Director, Strategic Finance - US

About the Company

Sterling Pharma Solutions is a leading small molecule Contract Development and Manufacturing Organisation (CDMO) with a 50+ year track record of delivering comprehensive small molecule services spanning pre-clinical development to full commercial manufacturing, as well as Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) research and development bioconjugation services. Widely recognised for its expertise in complex, hazardous chemistry and its service-oriented customer experience, Sterling is a trusted partner to innovative biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Sterling operates across six sites in the UK, US and EU and has grown significantly through organic growth and strategic acquisitions, supported by GHO Capital and Partners Group.

About the Role

The Strategic Finance Director, Regional US is accountable for providing strategic financial partnership, insight, and challenge to regional US operations and leadership. Working within a global matrix organisation, this role supports the US region while being part of a global Finance leadership team. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer with a dotted line to the regional leader (President of Americas & APAC), the role will translate financial and operational data into clear recommendations, support investment prioritisation and resource allocation, and help business leaders deliver sustainable performance.

This role requires experience in a similar senior finance business partnering role, strong commercial judgement, and the ability to lead and develop a cross-site finance team.

Responsibilities

• Act as the strategic finance partner to regional US business leaders, providing insight, challenge, and recommendations that support growth, margin improvement, and disciplined investment.
• Lead, coach, and develop a cross-site finance team, building capability, consistency, and accountability across multiple locations and business areas.
• Own financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning for the regional US business, ensuring assumptions are robust and aligned with operational and strategic priorities.
• Prepare clear financial analysis, business cases, and executive-ready presentations to support resource allocation, capital investment, programme prioritisation, and operational decision-making.
• Provide monthly performance reporting, variance analysis, and forward-looking commentary for site and group leadership, identifying risks, opportunities, and corrective actions.
• Partner with business leaders to improve forecast accuracy, cost transparency, cash visibility, and accountability for delivery against financial commitments.
• Oversee cash forecasting, working capital visibility, customer invoicing assumptions, and forecast cash inflows and outflows for the relevant business areas.
• Support site capex forecasting, investment appraisal, and tracking of associated additions, phasing, and cash outflow forecasts.
• Ensure financial processes, controls, and reporting are aligned with Group finance policies, while continuing to improve standardisation, efficiency, and quality of insight.
• Responsible for all US territory-specific financial tasks, for example: tax and statutory reporting.
• Collaborate with accounting, tax, treasury, and operational teams to support month-end close, audit requirements, US tax processes, and statutory reporting requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement in reporting, systems, data quality, and financial processes, including standardisation with SAP HANA and other Group finance tools where applicable.
• Build trusted relationships with financial and non-financial stakeholders, influencing decisions through clear communication, commercial curiosity, and well-supported challenge.
• Play a key role on the US multi-site Senior Leadership Teams (SLT), as an active member on both the Germantown and Cary teams.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related discipline required; professional accountancy qualification or MBA preferred.
• 10+ years' experience in a similar senior finance business partnering, FP&A, or divisional finance leadership role, ideally supporting regional operations, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, life sciences, or technical business environments.
• Demonstrable experience leading, motivating, and developing cross-site finance teams.
• Strong technical finance background across budgeting, forecasting, management reporting, variance analysis, standard costing, inventory reporting and control, revenue recognition, accruals, and deferred revenue.
• Proven ability to build financial models, evaluate business cases, support investment decisions, and translate complex data into practical recommendations for senior leaders.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to challenge assumptions and partner effectively with operational, commercial, and technical leaders.
• Experience with SAP HANA, planning/reporting systems, and data visualization tools is desirable.

Skills

• Strategic Thinking: Connects financial performance and operational priorities, providing strategic financial partnership.
• Leadership Influence: Experience leading, motivating, and developing cross-site finance teams, including building capability, improving ways of working, and creating consistent standards across locations.
• Business and Financial Acumen: Applies sound commercial judgment and financial insight to improve profitability, cash flow, and operational performance.
• Commercial Judgment: Handles sensitive financial, governance, and regulatory information with integrity and provides sound commercial judgement.
• Regional Collaboration: Builds trust across multi-site finance teams, regional US operations, and stakeholder groups to provide strategic direction and enable sustainable performance.
• Results Orientation: Prioritizes initiatives that create measurable financial and operational value while improving regional P&L accountability.

Schedule

Regular travel between regional US sites will be required, with additional travel for leadership meetings, planning cycles, and key business reviews.