As the Head of Finance Operations reporting to the Chief Accounting Officer, you will lead the strategy, build-out and operations of the finance-based shared services organization in a manner that supports Alnylam’s overall business strategy and objectives.

Vision & Strategy

• Proactively evolve the Company’s finance service delivery and build a Finance Operations organization that focuses on consistent and accurate service delivery while also building an intentional framework for developing dynamic practices that evolve with emerging trends and best practices in technology enablement and business needs.
• Develop a finance shared services transformation strategy that aligns to the Company’s process and transformation roadmap. Build a finance shared services roadmap that identifies opportunities to transition processes to finance operations and partner with the business to develop transition plans inclusive of milestones that drive accountability and support long term growth of the business.

Process Execution & Customer Service

• Design and implement scalable processes and procedures appropriate for each phase of organizational growth.
• Develop and refine global financial processes, including procure-to-pay, travel and expense and payroll, to ensure these processes are efficiently designed to support the global scaling of the business.
• Stay abreast of industry best practices across procure-to-pay, travel and expense and payroll, collaborating with supply chain, finance, business systems, human resources, and operations teams.
• Lead project activities related to accounts payable, travel and expenses, and payroll functions and other finance-based processes bringing exceptional value to the Company through total cost reduction, streamlining workflow, automation etc.
• Monitor and enhance KPI and related monitoring, reporting and analyses to drive effective process improvements to lead and maintain compliance in all global procurement operations, accounts payable, travel and expense, and payroll related activities.
• Drive the overall sustainment and prioritization process for financial systems.
• Collaborate with finance and business functions to lead and coordinate key initiatives to enhance the company’s financial systems.
• Partner with other functions to ensure Finance master data requirements and strategy are assessed and maintained.
• Partner with other finance functions to lead key process improvements.
• Ensures that business processes comply with all relevant guidelines and policies, whether internally established or externally mandated. For clarity, this must include consideration of customer engagement; vendor management; applicable state, provincial and federal government bodies; Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other anti-bribery and anti-corruption regulations.

Continuous Improvement

• Drives continuous improvement across Finance Operations processes, creating best-in-class processes and policies that dynamically respond to evolving business needs and emerging risks.
• In conjunction with enterprise-wide continuous improvement efforts, plan, prioritize and implement ongoing process improvements/efficiencies.
• Strategically build a path toward centralization and standardization of processes by rationalizing process differences.
• Evaluates and incorporates intelligent automation solutions into continuous improvement projects to increase digitalization of the function (incl. Robotic Process Automation, Machine Learning).
• Facilitates training and up-skilling of Finance Operations staff needed to respond to new business practices.

Leadership, Business Relationships and Communication

• Builds and fosters the growth and development of a dynamic, high performing team capable of thriving in ambiguity and an ever-changing, high growth environment. Requires leadership across multiple geographies (domestic and international) and experience levels.
• Establishes credibility as a dynamic and People-first talent leader that will serve the Finance Operations group and all customers across the company. Sets clear priorities and expectations for talent engagement, development, and performance management.
• Monitors best practices in staffing and talent across the marketplace to ensure the company is keeping pace and, when appropriate, leading in resourcing talent. Monitors attrition and works to minimize its impacts to business continuity.
• Maintains an ongoing communications cadence with functional leadership team that informs, empowers, and inspires the team to deliver at optimal levels for customers and team members.
• Partners with functional leadership and other aspects of the business as needed to problem solve and create clarity and purpose. Proactively coordinates activities across the company to ensure processes are effective and optimized.
• Ensures timely communications with functional leadership around capacity management and prioritization.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Accounting, IT, Finance, or a related field. MBA/Masters in Accounting preferred. CPA/CA desirable.
• 15+ years of experience leading business process optimization and Global Shared Services operations. Global Pharmaceutical / Biotech industry preferred.
• Experience developing, delivering and executing a process led, global shared services strategy mapped to a tactical plan for delivery and execution.
• Experience in project management and process improvement, ideally with skills in Lean Process Improvement, Agile, Six Sigma, etc.
• Experience driving business process improvement, system automation and technology and tools
• Advanced ERP systems skills, SAP strongly preferred
• Hands on experience with SOX and FCPA processes and procedures
• Team and talent builder with management experience mentoring, developing, training, upskilling, and coaching your staff
• Strong communicator and influencer who is adept at partnering, influencing and aligning stakeholders at all levels externally and internally
• Demonstrated ability to deliver and execute in a fast-paced, matrixed global organization through collaboration and effective close working relationships.