Director, Accounting & Tax (Controller)

PharmaEssentia U.S.A.•Burlington, MA

3d•$185,000 - $225,000•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a technical, operational, and strategic Director of Accounting and Tax/Controller to join our rapidly growing organization. This role carries full ownership of U.S. accounting and tax infrastructure and operations within a commercial-stage rare disease pharmaceutical company. Within this position, you will own the integrity of the close process, financial reporting accuracy, SOX compliance, technical accounting, and tax. You will have the opportunity to transform the accounting and tax team into a scalable, high-performing organization capable of supporting rapid growth and operational excellence. We are excited to find a naturally curious individual with deep industry fluency, public company accounting experience, and leadership presence to coach and inspire team members, collaborate and support cross functional peers, and serve as trusted advisor to executive stakeholders in this fun time of company growth! This position will report directly to the Head of Finance and be pivotal for the dynamic scaling ahead.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field required
CPA required
10+ years of progressive accounting experience with increasing scope and leadership responsibility
3+ years in public accounting firms (Big 4 strongly preferred)
3+ years of leadership experience of managing teams through end-to-end period-end close process, financial reporting, overseeing external auditing, and managing auditor relationships
Experience operating within a public company environment, subject to SEC reporting and SOX compliance
Demonstrated comprehensive knowledge across U.S. GAAP (IFRS preferred), financial reporting & period-end close, internal controls, tax, and transfer pricing, manufacturing finance, , and accounting systems and automation.
Strong understanding of best practices and scalable financial processes.
Effective executive-level written and oral communication skills required.
Ability to work well under pressure and to work within short deadlines.
Excellent organizational and multitasking skills, strong work ethic, and emphasis on attention to details.
Self-directed, highly accountable, and comfortable operating with ambiguity in a growth environment.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Tax, Business Management, strongly preferred
Preferred experience within a commercial-stage pharmaceutical, biotech, or life sciences organization, or in lieu of, prior experience with Gross to Net, and government pricing.

Responsibilities

Own the monthly, quarterly, and annual close process, ensuring disciplined execution and continuous improvement.
Oversee account reconciliations, raising the standards for quality, accuracy, and documentation.
Sign off on IFRS-compliant financial statements.
Maintain and enhance the accounting policies and procedures.
Accountable for SOX compliance efforts and strengthen internal controls across the entire organization.
Serve as primary liaison to internal/external auditors and manage the annual audit process.
Own end-to-end accounting processes from transaction through financial reporting.
Oversee payroll accounting and evaluate future transition of payroll fully under Accounting ownership.
Review gross-to-net reconciliations including discounts, rebates, chargebacks, returns and perform reserve analysis.
Oversee inventory and production accounting within a manufacturing environment, including standard costing and reserves.
Support transfer pricing and intercompany accounting.
Oversee tax, analyzing and advising on tax implications of business decisions and transactions.
Lead the preparation and review of monthly, quarterly, and annual management reports, delivering clear, accurate financial insights and presenting business-impactful analysis and recommendations to executive leadership.
Partner closely with FP&A to develop and maintain integrated three-statement forecasts, with primary ownership of Balance Sheet and Cash Flow projections.
Deliver thoughtful, data-driven analysis of quarterly budget-versus-actual variances to support Quarterly Business Reviews and inform strategic decision-making.
Identify opportunities proactively and drive automation and process transformation initiatives within Accounting and Tax to enhance efficiency, strengthen controls, and enable scalable growth.
Proactively track changes in accounting standards and business developments; evaluate potential technical accounting and tax implications to lead the team to conduct research, analysis, formal documentation, and present to leadership as needed.
Maintain and update accounting policies, procedures, and SOP documentation to ensure alignment with current guidance and business operations; establish and document role cross-training and backup coverage to support business continuity.
Partner cross functionally on ad hoc projects as needed, including but not limited business development, M&A initiatives,
Lead, mentor, and develop accounting team members while raising technical capability across the department.