Manager, Business Operations & Operational Excellence
(Project Manager III)
Location: Irvine, CA
Schedule: Hybrid – 3 days onsite required (Tuesday–Thursday)
Contract Length: Through May 2027
Pay Rate: $80-$95/hr (depending on experience)
About the Opportunity
Orion Group is partnering with a leading pharmaceutical client to hire a Manager, Business Operations & Operational Excellence to support a fast-paced R&D business operations organization. This role focuses heavily on procure-to-pay (PTP) operations, process improvement, operational analytics, and cross-functional business support within a highly regulated environment.
The ideal candidate will bring a hands-on, solutions-oriented mindset, with strong analytical and operational experience supporting procurement, finance, or business operations.
This individual will collaborate closely with internal stakeholders, including Finance, Procurement, Accounts Payable, and operational teams, to drive efficiencies, resolve issues, and improve overall business processes.
Key Responsibilities:
Procure-to-Pay & Procurement Operations
- Support end-to-end procure-to-pay activities including purchase order support, vendor onboarding, service agreements, and invoice resolution
- Act as a key operational contact for procurement-related issues and escalations
- Coordinate with cross-functional stakeholders to ensure timely execution of procurement requests and issue resolution
- Partner with external vendors as needed regarding procurement and invoicing inquiries
Operational Excellence & Process Improvement
- Identify operational inefficiencies and recommend process improvements
- Assist with process mapping, workflow optimization, and root cause analysis
- Proactively identify risks, gaps, and improvement opportunities across operational processes
- Support cross-functional operational excellence initiatives and continuous improvement efforts
Analytics, Reporting & Insights
- Develop and maintain operational dashboards, trackers, and reporting tools
- Analyze and transform data using Excel, Smartsheet, Power BI, and related systems
- Provide insights and reporting to support business decisions and operational visibility
- Create slide-based presentations and materials for leadership updates and business reviews
Systems & Knowledge Management
- Maintain and improve SharePoint-based process documentation, templates, and knowledge resources
- Support operational transparency through reporting tools and workflow systems
- Utilize technology and AI-enabled tools to improve operational productivity and efficiency
Special Projects
- Support operational analytics, process automation, and digital transformation initiatives
- Partner with leadership on strategic business operations projects aligned to organizational priorities
Qualifications:
Required
- Bachelor’s degree required
- 8+ years of overall professional experience
- 3+ years of experience in business operations, procurement, finance, accounting, or related functions
- Experience supporting purchasing, procurement, vendor management, invoice resolution, and operational workflows
- Strong experience working within complex, matrixed organizations
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
- Experience with systems and tools such as SAP, Excel, Smartsheet, SharePoint, or Power BI
Preferred
- Experience within pharmaceutical, healthcare, biotech, or other regulated industries
- Knowledge of operational excellence or continuous improvement methodologies
- Experience building dashboards and operational reporting
- Familiarity with process automation and AI-enabled operational tools
- Lean or Six Sigma experience is a plus
Work Environment
- Hybrid office environment with onsite collaboration required Tuesday–Thursday
- Team-oriented, highly collaborative operational setting
- Opportunity to support strategic initiatives within a leading pharmaceutical organization
People are our business worldwide
Orion Group was founded in 1987 and is now one of the largest, independent, international recruitment companies. We have a network of 200 employees working from 24 offices, delivering a range of services – Talent Acquisition, Recruitment Outsourcing Services, Retained Search, Global Workforce Solutions, Completions & Commissioning and Materials Management – across 68 countries. As a global leader in workforce solutions, we recruit personnel across the Engineering & Technical, Office & Commercial, Scientific and Skilled Trades disciplines, for sectors including Oil & Gas, Life Science, Power & Utilities, Constructions & Infrastructure, Manufacturing and Renewables.
