Director, Financial Planning and Analysis

Velocity Clinical Research•Durham, NC

6d•Onsite

About The Position

At Velocity, we are seeking a strategic and analytically driven Director of FP&A to lead budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and performance analysis for our growing clinical research site management organization, headquartered in Durham, NC. This senior finance leader will partner closely with executive leadership and cross‑functional teams to deliver actionable insights that support site operations, clinical trial economics, growth initiatives, and long-term planning. The role oversees financial reporting, KPI dashboards, and team development while advancing a culture of data‑driven decision-making. The Director of Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) is a key financial leadership role responsible for guiding the company’s budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and performance analysis processes. In partnership with senior leadership, this role provides strategic insights that drive decision-making, resource allocation, and long ‑ term financial planning for a fast ‑ paced clinical research environment. The ideal candidate brings strong analytical rigor, deep business acumen, and experience supporting operations in a site network, CRO, pharmaceutical, biotech, or other life science services setting.

Requirements

Exceptional financial modeling and quantitative analysis skills.
Strong understanding of clinical research financial drivers.
Advanced proficiency in Excel and BI tools.
Outstanding communication skills.
Proven leadership experience, including team management and cross ‑ functional partnership.
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field required
Ten (10) to fifteen (15) years of progressive FP&A experience, ideally within clinical research, pharmaceuticals, biotech, or healthcare services.

Nice To Haves

MBA or CPA strongly preferred.
Experience supporting multi ‑ site operational environments a strong plus.

Responsibilities

Lead the company’s annual budgeting process, quarterly forecasting cycles, and multi-year financial planning activities.
Develop financial strategies and scenario models to support corporate goals and growth initiatives, including new clinical programs, site expansions, and partnerships.
Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leadership, providing actionable insights and recommendations.
Build and maintain sophisticated financial models to assess revenue forecasts, study profitability, site performance, headcount planning, and capital investments.
Analyze clinical trial economics, including enrollment projections, per patient reimbursements, direct study costs, and overhead allocation.
Identify trends, risks, and opportunities influencing financial performance and recommend mitigation or optimization strategies.
Oversee monthly and quarterly financial reporting packages, including variance analyses, KPI dashboards, and operational performance metrics.
Partner with clinical operations, BD, HR and other functions as needed to evaluate functional performance and contribute financial insight to operational decisions.
Standardize and improve reporting processes and tools to enhance accuracy, efficiency, and visibility.
Support pricing strategy, proposals, and study budget development for new business opportunities.
Work cross functionally to evaluate study pipeline impacts, resource needs, and site-level performance metrics (e.g., enrollment rates, labor utilization).
Collaborate with accounting to ensure alignment between FP&A outputs and financial statements.
Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing FP&A team.
Advance analytical capabilities across the organization through improved tools, systems, and processes.
Champion a culture of data-driven decision-making.
Other duties as assigned.