Director, Finance & Accounting

Ascend Advanced Therapies Group is a global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) supporting the development and commercial manufacturing of gene therapies, viral vectors, and vaccines. Following the 2024 acquisition of ABL Inc., Ascend operates GMP manufacturing sites in Rockville, Maryland; Alachua, Florida; the United Kingdom; and Munich, Germany, partnering with biopharmaceutical innovators to help bring life-changing therapies to patients around the world. Position Summary The Director, Finance and Accounting reports directly to the CFO and serves as the principal finance partner and the highest-ranking finance leader in the organization outside of the CFO. This role owns the operational backbone of the finance function – accounting, controllership, financial reporting, FP&A, and accounts receivable/payable – across Ascend's global manufacturing sites, while also playing an active role in audit, tax, treasury, board reporting, and strategic transactions. This is a high-visibility, high-scope role for a hands-on finance leader who can build rigorous process and infrastructure, drive accountability across the organization, and serve as a trusted right hand to the CFO on virtually every aspect of the finance agenda. Key Responsibilities Financial Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting Own the global annual budgeting process and rolling forecasts across all Ascend sites, translating operating plans into clear financial targets. Design and institutionalize the calendars, templates, and governance needed to build, update, and hold the organization accountable to budgets and forecasts. Partner with site and functional leaders across Operations, Commercial, Quality, and HR to build bottoms‑up plans grounded in real capacity, staffing, and cost drivers. Develop multi‑year financial models supporting strategic planning, capacity expansion, and capital investment decisions. Performance Reporting, Variance Analysis & Accountability Build and own management reporting that gives leadership a clear, timely view of actual performance against budget and forecast. Lead monthly and quarterly variance analysis, identifying root causes and translating them into actionable insight for the CFO and executive team. Instill a culture of financial accountability across the organization, ensuring budget owners understand, own, and are held to their numbers. Develop and maintain a KPI/metrics dashboard covering revenue, margin, cash, and key operational drivers. Partner closely with Operations and Sales/Commercial to optimize the conversion of backlog into recognized revenue. Build and maintain backlog, bookings, and book‑to‑bill reporting; identify and resolve bottlenecks between contract signing, manufacturing execution, and revenue recognition. Ensure revenue recognition for CDMO service and manufacturing contracts is applied consistently and in accordance with U.S. GAAP (ASC 606). Develop early‑warning indicators for schedule or revenue slippage and work cross‑functionally to protect the plan. Oversee global accounting operations across all sites, ensuring accurate, timely, GAAP‑compliant close, consolidation, and reporting. Maintain and strengthen internal controls, accounting policies, and procedures across a multi‑site, multi‑entity organization, including the UK and Germany. Own the monthly and quarterly close calendar and drive continuous improvement in close cycle time and reporting quality. Ensure balance sheet integrity through a disciplined account reconciliation and review process. Audit, Tax & Treasury Serve as the primary day‑to‑day owner of the external audit relationship, partnering with the CFO to ensure an efficient, clean annual audit. Partner with outside tax advisors to ensure timely, accurate federal, state, and international tax compliance, including cross‑border considerations for the UK and German entities. Own day‑to‑day treasury and cash management, including global cash positioning, banking relationships, and lender/debt covenant reporting. Support the CFO on capital structure matters, including debt compliance, covenant monitoring, and lender reporting. Board & Investor Reporting Prepare board and investor reporting packages in partnership with the CFO, translating financial results and forecasts into clear, decision‑ready materials. Support preparation of materials for board meetings, lender updates, and investor communications. Accounts Receivable & Collections Lead the AR function, driving disciplined billing, credit, and collections practices to optimize cash conversion and minimize DSO. Partner with Commercial and Legal on contract terms and customer relationships that support healthy, predictable cash flow. Oversee the AP function, ensuring efficient, well‑controlled disbursements and accurate vendor accounting. Own key vendor relationships, negotiating terms and resolving escalations in partnership with Procurement and Operations. Drive finance systems optimization (NetSuite and related tools), improving automation, data integrity, and reporting efficiency. Identify and implement process improvements that scale with the company's growth, including integration of finance processes and systems following acquisitions. Build, lead, mentor, and develop a high‑performing global finance team of 6–8 direct reports spanning Accounting, Controllership, Financial Reporting, FP&A, and AP/AR. Establish clear roles, career paths, and performance expectations; build bench strength and succession depth across the team. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the finance organization. Strategic Initiatives & Special Projects Serve as a key partner to the CFO on ad hoc strategic transactions, including M&A due diligence and integration and debt or equity capital raises. Represent Finance in cross‑functional strategic initiatives, providing financial analysis and deal support as needed. Qualifications Required Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field; CPA and/or MBA strongly preferred. 10+ years of progressive finance and accounting experience, including significant time in life sciences, pharmaceutical, biotech, CDMO/CMO, or complex manufacturing environments. Proven experience leading multi‑functional finance teams (accounting, controllership, FP&A, AP/AR) across multiple sites and/or geographies. Good understanding of U.S. GAAP; experience with multi‑entity, multi‑currency consolidation (UK/European entities a strong plus). Hands‑on experience building and running FP&A processes – budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, and management reporting – in a complex operating business. Experience with contract manufacturing or milestone‑based revenue recognition (ASC 606), including backlog and bookings management. Track record managing external audit relationships and partnering with outside tax and treasury advisors. Experience preparing board‑ and/or investor‑level reporting materials. Strong ERP/systems fluency; NetSuite experience strongly preferred. Executive presence and excellent communication skills, with the ability to partner effectively with the CFO, CEO, board, and cross‑functional leaders across Operations, Commercial, Quality, Legal, and HR. Demonstrated ability to build, coach, and develop high‑performing teams. Willingness to travel domestically and internationally (approximately 25–40%). Preferred Public accounting background (Big 4 or national firm) combined with industry experience. Prior experience in a GMP‑regulated manufacturing environment. M&A due diligence and post‑acquisition integration experience. Experience supporting a debt or equity capital raise, including lender/investor reporting and covenant compliance. Experience operating in a private equity‑or venture‑backed company. #J-18808-Ljbffr