Tem to Hire Purchasing Operations Specialist

Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.•Carlsbad, CA

2d•$25 - $32•Hybrid

About The Position

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.

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.

Nice To Haves

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).

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.