Director, Revenue Planning & Commercial Finance

Ionis•Carlsbad, CA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Ionis is seeking a Director, Revenue Planning & Commercial Finance to provide strategic financial leadership, business partnership, and decision support across its Commercial organization. Reporting to the Executive Director, Global Product Strategy and Operations (GPSO) Finance, this role is responsible for revenue forecasting and commercial investment analysis, partnering with Commercial, Insights & Analytics, Market Access, Accounting, and Finance to support informed business decisions and sustainable growth. The Director will lead revenue planning and forecasting across commercial products, combining demand forecasts, gross-to-net assumptions, and other business drivers into a comprehensive financial outlook. The role evaluates and challenges assumptions, identifies risks and opportunities, and provides actionable insights on revenue performance, commercial investments, and resource allocation. As a finance partner to GPSO, Commercial, and Finance leadership, the Director translates complex business dynamics into executive-level insights and recommendations that support strategic decisions, cross-functional alignment, and effective commercial investment. The position is based onsite/hybrid in Carlsbad, California.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or a related field.
At least 15 years of progressive finance experience demonstrating continued growth in scope, leadership, and business impact.
Experience leading financial planning (FP&A), forecasting, commercial finance, revenue planning, or related finance functions.
Strong understanding of financial statements, forecasting methodologies, and business planning processes.
Proven ability to partner effectively with senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders to influence decisions and drive business outcomes.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills, including the ability to translate complex financial information into actionable business insights.
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills, including experience communicating with executive leadership.
Proven ability to lead through ambiguity, manage competing priorities, and drive results in a dynamic environment.
Experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives and building alignment across diverse stakeholder groups.
Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills.

Nice To Haves

MBA, CPA, CMA, or other advanced credentials.
Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical, or Healthcare industry experience is strongly preferred.
Experience with financial planning and reporting systems.

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end revenue forecasting across commercial products, including monthly forecasts, quarterly updates, annual budgets, and support for strategic financial plans.
Partner with Insights & Analytics, Market Access, Accounting, and Commercial stakeholders to evaluate assumptions, risks, opportunities, pricing, and gross-to-net impacts.
Integrate demand forecasts, gross-to-net assumptions, and commercial drivers into a comprehensive revenue outlook.
Challenge assumptions and drive alignment to improve forecast accuracy and decision quality.
Communicate forecast risks, opportunities, and business implications to senior leadership.
Evaluate product performance, commercial initiatives, and investment opportunities to support planning, forecasting, and resource allocation decisions.
Assess the effectiveness and return of commercial investments, including incentive compensation, field force investments, promotional activities, and other investments.
Support resource allocation decisions through financial analysis, business cases, and scenario planning.
Lead forecasting, accrual management, and financial oversight of commercial incentive compensation programs, including target-setting support and performance analyses.
Lead development of revenue forecast reviews and executive presentations for Finance leadership and the CFO.
Develop concise, insight-driven narratives communicating business performance, forecast changes, key assumptions, and emerging risks and opportunities.
Facilitate discussions with senior leadership to drive alignment and informed decision-making.
Perform ad hoc analyses and scenario planning for strategic initiatives and key business decisions.
Maintain effective forecasting governance and planning processes, identifying improvements to forecasting, analytics, reporting, and decision-support capabilities.
Lead cross-functional forecast review forums and drive accountability across stakeholders.
Develop scalable processes and frameworks that support organizational growth and evolving business needs.
Lead through ambiguity, proactively identifying solutions and driving progress across complex initiatives.