Associate Director, TOPS Finance – Technical Development & Quality
Company Overview
BioMarin is a leading rare disease biotechnology company focused on genetically defined conditions.
Guided by our purpose to develop medicines that make a profound impact on people’s lives, our global teams have delivered a portfolio of therapies since our founding in 1997. Our revolutionary treatments for conditions like achondroplasia (the most common form of dwarfism), PKU (phenylketonuria), CLN2, a form of Batten disease, and a number of forms of MPS (mucopolysaccharidosis) offer new possibilities for patients and families who previously had few, if any, available options. More recently, with the close of the Amicus acquisition, our portfolio has expanded to include therapies for Fabry disease and Pompe disease, expanding our ability to reach more people living with rare genetic conditions.
Our success comes from our unwavering commitment to excellence, our deep understanding of patient needs, our scientific expertise, and our world-class manufacturing capabilities. At the heart of BioMarin is a dedicated team of the brightest minds in the industry working together to deliver innovative therapies to patients and families around the world.
About Corporate Groups
It takes a village, and at BioMarin, our general and admin teams are the village behind our success. From the IT experts who manage our technology to the human resources professionals who hire the people who make it all possible, these teams support our organization and span all areas of operations.
About the Opportunity
The Associate Director, TOPS Finance – Technical Development & Quality will serve as the primary finance business partner to the Technical Development and Global Quality organizations. This highly visible role will combine strategic FP&A leadership, operational finance support, and strong cross-functional partnership to help translate scientific, technical, quality, and operational priorities into robust financial plans and actionable business insights.
The successful candidate will bring a strong finance background, sound business judgement, and the ability to operate effectively in a complex, matrixed, multinational biotechnology environment. They will play an important role in budgeting, forecasting, long-range planning, performance management, investment analysis, risk and opportunity assessment, and executive-level communication for functions that are critical to BioMarin’s patient supply mission.
Key Responsibilities
- Act as the lead finance business partner for Technical Development and Global Quality leadership teams, providing financial analysis, insight, and recommendations to support strategic and operational decision-making.
- Lead annual operating plan, forecast, and long-range planning processes for supported functions, ensuring financial plans are aligned with business priorities, portfolio timelines, technical milestones, quality initiatives, and enterprise financial commitments.
- Prepare clear, concise, and executive-ready financial materials, including variance analysis, forecast bridges, investment business cases, risk and opportunity assessments, and leadership presentations.
- Partner with functional leaders to understand key drivers of spend, headcount, capital, program activity, vendor commitments, and project timelines, translating business activity into accurate financial forecasts and actionable insights.
- Develop and maintain financial models, scenario analyses, and KPIs to evaluate strategic options, resource trade-offs, cost efficiencies, productivity opportunities, and investment decisions.
- Provide financial oversight for operating expenses, capital investments, headcount, program allocations, and project spend, ensuring alignment with internal controls, accounting requirements, and management reporting expectations.
- Collaborate with Accounting, Corporate FP&A, TOPS Finance, Procurement, HR, Program Management, Technical Development, Quality, and other stakeholders to ensure accurate actuals reporting, robust forecasting, and timely decision support.
- Identify and implement process, reporting, and systems improvements to enhance FP&A efficiency, data quality, planning discipline, and business transparency.
Leadership Expectations
- Develop trusted relationships with senior business leaders and act as a credible advisor who can challenge constructively, influence decisions, and connect financial outcomes to operational strategy.
- Demonstrate strong ownership, judgement, and accountability in a fast-paced environment with multiple priorities and tight timelines.
- Communicate complex financial and business topics in simple, transparent terms for finance, technical, quality, and executive audiences.
- Bring a continuous improvement mindset, using data, systems, and process discipline to improve the quality and speed of decision-making.
- Operate effectively across cultures, regions, and functions, demonstrating collaboration, flexibility, and sound prioritization in a global matrix organization.
Required Experience and Capabilities
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive finance, FP&A, accounting, or business advisory experience, ideally including experience in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, life sciences, or another complex multinational environment.
- Demonstrated experience partnering with senior functional leaders and providing strategic financial support for operating plans, forecasts, long-range plans, business cases, and resource allocation decisions.
- Strong technical finance skills, including financial modelling, variance analysis, scenario planning, KPI development, investment evaluation, and financial storytelling.
- Experience supporting technical operations, quality, manufacturing, supply chain, R&D, CMC, product development, or other scientifically and operationally complex functions preferred.
- Understanding of financial planning processes, management reporting, internal controls, and the relationship between operational activity, accounting outcomes, and enterprise financial performance.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capability, with the ability to synthesize data from multiple sources, identify key drivers, and recommend practical solutions.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare and deliver high-quality presentations for finance, business, and senior leadership audiences.
- Proven ability to manage competing priorities, lead cross-functional workstreams, and deliver high-quality outputs under time pressure.
- Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint; experience with enterprise finance systems such as Oracle, Hyperion, SAP, Anaplan, SAC, Power BI, or similar platforms strongly preferred.
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or a related discipline required.
- Advanced degree, CPA, ACA, ACCA, CIMA, MBA, or equivalent professional qualification preferred.
Location and Travel
This role may be based in San Rafael or US Remote, subject to business needs and company policy. The role is expected to partner with global stakeholders and may require occasional travel to BioMarin sites and business meetings.
Note
This description is not intended to be all-inclusive, or a limitation of the duties of the position. It is intended to describe the general nature of the job that may include other duties as assumed or assigned.
An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.
The salary range for this position is: $143,200 to $196900. BioMarin considers a variety of factors when determining base compensation, including experience, qualifications, and geographic location. These considerations mean actual compensation will vary. This position may also be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, discretionary stock-based long-term incentives (eligibility may vary based on role), paid time off, and a benefits package. Benefits include company-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans.
Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, economics, business, or related field; 10+ years of progressive finance experience; advanced financial modeling, planning, analysis, communication, and cross-functional partnership skills.
Key Responsibilities
- leading planning
- developing models
- advising leaders
Skills & Tools
Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Oracle, Hyperion, SAP, Anaplan, SAC, Power BI
Job Details
- Category: Finance and Accounting
- Seniority: Senior Level
- Commitment: Full Time
- Workplace: Remote — United States or San Rafael
- Salary: USD 143,200 – 196,900 / year
- Languages: English
About BioMarin Pharmaceutical
A biotechnology company developing therapies for genetically defined rare diseases. — Industry: Research and Development