Director, Technical Accounting

About Formation Bio

Formation Bio is a tech and AI driven pharma company differentiated by radically more efficient drug development. 

Advancements in AI and drug discovery are creating more candidate drugs than the industry can progress because of the high cost and time of clinical trials. Recognizing that this development bottleneck may ultimately limit the number of new medicines that can reach patients, Formation Bio, founded in 2016 as TrialSpark Inc., has built technology platforms, processes, and capabilities to accelerate all aspects of drug development and clinical trials. Formation Bio partners, acquires, or in-licenses drugs from pharma companies, research organizations, and biotechs to develop programs past clinical proof of concept and beyond, ultimately helping to bring new medicines to patients. The company is backed by investors across pharma and tech, including a16z, Sequoia, Sanofi, Thrive Capital, Sam Altman, John Doerr, Spark Capital, SV Angel Growth, and others. 

You can read more at the following links:

• Our Vision for AI in Pharma
• Our Current Drug Portfolio
• Our Technology & Platform

At Formation Bio, our values are the driving force behind our mission to revolutionize the pharma industry. Every team and individual at the company shares these same values, and every team and individual plays a key part in our mission to bring new treatments to patients faster and more efficiently.

What We Are Looking For

We are seeking a Director of Technical and Transaction Accounting with deep biotech industry experience and Big Four training to own the company’s most complex accounting judgments. This individual will serve as the in-house authority on GAAP application across licensing, collaboration, and investment transactions, and will work closely with the CFO, Director of Accounting, and Business Development teams to ensure deals are structured, documented, and reported with precision.

This role is ideal for a technically excellent accountant who enjoys solving complex transaction puzzles, thrives in a biotech environment, and wants to influence how deals and entities are designed from an accounting perspective.

Key Areas of Responsibility

Technical Accounting Leadership and Transaction Support

• Leads all technical accounting research, analysis, and documentation for complex transactions
• Partners with the CFO, Legal, and Business Development on licensing, collaboration, spinout, and investment structures
• Drafts and maintains technical accounting memos and white papers for audit and investor purposes
• Assesses accounting implications of proposed deal structures and advises leadership on optimal structuring approaches
• Coordinates with external auditors on technical accounting conclusions and audit support

Biotech-Specific Accounting Expertise

• Oversees application of GAAP to biotech R&D activities, including clinical trial accruals, collaboration cost-sharing, milestone recognition, and in-process R&D
• Develops and enforces policies for upfront license revenue recognition, and milestone treatment
• Partners with Director of Accounting, R&D, FP&A, and clinical operations to ensure accurate financial treatment of scientific and development activities
• Advises on IPR&D capitalization and purchase accounting for in-licensing and M&A transactions

Consolidation, Investments, and Entity Structuring

• Analyzes control, ownership, and consolidation implications for new and existing subsidiaries, SPVs, and joint ventures
• Leads assessment of equity method investments, including identification of significant influence and valuation considerations
• Develops intercompany accounting policies and documentation supporting consolidation and minority interest accounting
• Supports the Director of Accounting in ensuring accurate consolidated reporting across complex multi-entity structures

Policy Development, Documentation, and Audit Readiness

• Authors and maintains the company’s technical accounting policy library covering key areas of biotech, fund, and investment accounting
• Implements processes for consistent application of GAAP across entities and transactions
• Prepares audit-ready documentation packages for all significant judgments and technical positions
• Coordinates with Director of Accounting and external audito