Associate Director, R&D Finance – Technical Operations

Role Summary

Associate Director of R&D Finance serves as the strategic financial partner to the Technical Operations organization, driving financial planning, reporting, and strategic insights to enable informed decision-making and optimal resource allocation. Reports to the Head of FP&A and supports scalability for future growth in alignment with long-term objectives.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted Finance Business Partner to Tech Ops Executive/Senior Leadership, delivering strategic and operational guidance to support critical decision-making and ensure financial alignment with long-term objectives.
• Foster relationships with senior stakeholders to proactively identify opportunities, address challenges, and enable optimal resource allocation across Technical Operations.
• Lead development and coordination of annual budgets, interim forecasts, and long-range financial plans for Tech Ops.
• Deliver proactive financial analysis and timely reporting to track performance against budget and forecast, enabling data-driven decisions.
• Oversee month-end and quarter-end close processes, including accruals, ensuring compliance with GAAP, SOX, and Apellis accounting policies.
• Collaborate with Tech Ops leadership to understand complexities of clinical and commercial supply and their impact on development plans and demand forecasts.
• Ensure accuracy of financial exposure related to external contract manufacturers.
• Partner with cost accounting to ensure proper P&L classification (COGS vs. expense) and guide budget/forecast accuracy.
• Provide analytical support for pipeline advancement, lifecycle management, and upcoming launches (e.g., C3G/IC-MPGN).
• Drive process improvements and implement scalable financial practices to support growth trajectory.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field; MBA or CPA preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in accounting and financial planning/analysis.
• 3+ years of finance experience supporting Technical Operations in a publicly traded biopharma company.
• Strong knowledge of US GAAP and SOX compliance for public companies.
• Experience with SAP (ERP) and Adaptive Insights (planning/reporting) strongly preferred.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills; ability to influence across all levels.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with non-finance teams while representing Finance effectively.
• Comfortable challenging the status quo, driving change, and thriving in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Strong analytical skills with ability to manage large datasets and deliver under tight deadlines.

Skills

• Strategic financial partnering
• Budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning
• GAAP and SOX compliance
• Financial analysis and reporting
• Stakeholder management and communication
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Data interpretation and decision support

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
• MBA or CPA preferred

Additional Requirements

• Work Location: Based in Waltham, MA. Hybrid model requires in-office presence at least 2 days per week.