Sr Director, FP&A (R&D)

TarsusRX•Irvine, CA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director of R&D FP&A will build Tarsus’s decision-support capabilities to enable efficient operations and effective capital allocation across Research & Development and Operations. The role will also contribute to the Company’s financial and corporate strategy for those functions and serve as their Finance lead. Responsibilities include developing the annual budget and short-range forecasts, supporting the long-range plan (LRP), and delivering monthly and quarterly close analysis and reporting. This leader will partner closely with Program Team Leads and other stakeholders, provide actionable financial analysis and recommendations, and present strategic insights to the Executive Team. The position also supports clinical trial accruals, reviews clinical and supply-chain contracts for financial impacts, contributes to special projects, improves planning and reporting processes, and hires, coaches, and mentors team members. The position is based in Tarsus’s Irvine office in a hybrid work environment; remote work is also an option. Some travel may be required, up to 25%. It reports directly to the VP, Finance. The expected base pay range is $226,500–$317,100, plus bonus, stock equity, and comprehensive benefits.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance or Accounting.
12+ years of progressive financial planning and analysis experience, including significant experience at publicly traded life sciences companies.
Hands-on experience with clinical trial forecasting and modeling, and R&D forecasting and accruals, including late-stage (Phase 3) programs.
In-house experience owning budgeting and forecasting processes and partnering directly with the business.
Track record of collaboration, stakeholder relationship management, and influencing decision-makers, including confidence challenging and advising VP- and C-level leaders.
Well-developed analytical skills and ability to turn data into analysis and insight.
Self-motivation, strong work ethic, and urgency suited to a rapidly growing biotech company; ability to solve problems under pressure.
Process-oriented thinking and experience in process design, implementation, and improvement.
Strong financial modeling skills and proficiency in Excel.
Exceptional communication and storytelling skills, including synthesizing complex data into actionable insights for non-financial audiences and explaining financial concepts to stakeholders with varying levels of financial experience.
Ownership, accountability, teamwork, and cross-functional partnership.
Leadership capabilities including empowering others, building trust and psychological safety, developing talent, and adapting leadership style while maintaining composure under pressure.
Business acumen to anticipate market dynamics and use financial and strategic insight to guide investment, manage risk, and align priorities with long-term value.
Ability to champion new ideas, invest in enabling systems and partnerships, and translate innovation into sustainable growth and organizational resilience.

Nice To Haves

CPA or MBA.
15+ years of FP&A experience.
Pharmaceutical industry experience; late-stage clinical trial experience is strongly preferred.
Working knowledge of GAAP.
Experience with Adaptive Insights / Adaptive Planning (Workday) or a comparable planning tool such as Anaplan or Hyperion, and with NetSuite.
Experience scaling finance processes within a rapidly growing biotech company.
Global or international exposure.

Responsibilities

Build and maintain cross-functional business partnerships, embedding Finance into decision-making to budget, forecast, and track activities.
Lead annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting for R&D and Operations, particularly with Program Team Leads (PTLs).
Develop monthly internal financial management reporting packages and lead variance analysis of actuals against budget, investigating discrepancies and explaining key business drivers.
Lead strategic planning for R&D and Operations as part of the annual long-range plan to inform investment decisions across internal programs and opportunities.
Provide stakeholders with financial direction and proactive recommendations supported by robust analysis.
Support clinical trial accruals, including review of Contract Research Organization (CRO) reports, patient costs, and site payments.
Review clinical and supply-chain contracts and amendments to assess financial impacts.
Support ad hoc analyses and special projects with timely, accurate financial insights.
Improve processes and efficiencies in financial planning, analysis, and reporting-package production.
Hire, coach, and mentor direct reports and adjacent team members, fostering engagement, performance, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Present analysis and strategic insights to the Executive Team to support financial decision-making.