What are the responsibilities and job description for the HEAD OF FINANCE OPERATIONS position at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals?

Job Title : Head of Finance Operations

This role is considered Hybrid.

Overview

As the Head of Finance Operations reporting to the Chief Accounting Officer, you will lead the strategy, build-out and operations of the finance-based shared services organization in a manner that supports Alnylam's overall business strategy and objectives.

This role is accountable for value realization, service optimization, end-to-end process improvement as well as overall operational excellence in Finance Operations. This role requires a strategic thinker with a deep understanding of finance and accounting principles, processes and systems, strong leadership capabilities, and a track record of driving operational efficiencies.

You will partner with functional and operations leadership across the company to (1) assess performance against clearly articulated and measurable key performance indicators; (2) challenge the current framework and identify opportunities for process optimization or automation; and (3) prioritize a culture of continuous improvement to drive best in class processes and policies across the company.

This role will require an ability to effectively partner across the organization, thrive in a fast-paced high growth environment, have the foresight to identify, understand and manage competing priorities, ability to make decision, including during periods of ambiguity, and earn / build trusted business advisor relationships across the organization. It is also critical to exert your influence, lead through change, develop and execute innovation strategies and leverage a strong leadership brand to provide direction to multi-disciplinary project teams engaged on key company transformation programs.

The ideal candidate for this role will have experience leading a dedicated finance-based shared services organization, influencing cross-functional teams, developing strategic business processes and system initiatives in a fast-paced high growth environment. Highly skilled in business partnering, collaboration and relationship building within complex and matrixed organizations. Excellent communication, leadership, and technical skills will be essential for this role as well as a passion to be a part of the company's growth.

This is a hybrid position that requires 3 days on site per week in our Cambridge, MA office.

Key Responsibilities

Vision & Strategy

Proactively evolve the Company's finance service delivery and build a Finance Operations organization that focuses on consistent and accurate service delivery while also building an intentional framework for developing dynamic practices that evolve with emerging trends and best practices in technology enablement and business needs.
Develop a finance shared services transformation strategy that aligns to the Company's process and transformation roadmap. Build a finance shared services roadmap that identifies opportunities to transition processes to finance operations and partner with the business to develop transition plans inclusive of milestones that drive accountability and support long term growth of the business.

Process Execution & Customer Service

Design and implement scalable processes and procedures appropriate for each phase of organizational growth.

Develop and refine global financial processes, including procure-to-pay, travel and expense and payroll, to ensure these processes are efficiently designed to support the global scaling of the business.

Stay abreast of industry best practices across procure-to-pay, travel and expense and payroll, collaborating with supply chain, finance, business systems, human resources, and operations teams.

Lead project activities related to accounts payable, travel and expenses, and payroll functions and other finance-based processes bringing exceptional value to the Company through total cost reduction, streamlining workflow, automation etc.

Monitor and enhance KPI and related monitoring, reporting and analyses to drive effective process improvements to lead and maintain compliance in all global procurement operations, accounts payable, travel and expense, and payroll related activities.

Drive the overall sustainment and prioritization process for financial systems.

Collaborate with finance and business functions to lead and coordinate key initiatives to enhance the company's financial systems.

Partner with other functions to ensure Finance master data requirements and strategy are assessed and maintained.

Partner with other finance functions to lead key process improvements.

Ensures that business processes comply with all relevant guidelines and policies, whether internally established or externally mandated. For clarity, this must include consideration of customer engagement; vendor management; applicable state, provincial and federal government bodies; Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other anti-bribery and anti-corruption regulations.

Continuous Improvement

Drives continuous improvement across Finance Operations processes, creating best-in-class processes and policies that dynamically respond to evolving business needs and emerging risks.

In conjunction with enterprise-wide continuous improvement efforts, plan, prioritize and implement ongoing process improvements / efficiencies.

Strategically build a path toward centralization and standardization of processes by rationalizing process differences.

Evaluates and incorporates intelligent automation solutions into continuous improvement projects to increase digitalization of the function (incl. Robotic Process Automation, Machine Learning).

Facilitates training and up-skilling of Finance Operations staff needed to respond to new business practices.

Leadership, Business Relationships and Communication

Builds and fosters the growth and development of a dynamic, high performing team capable of thriving in ambiguity and an ever-changing, high growth environment. Requires leadership across multiple geographies (domestic and international) and experience levels.

Establishes credibility as a dynamic and People-first talent leader that will serve the Finance Operations group and all customers across the company. Sets clear priorities and expectations for talent engagement, development, and performance management.

Monitors best practices in staffing and talent across the marketplace to ensure the company is keeping pace and, when appropriate, leading in resourcing talent. Monitors attrition and works to minimize its impacts to business continuity.

Maintains an ongoing communications cadence with functional leadership team that informs, empowers, and inspires the team to deliver at optimal levels for customers and team members.

Partners with functional leadership and other aspects of the business as needed to problem solve and create clarity and purpose. Proactively coordinates activities across the company to ensure processes are effective and optimized.

Ensures timely communications with functional leadership around capacity management and prioritization.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Business, Accounting, IT, Finance, or a related field. MBA / Masters in Accounting preferred. CPA / CA desirable.

15 years of experience leading business process optimization and Global Shared Services operations. Global Pharmaceutical / Biotech industry preferred.

Experience developing, delivering and executing a process led, global shared services strategy mapped to a tactical plan for delivery and execution.

Experience in project management and process improvement, ideally with skills in Lean Process Improvement, Agile, Six Sigma, etc.

Experience driving business process improvement, system automation and technology and tools

Advanced ERP systems skills, SAP strongly preferred

Hands on experience with SOX and FCPA processes and procedures

Team and talent builder with management experience mentoring, developing, training, upskilling, and coaching your staff

Strong communicator and influencer who is adept at partnering, influencing and aligning stakeholders at all levels externally and internally

Demonstrated ability to deliver and execute in a fast-paced, matrixed global organization through collaboration and effective close working relationships.

About Alnylam : Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq : ALNY) has led the translation of RNA interference (RNAi) into a whole new class of innovative medicines with the potential to transform the lives of people afflicted with rare and more prevalent diseases. Based on Nobel Prize-winning science, RNAi therapeutics represent a powerful, clinically validated approach to treating diseases at their genetic source by interfering with mRNA that cause or contribute to disease. Since our founding in 2002, Alnylam has led the RNAi Revolution and continues to turn scientific possibility into reality.

Our culture : Our people-first culture is guided by our core values : fiercely innovative, open culture, purposeful urgency, passion for excellence, and commitment to people, and these values influence how we work and the business decisions we make. Thanks to feedback from our employees over the years, we've been fortunate to be named a top employer around the world. Alnylam is extremely proud to have been recognized as the #1 Large Employer by Boston Globe Top Places to Work in 2023 for the third consecutive year, one of Science Magazine's Top Biopharma Employers, one of America's Most Responsible Companies for 2024 by Newsweek, a Fast Company Best Workplace for Innovators, and a Great Place to Work in Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and UK - among others.

At Alnylam, we commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equal employment opportunity. We are dedicated to building an environment where employees can feel that they belong, can bring their authentic selves to work, and achieve to their full potential. By empowering employees to embrace their unique differences at work, our business grows stronger with advanced and original thinking, allowing us to bring groundbreaking medicines to patients. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ethnicity, marital status, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristics prohibited by law.

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