Director, Accounting

COMPANY:

At BioCryst, we share a deep commitment to improving the lives of people living with complement-mediated and other rare diseases. For over three decades we've been guided by our passion for not settling for "ordinary" in our quest to develop novel medicines. We leverage our expertise in structure-guided drug design to develop first-in-class or best-in-class oral small-molecule and protein therapeutics, led by the efforts of our team of expert scientists in our Discovery Center of Excellence in Birmingham, Alabama. Our global headquarters is in Durham, North Carolina, our European headquarters is in Dublin, Ireland and our employees span the globe across sites in multiple countries. We are proud of our culture of engagement and accountability that rewards people for innovative thinking and achievement of key objectives. For more information, please visit our website at www.biocryst.com or follow uson LinkedIn and Instagram.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Director, Accounting is a key member of BioCryst's Finance organization and will be the leader of the General Ledger and Cost Accounting functions. This role sets the tone and organizes the team to efficiently achieve goals through delegation and accountability, enabling the assigned functions to scale in support of broader company objectives. The Director leads financial accounting close, analysis and reporting of cost accounting valuation, inventory movements, reserves, and cost of goods, as well as other key accounting judgements and internal controls. The Director will partner closely with various teams across finance, as well as our global organization, ensuring projects are in alignment with functional and corporate strategy. #LI-Remote

This position is ideally located in Boston, MA or Durham, NC, and can be fully remote on the East Coast, working East Coast hours.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead teams responsible for the accruals (R&D and SG&A) and cost accounting close. Sets team goals, objectives, staffing, roles and responsibilities; monitors performance; coaches and provides feedback.

• Manage monthly close activities, including preparing accrual estimates and related journal entries, reconciling balance sheet and P&L accounts, and performing various analytical reviews. Accounting areas include R&D accruals, SG&A accruals, cash and inventory.
• Develops and implements the overall strategy for the assigned teams. Creates a framework to support the growth of the function and company, maintaining a continuous improvement mindset.
• Prepare and compile various periodic reports / analysis, allowing management to make appropriate and timely business decisions.

• Approves and affirms the completeness and accuracy of month-end close tasks; is accountable for overseeing all related journal entries, balance sheet reconciliations, financial flux, key judgements, internal controls and management reporting.
• Partner with Supply Chain counterparts to ensure accounting for 3rd party contract manufacturers is done in accordance with manufacturing agreements.
• Partner with Financial Planning & Analysis team, as well as business stakeholders to ensure timely and accurate monthly accruals
• Assists with oversight of the deliverables for quarterly reviews and annual audits performed by internal and external auditors.
• Ensures SOX compliance for responsible area, including the development and implementation of improvements to current controls.
• Provides technical guidance, mentoring, and ensures consistent application of accounting principles.
• Develops and implements accounting policies and procedures with respect to inventory and inventory related accounts.
• Provides leadership and takes accountability for identifying and driving process/ systems improvement initiatives.
• Identifies and cultivates productive relationships with business partners and stakeholders, including collaboration with Supply Chain leaders to develop appropriate cost accounting strategies to ensure inventory is fairly stated on the balance sheet.
• Oversees preparation of key ad-hoc reporting and analysis requested by senior leadership.
• Delivers compelling presentations to senior / cross functional teams, tailoring the conversation to specific audiences and situations. Demonstrates ability to balance presentations to manage differing points of view.
• Ensures global operational processes and transactional activities balance both business and financial needs.
• Mobilizes resources needed to address business needs and effectively realigns resources and implements tactics to meet shifting needs and priorities.
• Consistently improves process and functional performance through innovative approaches to challenges. Fosters a culture of improvement, strong communication and technology expertise amongst the Team.

Knowledge and Skills

• Strong communication, influencing and interpersonal skills necessary for daily interaction with management at the highest level, as well as business partners and peers within Finance and Accounting.
• Ability to lead and drive change in a developing business environment, coordinating processes involving large numbers of people, complex systems, and tight deadlines across multiple time zones.
• Demonstrated ability to frame and communicate complex technical analyses or initiatives to a variety of technical or non-technical stakeholders. Expertise in translating data and analyses into effective and persuasive messaging and convincing leaders to take action.
• Ability to transform functional strategy into operational goals and objectives for assigned team members.
• Comprehensive and strategic understanding of accounting principles.
• Expert knowledge of relevant systems / software
• Advanced Excel skills and use of Oracle Fusion or similar ERP systems
• Skilled at developing and managing a diverse team, motivating high performance and contribution through effective coaching and mentoring; skilled at assessing team member skills and interests to allocate assignments, drive training and encourage their career development.

Education and Experience

• Undergraduate degree in accounting or finance with 10 or more years of total accounting experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Big 4 experience required
• Previous hands-on experience with R&D accruals and SG&A accruals in a publicly traded biotech company required
• Previous experience overseeing an inventory accounting function in a publicly traded biotech company
• Results-driven, team-oriented member/leader that is highly organized, detail-oriented, and thorough with an exceptional ability to follow projects through to completion
• Articulate and professional with excellent people skills, a positive attitude, and a strong work ethic

• Active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license is required.

The statements in this position description are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. The manager may assign additional responsibilities and assignments from time to time.

BioCryst is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities without regard to age, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, Veterans status, disability and/or other protected class characteristics. Additionally, BioCryst is committed to achieving its business objectives in compliance with all federal, state and local law.