Director, Financial Planning & Analysis

Fpa Lead

The FP&A lead within the Finance team is responsible for driving strategic financial planning and analysis across a dynamic biotechnology organization. Partnering with leadership and cross-functional teams, the FP&A lead will oversee budgeting, forecasting, management reporting, ad hoc support and strategic decision support. The role is highly visible, serving as a principal financial advisor to R&D and G&A functions while helping to shape financial strategy, optimize resource allocation and ensure alignment with organization goals in a rapidly growing clinical phase biotech.

• Partner with and act as the financial advisor for R&D and G&A Departments providing support for day to day activities and ad hoc projects; align R&D spend with scientific priorities, oversee clinical trial expense reviews and cost forecasting for ongoing and planned studiesDrive building of budgets and quarterly forecasts, preparation of timely and meaningful management reports highlighting status of key milestones, and regular reviews of budget variances.

• Identify and quantify variance drivers by function, conducting trending analysis to surface forecast risks, and discussing risks & opportunities to support go/no-go decisions.

• Month-end close support including month-end close accruals, troubleshooting or following-up with accounting and the business.

• Support gathering, data mining, and preparation of financial slides for leadership and board meetings.

• Maintain and refresh program dashboards tracking R&D spend, clinical trial metrics, and cash burn rate; develop data visualizations and automate reporting processes to drive operational efficiency and transparency.

• Perform routine FP&A activities such as FP&A master data structure administration, requisition reviews, contract reviews, PO management and internal and external reporting to internal stakeholders and external collaborators.

• Key collaborator on long range strategic planning. Prepare scenarios and ad hoc analyses to support executive decision making, including scenario planning for pipeline prioritization, clinical program trade-offs, and capital allocation across therapeutic areas.

• Prepare management reports for executive leadership and board meetings; support quarterly financial filings and investor discussions as needed, translating complex clinical and operational data into clear financial narratives.

• Validate GL Account Coding — Review all purchase orders to ensure expenses are mapped to the correct General Ledger (GL) accounts, aligning with the company's chart of accounts and cost categorization standards.

• Ensure Program & Project Tagging — Confirm POs tied to specific pipeline programs or projects carry the correct project codes, enabling reliable program-level spend analysis.

• Distinguish CapEx vs. OpEx — Flag items that may require capitalization (e.g., lab equipment, software licenses) vs. those that should be expensed, ensuring compliance with the company's capitalization policy and ASC 730 (R&D cost) guidance.

• BS with 14+ years of working experience, MS with 12+ years of working experience. MBA or advanced degree preferred.

• 8+ years of progressive FP&A experience in biotech/pharma with leadership responsibility.

• Industry Knowledge: Biotechnology experience required; understanding of preclinical/clinical development essential; small molecule expertise desired.

• Experience managing multi-entity or cross-border financial operations, including budgeting, forecasting, and reporting across multiple currencies and international contracts; familiarity with FX exposure considerations and intercompany accounting in a global context.

• Deep expertise in accounting concepts, and financial strategy.

• Excellent problem solving and analytical skills; highly proficient in Excel based modeling and PowerPoint.

• Proven ability to collaborate, influence, and drive alignment across diverse stakeholders.

• Ability to work independently in a detailed and organized manner while managing complexity and multi-tasking.

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail; willingness to "roll-up the sleeves"