We are looking for Senior Research Operations Specialist - Remote / Telecommute for our client in San Francisco, CA
Job Title: Senior Research Operations Specialist - Remote / Telecommute
Job Location: San Francisco, CA
Job Type: Contract
Pay Range: $105.34hr - $110.34hr
Job Overview:
- The candidate runs the commercial and financial operations of the organization s Research team, supporting roughly sixty researchers and a large vendor and agency portfolio. The candidate owns the contract and spend lifecycle for vendors and agencies, serves as the operations liaison to Finance, and represents researchers needs in vendor and contract conversations so they can stay focused on the work. Across all of it, the candidate looks for ways to optimize and streamline, ideally leveraging AI.
Responsibilities:
- Own spend-request intake through Airtable, Zip, and Oracle, including PO change orders and invoice and requisition approvals.
- Onboard and offboard vendors and tools end to end: supplier questionnaires, NDAs, third-party risk and privacy review, legal routing, and tool access such as SSO and MCP/API connections.
- Facilitate MSAs, SOWs, NDAs, and renewals with Legal and Procurement across regions, navigating the different legal, procurement, and data requirements of markets such as EMEA and China.
- Maintain the contract repository, all agency retainer trackers, and the master supplier list; track renewals at 30, 60, and 90 days.
- Act as the operations liaison to Finance and research leads: spend-tracker upkeep, quarterly forecast inputs, monthly budget reviews, and the Research and Finance sync.
- Support vendor evaluation and consolidation, including data-use, model-training, and DPA terms for AI tools.
- Represent researchers in scoping and negotiation, translating study needs into commercial terms.
Cross-functional partnership with operational pillars:
- Act as Research s primary liaison to Commercial Legal, Privacy, Third Party Security, Procurement, Strategic Sourcing, Finance, and Accounts Payable, coordinating NDA, MSA, SOW, DPA, and purchase order workflows across Zip, Oracle, Salesforce, and DocuSign.
- Anticipate and unblock cross-functional review gates (privacy, security, AI, sourcing thresholds, regional signature processes), setting expectations with researchers on timelines and escalating proactively when reviews stall.
- Upkeep of Research s operating dataset in Airtable, including project and supplier bases.
- Knowledge-management support for the shared drive and research repository.
- Help maintain the team s tools and AI hub.
Qualifications:
- Experience in procurement, contracts administration, or vendor operations, ideally in a research, insights, or tech environment.
- Fluency with procure-to-pay systems such as Zip, Oracle, or Coupa, and hands-on Airtable skills.
- Comfort reading contract terms and knowing when to engage Legal.
- Familiarity with how contracting, procurement, and privacy requirements differ across regions and markets, and the judgment to adapt processes accordingly.
- Working knowledge of how research operates, enough to speak for researchers and spot when a scope does not fit the need.
- A systems thinker who sees the bigger picture across intake, contracts, and spend, gets ahead of problems, and proactively finds ways to make the work more efficient.
- Highly organized, detail-driven, and strong verbal and written communication skills with finance and vendor partners.
Nice to have:
- Time in or alongside a market research, consumer insights, or UX research team; experience working with AI tools day to day, and ideally building with them, such as automations, agents, or AI-assisted workflows; Airtable automation experience.
Core systems:
- Zip, Oracle, Salesforce, Airtable.
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Benefits
Our Benefits Include:
- Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
- 401(k) Retirement Plan
- Health Savings Account (HSA)
- Disability Insurance (Short-Term and Long-Term)
- Life and AD&D Insurance
- Paid Sick Leave (where required by applicable state or local law)
- Supplemental Insurance Plans
- Identity Theft Protection
- Pet Insurance
- Employee Wellness Programs
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Career Growth and Professional Development Opportunities
Disclaimer: Benefits eligibility, accrual rates, and usage limits may vary based on employment status, length of service, and work location. Paid Sick Leave is provided in strict accordance with applicable state and municipal mandates. Cynet Systems Inc. reserves the right to modify, amend, or terminate any benefit plans at any time in accordance with applicable laws.
About Cynet Systems
Founded in 2010 and headquartered in the Washington, DC metro area, Cynet Systems Inc. is a leading technology staffing and workforce solutions company serving Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and enterprise organizations across the United States and Canada. We deliver agile, scalable talent solutions across IT, engineering, life sciences, clinical, and professional staffing, powered by a high-performing recruitment engine operating across North America and Asia.
As a nationally and locally certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Cynet Systems is committed to helping organizations build high-performing teams while empowering professionals to grow rewarding careers. Our organization is certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, and SOC 2 Type II standards, reflecting our commitment to quality, security, operational excellence, and customer success.
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