Associate Director, TOPS Finance – Technical Development & Quality

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.