Senior Director, IT - Finance/ERP

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a strategic, results-driven IT leader to own the technology vision and execution for Finance and the SAP Center of Excellence. The leader of financial systems is responsible for a wide range of functions and systems, acting as a crucial bridge between the technical capabilities of IT and the strategic needs of the business. They will oversee the technology that powers core financial functions, ensuring systems are efficient, secure, and compliant. This leader will partner directly with the CFO and Finance executives to drive a multi-year digital finance transformation, leveraging SAP S/4HANA, Ariba, SAP Analytics Cloud, and other enterprise platforms to create a world-class Finance technology landscape. Key Financial Functions: Responsibilities span the entire financial lifecycle of a company: Accounting: They manage the systems that support fundamental accounting activities like the general ledger, accounts payable, and accounts receivable. This includes ensuring data integrity, automating processes for month-end and year-end close, and implementing systems for managing fixed assets. Their role is to ensure these systems provide accurate and auditable financial data. Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A): They are responsible for the technology that enables budgeting, forecasting, and financial modeling. This includes implementing and maintaining systems that allow for scenario planning, variance analysis (comparing actuals to budget), and generating strategic reports for senior leadership. They ensure the FP&A team has the right tools to provide actionable insights. Procurement and Treasury: They oversee the technology for managing the entire procure-to-pay process, from purchasing and invoicing to payments. For treasury, they manage systems for cash management, foreign exchange, and debt management, ensuring financial liquidity and minimizing risk. Compliance and Reporting: This is a critical function. They are accountable for the systems that ensure financial operations comply with regulatory requirements (e.g., SOX, GAAP). This includes implementing robust controls within the systems, managing audit trails, and ensuring the timely and accurate generation of financial statements and regulatory reports. Key Financial Systems Include: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems (S4 Hana): This is the backbone of most financial operations. They are responsible for the full lifecycle of the ERP, from selection and implementation to upgrades and ongoing maintenance. This includes managing modules for finance, supply chain, human resources, and more. A key aspect is integrating the ERP with other business applications to ensure a single source of truth for financial data. Project Portfolio Management (PPM) Systems: They manage PPM systems to provide visibility into project spending and capital allocation. This allows for real-time tracking of project budgets, resource utilization, and ROI, ensuring that technology investments align with the company's strategic goals and are on track to deliver value. Reporting and Business Intelligence (BI) Tools: They select and manage BI and data visualization tools in alignment with the IT stratgey that transform raw financial data into meaningful dashboards and reports. This enables financial and business leaders to make data-driven decisions. They ensure data is clean, secure, and easily accessible to those who need it. Specialized Financial Applications: This leader will also be responsible for systems outside of ERP e.g. Meridian Tax, Adaptive Financial planning, Process Unity Third Party Risk Management

Requirements

• 15+ years of progressive IT leadership, with a minimum of 10 years in Finance systems and ERP strategy.
• Deep expertise in SAP S/4HANA Finance, including GL, AP, AR, Fixed Assets, Controlling, and integration with Procurement and Supply Chain.
• Proven experience in large-scale ERP implementations, global rollouts, and process re-engineering.
• Strong command of financial operations — accounting, FP&A, treasury, procurement, compliance, and audit support.
• Demonstrated ability to leverage advanced analytics, BI tools, and data visualization to drive insights.
• Exceptional executive presence and ability to influence at the C-suite and Board level.
• Bachelor’s degree in IT, Finance, or related field

Nice To Haves

• MBA or relevant professional certifications (e.g., SAP Certified Application Professional, PMP, ITIL) strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Planning & Execution: develop and execute the company's financial technology (FinTech) strategy, aligning it with business objectives. This includes evaluating and implementing new technologies to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and gain a competitive edge. They are responsible for the overall budget for financial technology and must demonstrate a strong return on investment (ROI).
• System Management: This includes overseeing the entire lifecycle of financial systems, from planning and design to deployment and ongoing maintenance. They ensure that systems are secure, compliant with regulations, and scalable to support future growth. This also involves managing vendor relationships and negotiating contracts for technology services.
• Leadership & Team Management: lead and mentor a team of technology professionals, including developers, analysts, and project managers. Foster a culture of innovation and excellence, providing guidance, and ensuring their team has the necessary skills and resources to succeed. This also involves project management for large-scale financial system implementations.
• Collaboration & Communication: act as a crucial link between the finance, accounting, and IT departments. They must be able to translate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and clearly articulate how technology solutions will meet business needs. They collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify and address technology needs, solve problems, and streamline processes.
• Risk & Compliance: responsible for ensuring the security and integrity of all financial data. They implement and enforce internal controls, manage data security, and ensure all systems comply with relevant industry standards and regulations. They also develop disaster recovery and business continuity plans to protect financial operations from disruptions.

Benefits

• We offer comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, a lifestyle reimbursement program, flexible spending and health savings accounts and a 401(k)with a generous company match.
• Eligible employees enjoy paid time off, wellness days, holidays, and two company-wide recharge breaks.
• We also offer generous family resources and leave.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees