Analyst I Business Operations

Kite Pharma•Santa Monica, CA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

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.

Requirements

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

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree with 2+ years of experience in the pharma/biotech industry 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

Responsibilities

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
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.