Sr. Accountant - Source To Settle

Gilead Sciences•Foster City, CA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Accountant I – Source to Settle reports into the North America Source To Settle Lead in Raleigh, NC. This is a Foster City site-based role responsible for providing senior-level operational leadership, strategic oversight, and continuous improvement support for the customer service framework within the North America STS department. The role is accountable for ensuring supplier invoices are processed and paid accurately, timely, and efficiently while driving process standardization, operational controls, stakeholder engagement, and issue resolution across the Source-To-Settle (STS) cycle, including Supplier Master, Vendor Invoice Operations, Payments, Business Support, Compliance, and Reporting. The successful candidate will be expected to operate with a high degree of independence, influence cross-functional partners, provide guidance to team members and offshore resources, and support a best-in-class Invoice Operations function through strong service delivery, business insight, and scalable process improvement.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree and Five Years' Experience OR Masters' Degree and Three Years' Experience
Advanced knowledge of operational business processes, STS workflows, service delivery models, controls, reporting, and continuous improvement practices.
Ability to influence without direct authority, build credibility and trust, and communicate effectively with stakeholders at multiple levels of the organization.

Nice To Haves

Progressive experience in Accounts Payable, Purchasing, Source-To-Settle, or Financial Shared Services operations, including experience resolving complex process, supplier, or stakeholder issues.
Advanced knowledge of Accounts Payable processes and experience with Oracle EBS, SAP, Ariba, and VIM systems is required; experience supporting system enhancements, reporting, and UAT is preferred.
Strong proficiency with Microsoft tools, including Excel, Outlook, Word, Visio, and PowerPoint; ability to analyze data, prepare clear reporting, and communicate insights to business stakeholders.
Knowledge of US GAAP and SOX Controls.
Experience working in a global Finance organization.
Experience leading process improvement, automation, transformation, or controls-related initiatives across cross-functional teams.
Experience providing guidance, oversight, or informal leadership to offshore resources, shared services teams, or business support functions.
Experience in biotech or pharmaceuticals industry a plus.

Responsibilities

Partner with other global STS team members to standardize processes globally to ensure they are scalable to support the Company’s continued growth.
Effectively manage the perceptions and expectations of internal stakeholders.
Maintain process integrity, internal and SOX controls, ensure compliance with the Controller’s Manual and all applicable laws and regulations.
Accountable for service delivery against agreed and evolving KPI’s and service partnership agreement.
Provide thoughtful analysis and recommendations to foster dialogue with business leaders to make informed decisions based on trends, performance, and future projections.
Understand business direction, key changes, and needs; initiate and actively participate in the conversations on how Invoice Operations needs to mold and adapt to stay proactive.
Provide coaching, training, and operational guidance to offshore teams, internal customers, external suppliers, and cross-functional business partners.
Serve as a key liaison across global STS teams, promoting alignment, knowledge sharing, and consistent execution of enterprise-wide process standards.
Ensure governance and adherence to Company policies, procedures, SOX controls, government requirements, and applicable legal standards.
Provide support for strategic, cross-functional, and transformation initiatives impacting STS operations.
Own proactive engagement with end-users within assigned functional areas to resolve invoice exceptions, remove approval and payment barriers, and reinforce adoption of STS systems, processes, and procedures.
Lead engagement with assigned Critical Suppliers within designated functional areas to ensure timely invoice submission through expected intake channels, resolve issues preventing invoice approval and payment, and drive recovery of favorable/debit trade payables open items that have not or cannot be offset through payments.
Monitoring and resolution of inflight invoices and Trade Payable Open Items aged 60 days and older. STS Operations target is to have zero transactions aged 60 days or older.
Collaboration with Procurement, FP&A, and other key stakeholders to strengthen STS process performance, resolve systemic issues, and improve end-to-end business outcomes.
Identify, assess, and drive resolution of process gaps, operational risks, control deficiencies, and continuous improvement opportunities in alignment with best practices and Gilead standards.
Improve user experience through an effective governance model for business engagement and a focus on quality and responsiveness.
Support for audits, SOX control testing, compliance reviews, and remediation activities throughout the year as required.
Actively reinforce, monitor, and strengthen the internal control environment across STS processes.
Maintain process integrity, internal and SOX controls, ensure compliance with the Controller’s Manual and all applicable laws and regulations.
Build and maintain credibility with senior stakeholders, internal and external business partners, and employee populations through a Business Service Center model focused on transparency, responsiveness, and operational excellence.
Provide senior-level oversight and support for STS activities involving internal and external business partners.
Collaborate with cross-functional business partners and international colleagues to influence, prioritize, and implement service delivery improvements, process efficiencies, and scalable operating practices.
Demonstrate visible leadership within the team by promoting accountability, collaboration, service excellence, and a positive team environment.
Champion global standardization, operating discipline, and partnership with international colleagues on transformation and project initiatives.