Director, Financial Planning & Analysis - R&D

Job Description

Vertex Pharmaceuticals is a global biotechnology leader committed to scientific innovation and the development of transformative medicines for people with serious diseases. Our finance function is a strategic enabler of Vertex's mission — providing the insights, rigor, and partnership that drive high-quality decisions across the enterprise.

This is a high-visibility, high-impact role at the frontier of science and finance — where your work directly shapes how Vertex invests in advancing its pipeline from target identification through candidate nomination and beyond.

We are seeking a strategic finance leader to serve as Director, R&D Finance, acting as the primary finance partner to the Discovery Research and Preclinical Sciences functions. Reporting to the VP of R&D Finance and managing 2 direct reports, this role leads financial planning, forecasting, reporting, and investment decision support across early-stage research portfolios.

The Director will work closely with senior scientific and operational stakeholders to translate research priorities into driver-based financial insights, multi-scenario planning, disciplined resource allocation, and strong financial governance. Success in this role requires not only exceptional financial acumen, but also intellectual curiosity about the science — enabling truly impactful partnership with research leaders navigating the inherent complexity and ambiguity of early-stage drug discovery.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Business Partnership

• Serve as the trusted finance business partner to VP- and SVP+ leaders across Discovery Research and Preclinical Sciences, influencing strategy and investment decisions without direct authority.

• Partner with scientific and operational leaders to identify risks, opportunities, and investment tradeoffs; recommend actions grounded in data-driven insights and portfolio prioritization.

• Provide financial analysis and decision support for headcount planning, external research collaborations, CRO/vendor spend, lab operations, capital equipment, and compound progression decisions.

• Support stage-gate and portfolio review processes by delivering financial scenario modeling for candidate advancement, termination, or reprioritization decisions — translating scientific milestones into clear financial implications.

• Partner with Alliance Management and Business Development on the financial implications of research collaborations, licensing agreements, and academic partnerships, ensuring financial risks and obligations are clearly understood.

• Develop a working understanding of drug discovery and preclinical development processes to provide contextually relevant, scientifically informed financial guidance to research partners.

Planning, Forecasting and Reporting

• Lead all planning cycles including annual budgeting, quarterly forecasting, monthly outlooks, and long-range planning for Discovery and Preclinical Sciences — ensuring alignment with pipeline strategy and corporate financial targets.

• Build and maintain driver-based financial models including FTE capacity models, external spend trackers, and program-level cost models that translate research activity into actionable planning assumptions and investment decisions.

• Develop multi-scenario financial models to support pipeline investment decisions, candidate progression tradeoffs, and resource prioritization at the executive level.

• Deliver timely and insightful reporting including variance analysis, trend analysis, and executive-level business commentary tailored to scientific leadership and the VP of R&D Finance.

• Develop KPIs, dashboards, and reporting tools that improve financial transparency and visibility into research spend allocation, portfolio investment mix, and pipeline progression costs.

• Maintain robust tracking of research program costs including internal FTE allocation, external CRO/vendor spend, and collaboration agreement financials.

AI, Digital & Finance Transformation

• Champion the adoption of AI-enabled FP&A tools (e.g.Power BI, or equivalent) to enhance scenario modeling, planning agility, and forecasting accuracy across early-stage research portfolios.

• Lead automation and digital transformation initiatives within the R&D Finance team, reducing manual effort, improving cycle time, and scaling finance operations to match the pace of the research enterprise.

• Leverage advanced analytics and data visualization to surface insights, identify spend trends, and deliver forward-looking financial intelligence to scientific and operational business partners.

• Build a culture of digital fluency within the team, coaching direct reports on the use of modern finance tools, AI-enabled productivity, and scalable process design.

Finance Operations and Controls

• Partner with Accounting and Controllership on close activities, accruals, expense recognition, financial controls, and audit readiness for all Discovery and Preclinical cost centers.

• Ensure financial plans and business activities are aligned with company policies, accounting requirements (including R&D capitalization and expensing rules), and internal control expectations.

• Oversee financial tracking and reporting for research collaborations and agreements relevant to early-stage science, ensuring accuracy and compliance with contractual and accounting obligations.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with FP&A, Accounting, Procurement, HR, and business operations to drive integrated financial management across the research enterprise.

Leadership and Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop 2 direct reports building a high-performing team with strong analytical, business partnership, and digital finance capabilities.

• Foster a collaborative, inclusive team culture that values intellectual curiosity, scientific literacy, continuous improvement, and a passion for impact.

• Manage competing priorities across multiple functions with distinct operating cadences and financial profiles, maintaining quality and stakeholder trust in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.

Basic Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field.

• 10+ years of progressive finance experience, including FP&A, finance business partnering, or related roles; experience supporting R&D, research, or life sciences functions strongly preferred.

• Proven ability to build and maintain driver-based financial models — including FTE capacity models, program-level cost models, and CRO/vendor spend trackers — in a complex, high-growth environment.

• Demonstrated experience deploying AI-enabled tools and automation to improve planning accuracy, reduce cycle time, and scale finance operations.

• Proven ability to synthesize complex data into clear, executive-ready recommendations for scientific and operational stakeholders.

• Experience managing and developing direct reports in a matrixed organization.

• Strong executive communication and presentation skills; ability to influence VP- and SVP-level stakeholders including scientific leaders.

• Experience with ERP systems, planning tools (e.g., Anaplan, Pigment), dashboards, and data visualization platforms (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).

• Strong knowledge of accounting principles, accruals, close processes, expense classification, R&D capitalization rules, and controllership practices.

Preferred Requirements

• MBA, CPA, or other advanced finance/accounting credential.

• Direct experience supporting Discovery Research, Preclinical Sciences, or early-stage R&D functions in a biopharma or life sciences company.

• Familiarity with stage-gate portfolio management, candidate nomination processes, and CRO/vendor contracting in a drug discovery context.

• Familiarity with integrated business planning (IBP) frameworks.

• Data literacy skills including SQL, Python (basic), or advanced Excel/Power Query for working with large, complex research