Sr. Financial Analyst, Research FP&A - Foster City, CA

Job Description

The Sr. Financial Analyst, Research FP&A will provide financial support for the Research organization as part of the R&D FP&A team. This role reports to the Sr. Director, R&D Consolidation and Research FP&A and works closely with the Associate Director (AD), Research FP&A. The Sr. Financial Analyst role is a combination of financial planning, analysis, accounting, and business partnering to support the Research functions and operations. In this role, you will provide support to the AD, Research FP&A to drive the forecast and budget process, perform month-end close, execute decision support and analysis, and produce management reporting. This role requires strong technical skills and partnering across multiple stakeholders within Finance functions (R&D Finance, Controllership, Procurement) and business stakeholders.

As a Sr. Financial Analyst, Research FP&A, at Gilead you will ...

Core Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain financial models to support headcount planning, resource allocation, scenario analyses, and business decision-making

• Drive month-end close/reporting activities, including managing accruals and variance analytics. Develop an in-depth understanding of key business drivers to incorporate into monthly commentary

• Proactively identify and communicate key risks, opportunities, and business drivers impacting forecasts and budgets

• Produce accurate and timely management reporting for business stakeholders, including functional expenses and resource reporting. Ensure adherence to financial controls, accounting policies, and reporting requirements

• Manage capital projects and operations in partnership with business stakeholders, including month-end close and planning activities

• Establish strong partnerships with stakeholders to provide comprehensive financial support

• Create and drive process improvement initiatives that enhance planning, forecasting, reporting, and operational efficiency while documenting scalable best practices

• Lead, execute, and support various ad hoc projects/initiatives within Finance and business network

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree and Five Years' Experience

  OR

  Masters' Degree and Three Years' Experience

  Preferred Qualifications

  • 5+ years of relevant experience in FP&A, having held positions of increasing scope and responsibility.

  • Experience with Month-End Close activities and Management Reporting (e.g., Journal Entry Preparation, Analysis, Commentary, Budget-vs-Actuals Reporting, CAPEX)

  • Experience in Financial Planning (e.g., Budgeting / Forecasting) processes across Operating Expenses (OPEX), Headcount (HC) management, and Capital Expenditures (CAPEX) and a grasp of forecasting methods and techniques

  • Must have advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, SAP, SAC-P, Analysis for Office, and Tableau

  • Prior experience in biotech or pharma in a R&D finance role is strongly preferred

  • Excellent communication skills: ability to tailor messages to various audiences, oscillating between detail and big picture to tell the executive level story

  • Strong partnership skills: ability to build rapport and credibility with stakeholders and effectively manage expectations with stakeholders in the Business and within Finance

  • Business Savvy and Financial Acumen: The candidate will possess technical knowledge on analytics, business foresight, and problem-solving skills

  • Results Orientation: The ideal candidate will be results-driven and must thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. They must have the ability to deliver results and possess a strong drive to meet and exceed goals and is willing to take ownership of problems and make sound decisions

  • Change Leadership: The candidate will be an independent self-starter and a proactive team player with a drive to strive for continuous improvement and consistently challenging the status quo.