Sr. Director of Finance

BrainChild Bio

7d•$205,000 - $275,000•Remote

About The Position

Brainchild Bio is a clinical-stage biotech developing therapies for children with brain cancer. The Senior Director of Finance owns the company’s day-to-day finance engine and serves as the primary finance partner to R&D, product operations, clinical, and business operations leaders. The role reports to the CFO and interacts with the executive team. This is a hands-on leadership role at a company building its financial infrastructure. The Senior Director will improve and establish scalable processes, systems, and controls to support the company from Series A through later-stage financing and eventual public-company readiness. The role is remote, with a preference for candidates based in the Seattle area. The stated salary range is $205,000–$275,000 per year. In the first 90 days, the monthly close is expected to run on a documented calendar, and leadership should have a trusted monthly cash runway and operating forecast. By six months, budget owners should receive periodic budget-versus-actual reviews, alongside insight and a roadmap for stronger financial systems and processes. By 12 months, the annual budget should be built bottom-up with functional leaders, and the role should provide executive leadership and the board with clear long-range resource planning.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field.
12 or more years of progressive accounting and finance experience, including at least 4 years in a senior leadership role.
Experience in venture-backed biotech or life sciences, including clinical trial accruals and R&D cost accounting.
Solid foundation in U.S. GAAP, close management, and internal controls.
Proven business-partnering experience with budgets, forecasts, and variance analysis for leaders.
Hands-on experience with ERP and spend tools, and advanced Excel modeling.
Experience managing audits and outside advisors.

Nice To Haves

CPA, active or inactive.
Experience scaling finance through Series A/B+ financings or IPO readiness.
Exposure to grant accounting, licensing deals, or CDMO/CRO contract structures.

Responsibilities

Lead annual budgeting, forecasting, and long-range operating planning with business functions, partnering with the executive team to meet established targets.
Drive rationalization of department investments, including headcount, operating expenses, and capital expenditures, and maintain visibility into cash runway and other financial goals.
Prepare board and investor reporting packages, KPIs, and management dashboards.
Support financing and business development activities, including diligence, data rooms, and grant or non-dilutive funding reporting.
Serve as the finance business partner to R&D, CMC and product operations, clinical, and G&A leaders.
Provide and review quarterly budget/forecast-versus-actual analyses with each function, understand key business drivers, and communicate timely insights into trends and variances.
Model program costs, clinical trial budgets, and headcount plans to support portfolio and resourcing decisions.
Review and support major CRO, CDMO, licensing, and facilities contracts for financial terms and business impact, including operational efficiency and cost-savings opportunities.
Oversee accounting operations, including financial close, procure-to-pay, payroll, financial reporting, and equity administration; ensure management reports and financial statements are prepared promptly and in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
Manage cash, treasury, and banking relationships, and produce rolling cash and runway forecasts.
Oversee R&D and clinical trial accruals in partnership with clinical operations and CRO/CDMO partners.
Build and document internal controls appropriate for a growing private company, with a path to SOX readiness.
Coordinate 409A valuations, tax compliance, corporate insurance programs, and future external audits with outside advisors.
Build, lead, and develop a lean finance and accounting team, using outsourced partners where appropriate.
Own the finance technology stack, including ERP, AP automation, expense, and spend management tools, and integrations with HRIS and payroll.
Establish and improve finance policies, processes, and spend controls to support organizational growth and increasing complexity.
Establish a documented monthly close calendar and refresh a trusted cash runway and operating forecast monthly.
Provide periodic budget-versus-actual reviews to budget owners and develop a roadmap for more robust financial systems and processes.
Build the annual budget bottom-up with functional leaders and provide clear long-range planning and resource requirements to the executive team and board.