Akebia Therapeutics, Inc., is looking for an experienced hands-on Director Cost/General Accounting who is an enthusiastic, strong leader with a solid cost accounting background.
This position will play a critical role in owning the cost accounting function to ensure a high quality, accurate and efficient monthly and quarterly financial close. The role will also help generate and lead process improvements and optimization of our business processes specific to financial management of inventory and manufacturing activities across the Company, including ownership of inventory SOX internal controls processes, to ensure scalability of the Company’s operations to support future growth. A key goal for the Director Cost Accounting/General Accounting will be to lay the foundation to prepare the Company for the potential launch of additional commercial product(s), including playing a key role in building additional systems infrastructure. The position will also play a key role in the monthly and quarterly closes by supporting the team with various accounting duties.
Required Skills
- Oversee the end-to-end cost accounting process to ensure proper inventory costing within the Company’s inventory management system (Oracle Cloud), consisting of the monthly/quarterly closing process including preparation and/or review of all inventory- and manufacturing-related journal entries and monthly balance sheet reconciliations
- Review quarterly overhead analysis to ensure ongoing compliance with SOX internal controls and US GAAP
- Review of monthly and quarterly cost of goods sold analysis, including components of COGS and key drivers of change from period to period
- Responsible for the preparation and/or review of analyses in support of established inventory reserves and ensuring reserves are complete and accurate
- Responsible for ensuring that the cost accounting close process is streamlined, and all deadlines are met, and the roles and responsibilities of those involved are appropriate.
- Responsible for preparing the Company’s excess purchase commitment analysis on a quarterly basis if needed
- Work in close partnership with CMC and other functions on status of open projects and production plans, and prepare monthly inventory/manufacturing accrual schedules
- Recommend and implement any changes necessary to improve the cost accounting close process.
- Responsible for the planning and execution of the annual physical inventory counts including analysis and reporting of results
- Maintain and ensure ongoing compliance with accounting policies and procedures
- Support the finance team’s efforts in completion of the quarterly reviews and annual audits by the independent external auditors, including preparation of PBC’s (prepared by client schedules)
- Responsible for Oracle system ownership, including maintenance/changes, testing, and assisting with improvements, as well as monthly global consolidations
- Own accounting for Akebia EU business unit which includes entries, reconciliations and statutory audits
- Partner with FP&A and the business to prepare cost center accruals and fluxes
- Lead SOX 404 inventory compliance including:
- Internal control documentation (maintenance of process narratives, control matrices and flowcharts)
- Completion of walkthroughs and testing process in conjunction with a third-party consulting firm
- SOX 404 audits, including preparation of PBC’s
- Respond to inquiries from the Director of Finance, Controller, and other finance and company-wide managers regarding financial results, special reporting request and the like
- Lead, manage and develop cost accounting staff.
Required Experience
Basic Qualifications:
- BA/BS in Accounting or Finance
- 10+ years of accounting/finance experience, including:
- Extensive experience with cost accounting
- Supervisor experience
- 3+ years industry experience
Preferred Qualifications:
- Solid understanding of cost accounting principles with the ability to work closely with other functions
- Experience with manufacturing activities and accruals a plus
- Oracle Cloud/Fusion experience
- Experience in a public company
- Experience leading and driving process improvements
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office software including Word and PowerPoint and significant experience using Excel
Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutics for people living with kidney disease. The Company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit our website at www.akebia.com.
Akebia is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all job applicants. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other factors prohibited by law.
AGENCY AND THIRD PARTY RECRUITER NOTICE:
Agencies that submit a resume to Akebia for any position posted on our career page must have a current Akebia agency agreement executed by a member of the Human Resource Department. In addition, agencies may only submit candidates to positions for which they have been invited to do so by an Akebia Recruiter. All resumes submitted outside of these terms will not be considered.