Contractor, R&D Operations Associate

Syndax Pharmaceuticals•New York, NY

8h•Onsite

About The Position

Syndax Pharmaceuticals is a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative cancer therapies. The company is seeking an experienced, proactive, and detail-oriented Operations Associate to provide administrative, operational, and project support. This dynamic position involves high-level executive support and strong administrative coordination, particularly in contract and PO administration, stakeholder management, and cross-functional project execution. The role is for a Contractor, R&D Operations Associate.

Requirements

Equivalent professional experience
1-2 years of experience in executive support or administrative coordination
Strong working knowledge of contracting and procurement workflows, including PO systems.
Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills—professional, clear, and collaborative.
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint), DocuSign, Concur, Zoom, MS Teams, and project tools like Smartsheet or Microsoft Project.
Able to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and handle confidential information with integrity.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree
Ideally in biotech, pharma, or healthcare
Proven project coordination or planning experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

Provide high-level calendar management, managing internal and external scheduling, prioritizing requests, and troubleshooting conflicts.
Coordinate complex travel arrangements, prepare itineraries, and handle logistics for meetings, conferences, and events.
Handle confidential communications and maintain sensitive records with discretion and accuracy.
Process expense reports and ensure timely submission of reimbursements.
Coordinate the preparation, routing, and execution of contracts, SOWs, consulting agreements, NDAs, and amendments in partnership with legal, finance, and procurement.
Track purchase orders (POs), monitor budget alignment, follow up on vendor invoicing, and ensure proper documentation and reporting.
Serve as a liaison between internal stakeholders and external vendors to facilitate timely execution and compliance with administrative workflows.
Support R&D initiatives by scheduling and organizing meetings, tracking project deliverables, and helping with preparation of agendas, slide decks, and follow-ups.
Partner cross-functionally with departments such as R&D, Regulatory, and Clinical to align timelines and operational dependencies.
Support onboarding of new team members and coordinate candidate interviews.
Seek opportunities to streamline and improve administrative processes, driving consistency and efficiency across R&D operations.