Senior Director, Financial Planning and Analysis

Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical•Brisbane, CA

7h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director, FP&A will be a key business partner to Ultragenyx’s Development organization, with primary responsibility for strengthening financial governance, budget transparency, and accrual rigor across development activities. The position supports the Chief Medical Officer and senior Development leadership by enabling a clear, consistent understanding of spend to date, remaining budget, and forward‑looking financial exposure across clinical and non‑clinical functions. The role combines hands‑on analytical execution with executive‑level financial storytelling to improve confidence, decision‑making, and stewardship across the development portfolio.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related discipline; MBA, CPA, or advanced degree preferred.
Minimum of 12 years of progressive experience in FP&A, finance, or financial management supporting R&D or development organizations within the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or life sciences industry.
Demonstrated experience partnering with Development teams, including Clinical Operations and non‑clinical functions such as Regulatory, Pharmacovigilance, Biostatistics, and Statistical Programming.
Deep expertise in clinical trial financial modeling, including cost drivers, scenario planning, and sensitivity analysis, with the ability to translate operational assumptions into credible forecasts.
Strong background in financial governance, including budget oversight, variance analysis, accrual support, and spend‑to‑date transparency.
Proven ability to influence without formal authority and partner effectively with senior leaders, program teams, and functional stakeholders.
Ability to operate seamlessly between strategic and detailed perspectives, including hands‑on engagement with invoices, actuals, and accrual drivers, as well as executive‑level synthesis.
Demonstrated success leading process improvement initiatives that improve budget visibility, accrual rigor, and financial fluency within business teams.
Strong communication skills, with the ability to deliver clear, concise summaries of variances, forecast changes, and drivers to audiences ranging from study teams to executives.
Advanced proficiency in financial modeling, forecasting, and analytics tools (e.g., Excel, Adaptive Insights, and enterprise planning systems)

Responsibilities

Establish and maintain strong working relationships with Development leadership and operational stakeholders, serving as a trusted finance partner embedded in clinical study governance, financial oversight, and execution forums.
Provide hands‑on financial support to Program Teams and Development functions by reviewing invoices, tracking actual spend, and identifying total and remaining budget at the study, program, and functional levels.
Lead clinical trial cost modeling, including scenario planning and sensitivity analyses, clearly explaining cost drivers related to study design, timelines, enrollment assumptions, and execution strategies.
Perform regular budget‑to‑actual analyses across clinical and non‑clinical Development activities, synthesizing account‑level, vendor‑level, and study‑level variances into concise, decision‑oriented insights.
Deliver clear, actionable financial updates on spend, forecast changes, risks, and opportunities to minimize surprises and strengthen confidence in Development financial outlooks.
Partner with Accounting and operational teams to support Development accrual processes, ensuring assumptions are timely, well‑documented, and aligned with underlying operational activity.
Lead financial communications related to clinical trials and broader Development spend, including inputs to executive‑level readouts, portfolio reviews, and CMO‑level presentations.
Support annual planning and in‑year reforecasting cycles by reviewing business‑generated forecasts, assessing reasonableness, and providing Development‑wide financial context and challenge.
Design, implement, and continuously improve financial tools, reporting, and processes that enhance budget visibility, accrual understanding, and financial fluency across Development teams.
Balance near‑term execution and stewardship of existing processes with a longer‑term focus on strengthening governance frameworks, standardization, and transparency across Development financial management.