Reporting to the Senior Director, Finance, the Director, Development Finance will lead all aspects of financial management for the Development function, as well as the Company’s Strategic Alliances. Specific responsibilities include managing and developing a team of finance professionals, driving analytical approaches into the organization, driving forecasting and budgeting best practice, and evolving the company’s culture of financial operating discipline. Specific tasks include analyses related to actuals and accruals for monthly and quarterly financial closings, periodic budgeting, planning, forecasting as well as internal management reporting and external reporting to strategic partners. This individual will work with development functions to ensure appropriate financial management, processes and controls are in place with respect to the Company’s clinical programs and external partnerships (including CRO’s and contracts with strategic partners). This individual will provide regular monitoring of program assumptions, study/alliance budget and forecast impacts, risks and remediation measures; and will liaise with the Finance Organization to ensure consistency in the communication and reporting of financial information in order to drive effective decision making.
Required Skills
- Provide guidance to the Development teams in financial planning and the financial management of clinical projects
- Responsible for all aspects of the Development budget including leading the team through annual budget development or interim updates, forecasting and analysis
- Lead the team responsible for Development planning meetings to ensure understanding, communication, documentation and reporting of ongoing and future R&D project initiatives, including scope changes and amendments/change orders
- Ensure a culture where scope, provisions, vendor obligations and payment terms included in project work orders/contracts are understood “in-depth” and consistent with budgetary and accounting guidelines/methodologies.
- Review on an ongoing basis, project data, budget/forecast information and contractual assumptions with managers to identify out-of-scope activities
- Responsible for overseeing and reviewing the monthly closing process for the internal development functions and Strategic Alliances
- Responsible for the team’s management of development close procedures, working closely with accounting to review and enhance roles and responsibilities to both improve work product and reduce workload.
- Lead all financial aspects of Strategic Alliance management including collaboration revenue, manufacturing and cost forecasting, analysis and reporting
- Develop an in-depth understanding of key collaborative agreements to help the team develop processes for tracking, complying with and reporting on financial provisions/deliverables in connection with all agreements
- Ensure team’s deliverables for the quarterly and annual audits are met
- Work closely with Strategic Alliance Management, Program Management and Business Development in fostering relationships, communication and reporting with the strategic partners
- Participate in ad-hoc Strategic Alliance meetings, workstreams or committees
- Collaborate with business development on new opportunities
- Drive adoption of our enhanced long-range planning activities
- Define and anticipate risks/opportunities and propose solutions/plans of action along with relevant information to key decision makers
- Identify opportunities for operational improvements and efficiencies and develop recommendations
- Support Company’s Sarbanes-Oxley compliance efforts
- Develop and manage a team of leading finance professionals
Required Experience
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- Minimum of 10 years experience in finance and accounting functions.
- Experience in pharma/biotech.
- BA/BS
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Excellent knowledge of the commercial and development value chain and their interaction with the Finance area
- Significant experience with clinical trial accruals and execution, collaboration revenue, and cost of goods.
- In depth understanding of GAAP and financial statement reporting
- Possess excellent analytical, communication, decision making, human relations and organizational skills
- Comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint and other normal office software
- Strategic Vision – ability to recognize, forecast and communicate events, which may impact the business.
- Leadership – ability to guide a team in day-to-day and long-term activities.
- Communication – ability to communicate ideas and data both verbally and written, in a persuasive, organized and appropriate manner, including running meetings and preparing presentations for customer groups. Ability to communicate effectively with Senior Management. Ability to “push back” in a respectful manner and to present “unpopular” ideas and messages when necessary.
- Analytical – ability to determine methods and types of analyses to be performed to address a business question. Ability to interpret and question data inputs to financial models and support alternative recommendations as necessary.
- Management – ability to set priorities for a team and meet specific deadlines in a changing environment. Ability to be flexible, accommodating, and deal with change effectively.
- Customer Service Orientation – ability to gain trust of executives and contribute to their success from information gained through networking and an understanding of business.
- Teamwork – ability to foster good working relationships among team members, and work effectively in and contribute to a team environment.
- Entrepreneurial – ability and desire to take ownership of activities and projects, desire to shape the organization, consistent “out of the box” thinking.
Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. is a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company with the purpose to better the lives of people impacted by 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.