Manager, R&D Business Operations

ICON plc • Raleigh, NC

4d

About The Position

At ICON Strategic Solutions, you will work in a sponsor-dedicated model, supported by ICON’s global expertise. As the world’s largest FSP organisation, with over 90 sponsor partnerships, we offer stability, career development and a collaborative environment where your work contributes to the development of treatments that benefit patients worldwide.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of experience 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.
• Ability to identify financial discrepancies or operational risks and escalate appropriately.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple purchase orders, vendors, and deadlines simultaneously.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), with strong Excel skills for financial tracking and reporting.
• Experience supporting internal or external audits related to procurement or financial operations.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to interpret and apply company financial policies, procedures, and internal controls.

Nice To Haves

• advanced degree preferred

Responsibilities

• Create, generate, and manage purchase orders in Ariba/SAP following full contract execution, ensuring alignment with contract terms, budgets, and approved scopes of work in compliance with company policies and service level standard turnaround times.
• 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.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary and performance related incentives
• Health and wellbeing programmes including medical, dental, and vision coverage where applicable
• Retirement and pension plans
• Life assurance and disability coverage
• Employee assistance programmes and wellbeing resources
• Learning and development opportunities through structured training and career pathways

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager