Senior Director, Global Development Financial Planning & Analysis

Vertex Pharmaceuticals • Boston, MA

12d • Hybrid

About The Position

Vertex is growing at a rapid pace with challenging and exciting opportunities for motivated professionals who are keen to contribute to the Vertex mission to invest in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases. Our robust and complex R&D pipeline requires a focus on efficiency and prioritization as we scale. The Vertex finance function is integral to achieving our company’s strategic goals, providing critical insights and analysis in support of decision-making across the organization. We are investing in our ability to provide data-driven insights by organizing and automating financial data and processes to enable our growing global scale. We are also leveraging best practices to strengthen our business partnering and decision support capabilities. By joining our function, you will become part of a fast-moving, forward-thinking team to support the ongoing growth of a leader in the biotechnology industry. General Summary: The Senior Director, Global Development FP&A is a seasoned finance leader who partners directly with our Global Clinical Development (early- and late-stage programs) organizations and cross-functional program teams to run global financial planning, forecasting, and strategic analysis. Reporting to the VP of R&D Finance, this highly visible role serves as a strategic advisor to the Chief Medical Officer’s organization and senior leadership, influencing portfolio prioritization and investment decisions through financial insights. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in clinical trial finance, executive presence, and a proven ability to drive business outcomes in a dynamic, science-driven environment. This role is for you if you possess strong decision support analytical skills, project management expertise, team management skills, and demonstrated ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive innovation and deliver successful product development outcomes.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, or related field; MBA or CPA/CFA strongly preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive FP&A experience, with at least 5 years in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry.
• Experience supporting R&D or Clinical Development functions at a global scale.
• Strong understanding of R&D processes, portfolio management, and project evaluation methodologies.
• Proven ability to manage complex budgets, forecasts, and analyses in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels and a proven ability to present complex financial insights to senior stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

• Deep understanding of pharmaceutical industry dynamics and executive-level business partnering.
• Hands-on exposure to clinical operations and/or CRO/FSP budgeting.
• Strong analytical capabilities in portfolio analysis.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and financial systems, including Hyperion and Oracle.
• Proven ability to lead change in complex, cross-cultural matrix environments.
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills across senior leadership and cross-functional teams.
• Ability to apply broad market knowledge to drive financial performance and strategic outcomes.
• Strategic thinker with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Advanced Scenario Planning and Risk Analysis: Build, maintain, and own clinical program-level budgets (Phase 1 to Phase 3), clinical trial cost models, and forecasts; produce cost-to-complete and cost per patient analysis used in strategic decisions. Lead advanced scenario modeling for clinical programs, including sensitivity analyses on timelines, enrollment rates, and regulatory milestones to inform go/no-go decisions. Translate clinical development plans into financial implications and ROI-based recommendations.
• Strategic Influence and Business Partnership: Participate in cross-functional program teams and governance committees, providing real-time financial guidance. Deliver program dashboards, KPIs and trend analyses for executive and portfolio reviews. Prepare and present executive-level updates.
• Team Leadership: Lead and develop a team of 6-8 clinical finance professionals: set team priorities, establish processes, and build scalable operating mechanisms for financial support Drive automation and digital transformation of clinical finance processes, leveraging tools like Hyperion, Oracle, and emerging analytics platforms to improve accuracy and scalability Mentor staff on forecast accuracy, stakeholder management and financial modeling best practices Drive a collaborative, service-oriented culture between finance and Global Clinical Development organizations
• Governance and Compliance Leadership: Oversee month-end and quarter-end close activities related to clinical expense (accruals, reconciliations, GL review). Ensure accurate, timely accruals for CROs, FSPs, sites, labs and other clinical vendors. Maintain audit-ready documentation for clinical program spend Improve transparency and accountability around clinical opex and resource allocation through clear processes, benchmarks and metrics

Benefits

• This role is eligible for an annual bonus and annual equity awards.
• Some roles may also be eligible for overtime pay, in accordance with federal and state requirements.
• From medical, dental and vision benefits to generous paid time off (including a week-long company shutdown in the Summer and the Winter), educational assistance programs including student loan repayment, a generous commuting subsidy, matching charitable donations, 401(k) and so much more.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees