Senior Director, Finance, ITP Upstream

Baxter International Inc. • Deerfield, IL

4d • $200,000 - $300,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Provides overall financial leadership to the upstream finance function of an externally reported approximately $7 billion global division within Baxter's Medical Products & Therapies (MPT) segment. As a member of the Infusion Therapies & Platforms (ITP) Global Upstream Leadership Team, responsible for partnering across the value stream to drive organic and inorganic growth, profit improvement, and free cash flow conversion. Serves as the principal finance leader supporting upstream business activities across Marketing, Business Development and Research & Development and Supply Chain. Provides financial leadership and decision support across portfolio strategy, innovation investments, new product development, business development activities, capital allocation, strategic planning, and long-term value creation. Influences decisions involving significant resource deployment across R&D, capital investments, headcount, portfolio priorities, capacity expansion, and growth initiatives impacting the long-term performance of a globally operated, externally reported business.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or related field (or country equivalent).
• Demonstrated mastery of key finance competencies and qualifications.
• 15+ years of progressive finance experience, including leadership responsibilities within complex, global, and matrixed organizations.
• Strong business acumen and judgment, with deep understanding of relevant business environments, market dynamics, competitive positioning, and value creation drivers.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively influence and drive consensus among diverse senior stakeholders while managing multiple competing priorities in a highly matrixed global organization.
• Strong negotiation, interpersonal communication, collaboration, executive presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex financial analyses into actionable business recommendations supporting strategic and operational decision-making.
• Knowledge of GAAP accounting principles, tax considerations, financial governance, and legal accounting requirements.
• Skilled at assembling and managing both ongoing staff as well as cross-functional teams as required.
• Decisive leadership with ability to generate ideas, develop alternatives, rapidly determine the best course of action, and drive implementation and accountability.
• Demonstrated capability evaluating significant strategic investments, business development activities, innovation portfolios, and resource allocation decisions.

Nice To Haves

• MBA, CPA, or equivalent advanced business or finance qualification preferred.
• Experience supporting strategic planning, business development, innovation investments, portfolio management, capital allocation, and executive decision-making processes preferred.

Responsibilities

• Partner with four Global Vice Presidents and the upstream leadership teams in Marketing, Business Development and Research & Development to drive global portfolio strategy, growth, and margin expansion.
• Influence strategic decisions regarding portfolio investments, resource allocation, innovation priorities, commercialization plans, and competitive positioning in support of sustainable profitable growth and long-term value creation.
• Provide financial leadership and decision support across the upstream value stream, balancing growth objectives, profitability, cash flow generation, investment requirements, and risk considerations to support achievement of divisional strategic objectives.
• Lead financial evaluation of portfolio strategies, assessing market opportunities, competitive dynamics, product lifecycle considerations, investment returns, and strategic trade-offs to optimize growth, profitability, and long-term value creation across a diverse global product portfolio.
• Lead the financial evaluation of global new product launches and post-completion reviews, including the development, governance, and maintenance of new product development business cases.
• Partner with business and R&D leaders throughout the innovation lifecycle to evaluate investment requirements, commercial assumptions, market opportunities, profitability expectations, and return-on-investment outcomes associated with product development initiatives.
• Provide financial oversight and challenge to investment decisions, helping ensure resources are directed toward programs aligned with strategic growth objectives, expected financial returns, and portfolio priorities.
• Conduct post-launch performance assessments to evaluate achievement of business case assumptions and identify opportunities for improved investment outcomes and portfolio management.
• Finance owner of all Business Development activities related to the division; support evaluation and execution of inorganic growth opportunities, including licensing and partnership activities – evaluates for strategic fit, investment requirements, risk, and expected returns.
• Lead financial analyses associated with business development opportunities, including valuation assessments, financial modeling, scenario analysis, investment return evaluation, risk assessment, and strategic decision support.
• Partner with business leaders to evaluate strategic partnerships, licensing opportunities, and other growth initiatives, providing independent financial assessment of risks, opportunities, resource requirements, and expected value creation.
• Lead transaction evaluation and execution activities through development of robust financial business cases and recommendations for executive decision-making.
• Partner with the Research & Development team to align investment priorities, evaluate resource requirements, and drive rigorous program execution, cost management, and timeline delivery across the innovation portfolio.
• Lead financial governance of R&D spending and investment prioritization, balancing innovation objectives, market opportunities, strategic alignment, resource constraints, and expected returns.
• Lead evaluation of program progress, funding requirements, development risks, and potential financial impacts throughout the innovation portfolio.
• Work closely with Integrated Supply Chain on global demand planning, procurement and allocation decisions, and strategic capacity investment decisions to optimize service, profitability, working capital, and capital investment outcomes.
• Provide financial leadership and drive decisions related to manufacturing capacity expansion, supply planning, sourcing decisions, inventory strategies, allocation priorities, and operational investment opportunities, evaluating trade-offs impacting growth, profitability, customer service, and capital efficiency.
• Evaluate financial implications of supply chain decisions and strategic investments to ensure alignment with growth objectives, operating performance targets, and capital efficiency goals.
• Recommend capital allocations and investment decisions ranging from Capex, headcount, R&D spend, and other key allocations to ensure profitable growth of the business.
• Evaluate competing investment opportunities across commercial, innovation, operational, and organizational initiatives, balancing strategic priorities, expected returns, resource constraints, and risk considerations to optimize resource allocation and maximize long-term shareholder value.
• Assess investment alternatives through rigorous financial analysis, risk evaluation, scenario modeling, and return-on-investment considerations to support executive decision-making.
• Lead development of annual operating plans and long-range plans (LRP), aligned to divisional strategy and reflecting growth opportunities, competitive dynamics, innovation priorities, business development initiatives, and marketplace changes.
• Drive integrated business planning processes across multiple functions to ensure alignment between strategic objectives, resource requirements, financial commitments, and performance expectations.
• Provide executive leadership with forward-looking analysis of business performance, investment requirements, risks, and strategic alternatives to support decision-making and achievement of divisional objectives.
• Drive performance improvement through identification of opportunities, analysis of performance gaps, and development of corrective action recommendations where necessary.
• Manage a team of 4-5 individuals and provide proactive leadership regarding employee development, succession planning, coaching, mentorship, and capability building.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, business partnership, and talent development.
• Lead through influence across cross-functional and matrixed teams to drive alignment, decision-making, and execution of key strategic initiatives beyond direct reporting relationships.

Benefits

• medical and dental coverage that start on day one
• insurance coverage for basic life, accident, short-term and long-term disability, and business travel accident insurance
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), with the ability to purchase company stock at a discount
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), with options for employee contributions and company matching
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• educational assistance programs
• paid holidays
• paid time off ranging from 20 to 35 days based on length of service
• family and medical leaves of absence
• paid parental leave
• commuting benefits
• Employee Discount Program
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• childcare benefits

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior