What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Manager - R&D Finance / FP&A position at SDL Search Partners?
New opening with a well-funded clinical stage life sciences company HQ'd out of Greater Boston - this is a senior finance hire supporting the R&D organization across planning, analysis, and decision support. You'll embed yourself within scientific and clinical teams, helping translate operational activity into financial insight — and ensuring the broader organization is making well-informed, financially sound decisions at every stage of development.
Compensation & Benefits
- Strong base salary
- Eligibility for an annual discretionary bonus
- Long-term equity incentives
- Opportunity to participate in an employee stock purchase plan
- Full coverage across medical, dental, and vision for employees and their families
- Life insurance and both short and long-term disability coverage
- 401(k) retirement savings with company match
- Generous time off policy with scheduled company-wide holiday closures
What You'll Do
- Build and maintain annual budgets, rolling forecasts, and multi-year financial plans in close collaboration with research and clinical teams
- Translate complex operational data into clear financial narratives for leadership and key stakeholders
- Own trial and program-level spend tracking, including accrual preparation and close support in coordination with the accounting function
- Oversee purchase order management and vendor spend to maintain strong financial controls across the R&D portfolio
- Develop and maintain management reporting — including dashboards, spending trends, and performance metrics — that drive meaningful conversations
- Build financial models to evaluate strategic options and support scenario planning across the pipeline
- Proactively identify gaps in current processes and lead initiatives to improve reporting efficiency and data quality
Background & Experience Required
- Degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related discipline; advanced degree an advantage
- At least 5 years in a finance role within the life sciences industry, with meaningful exposure to R&D or clinical operations
- Large ERP experience / experience with visualization tools
- Practical knowledge of how clinical programs are structured and funded, including experience with external research organizations
- Comfortable working with large, complex datasets and translating them into actionable recommendations
- Strong presence and communication skills — able to engage credibly with both scientific and executive audiences
- Energetic, organized, and comfortable operating with a degree of ambiguity in a growth-oriented environment