This role will need to have frequent travel to our South San Francisco, CA office for in person meetings.

The Associate Director, FP&A is responsible for leading the company’s core financial planning and analysis activities, including annual budgeting, quarterly forecasting, monthly financial reporting, variance analysis, financial modeling, and business performance management. The Associate Director will partner closely with functional leaders across the organization to develop and manage financial plans, understand key business drivers, monitor performance, and provide actionable financial insights to support effective resource allocation and decision-making.

The Associate Director will serve as a key financial partner to R&D, Clinical, G&A, Commercial and other functional leaders, with a focus on understanding operational activities and their financial implications. The role will also be responsible for continuously improving the company’s FP&A processes, reporting, systems, forecasting capabilities, and financial discipline.

KEY ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead the annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting processes, coordinating cross-functional inputs, establishing timelines and assumptions, and ensuring forecasts accurately reflect current business plans and operational activities.
• Own the monthly FP&A reporting and performance management process, including actual versus budget and forecast analysis, KPI reporting, identification of key drivers and trends, and communication of actionable insights to Finance and business leaders.
• Partner with R&D, Clinical, G&A, Commercial, and other functional leaders to track spend, monitor performance, identify key cost drivers, including CRO and vendor costs, and provide timely financial analysis to support informed decision-making.
• Develop and maintain driver-based financial models that link operational assumptions to financial performance, including headcount, departmental expenses, clinical programs, CRO and vendor costs, and other significant spending categories.
• Lead headcount and operating expense planning and forecasting, partnering with Human Resources and functional leaders to understand resource requirements and assess their financial impact.
• Support the long-range planning process by coordinating cross-functional inputs, gathering and validating operating assumptions, and ensuring timely and complete submissions from functional leaders.
• Support the development and maintenance of the company’s commercial forecast, partnering with Commercial and cross-functional stakeholders to incorporate key assumptions and operating drivers into the financial plan.
• Manage and continuously improve FP&A systems and processes, including data integration, hierarchy maintenance, reporting structures, process automation, and forecasting methodologies, to improve efficiency, scalability, and forecast accuracy.
• Partner with Accounting to ensure actual financial results are appropriately reflected in FP&A reporting and that forecasts are aligned with reported results.
• Provide ad hoc financial analysis and modeling to support operational decision-making, special projects, and other business needs.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance required; MBA or other related advanced degree preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in FP&A, financial planning, or a related finance function.
• 5+ years of experience in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry, with strong knowledge of clinical studies and the drug development lifecycle.
• Proven experience with annual budgeting, quarterly forecasting, and monthly financial reporting.
• Experience partnering with R&D, Clinical, G&A, and other functional leaders to track spend, monitor KPIs, and identify key cost drivers, including CRO and vendor costs.
• Experience with FP&A systems, data integration, reporting, and process automation preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Strong financial modeling and analytical skills, with high proficiency in Excel and the ability to translate operational drivers into financial insights.
• Strong understanding of FP&A principles and ability to identify trends, variances, and opportunities to improve financial performance.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to explain financial concepts and analysis to non-Finance stakeholders.
• Strong business partnering skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across functions and influence without direct authority.
• Strong attention to detail, organization, and commitment to data accuracy.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and effectively manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to improve processes and bring structure to ambiguous situations in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

At Lyell, we believe that highest performing teams include people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences who respectfully challenge each other. We are committed to building an open, diverse and inclusive culture for all employees. Lyell is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status or any other characteristics protected under applicable federal, state and local laws.

We’ve learned from experience that some of the best people don’t always match our requirements perfectly - if you’re interested and think you could fit, please don’t hesitate to apply.