Assist Shipping/Receiving to resolve delivery and inventory concerns.
• Support procurement reporting, data integrity, and system maintenance.

Skills

Customer service

Attention to detail

Organizational skills

Communication

Multitasking

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

Coupa

P2P system

Excel

Job description

Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, and with offices in Boston, Massachusetts, and Dublin, Ireland, Ionis has been at work for more than three decades discovering medical breakthroughs that have redefined life for people with serious diseases. We're pioneers in RNA-targeted medicines, and our platform continues to revolutionize drug discovery and transform lives for patients with unmet needs. With multiple marketed medicines and a leading pipeline in neurology, cardiology and select areas of high patient needs, we continue to drive innovation in RNA therapies in addition to advancing new approaches in gene editing to provide greater value to patients and are well positioned financially to deliver on our strategic goals.

At Ionis, we pride ourselves on cultivating a challenging, motivating and rewarding environment that fosters innovation and scientific excellence. We know that our success is a direct result of the exceptional talents and dedication of our employees.

With an unprecedented opportunity to change the course of human health, we look to add diverse individuals, skill sets and perspectives to our exceptional team. We continue to invest time, money and energy into making our onsite, hybrid and remote work environments a place where solid and lasting relationships are built and where our culture and employees can thrive.

We're building on our rich history, and we believe our greatest achievements are ahead of us. If you're passionate about the opportunity to have meaningful impact on patients in need, we invite you to apply and join us. Experience and contribute to our unique culture while you develop and expand your career!

Temp Purchasing Operations Specialist

Hiring Manager: Lori Barlow

SUMMARY:

We are seeking a proactive, detail-oriented Purchasing Operations Specialist to support the Procurement team in managing day-to-day purchasing activities, supplier onboarding, purchase order processing, and procurement systems administration. This role serves as a key partner to internal stakeholders, suppliers, Accounts Payable, and Receiving teams to ensure timely procurement of goods and services while maintaining compliance with company policies and procedures.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, customer-focused, and thrives in a fast-paced environment where managing multiple priorities is essential.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Review and validate purchase requisitions to ensure completeness, accuracy, and compliance with company procurement policies and procedures.
• Create, process, and maintain purchase orders within the procure-to-pay (P2P) system.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to ensure procurement requests are fulfilled in support of laboratory, research, and business operations.
• Monitor purchase orders and proactively expedite deliveries, providing timely status updates to requestors.
• Identify and recommend alternative suppliers, products, or sourcing strategies to mitigate supply disruptions and support cost-saving initiatives.
• Facilitate supplier onboarding activities, including collection, validation, and maintenance of required documentation within Coupa and related systems.
• Serve as a point of contact for supplier inquiries and resolve order processing issues, changes, and cancellations.
• Collaborate with Accounts Payable to investigate and resolve invoice discrepancies, matching exceptions, and payment issues.
• Work closely with Shipping and Receiving teams to resolve receiving, delivery, and inventory-related concerns.
• Support procurement reporting, data integrity, and system maintenance activities.
• Provide guidance and knowledge-sharing to purchasing team members and business stakeholders.
• Assist with Coupa administration, testing, user support, and continuous process improvement initiatives.
• Participate in procurement projects and other departmental responsibilities as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Minimum of 2 years of experience in procurement, purchasing, sourcing, or procure-to-pay operations.
• Experience working with procurement systems; Coupa experience strongly preferred.
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Strong customer service orientation with a demonstrated sense of urgency and accountability.
• Excellent organizational, time management, and multitasking skills.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to process accuracy.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills with the ability to interact professionally at all levels of the organization.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, and Outlook.

PREFERRED:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Procurement, or a related field.
• Experience within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, life sciences, healthcare, or regulated industry environment.
• Knowledge of procurement best practices and supplier management processes.
• Professional procurement coursework, certifications, or training (e.g., CPSM, CPPB, CSCP, APICS, ISM).

CORE COMPETENCIES:

• Procurement Operations
• Purchase Order Management
• Supplier Onboarding & Management
• Procure-to-Pay (P2P) Processes
• Coupa Administration
• Stakeholder Management
• Process Improvement
• Problem Solving
• Communication & Collaboration
• Customer Service Excellence

Reference Requisition #TEMP

The hourly pay scale for this position is $24.60/hour to $32.10/hour

NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE. PRINCIPALS ONLY.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and all its subsidiaries are proud to be EEO employers.