Executive Director, Global Accounting Standards

Job Description

The Executive Director, Head of Global Accounting Standards has broad responsibility for ensuring accounting principles are interpreted properly and consistently applied; our company's external financial reporting is accurate, adhering to regulations, can be relied upon by investors.  The Head of Global Accounting Standards collaborates with a group that supports all aspects of technical accounting and business development transactions, as well as the Company’s broad portfolio of collaboration and license arrangements. In addition, the Head of Global Accounting Standards plays a pivotal role in collaborating with the tax accounting team to support accurate and reliable accounting for tax impacts of all the company’s significant transactions. 

This role, while based on the US, has global reach to ensure that finance, legal and business colleagues around the globe have appropriate and consistent technical accounting guidance. The individual in the role is a trusted business partner/ advisor to a variety of groups including, tax, treasury, business development, the Business Support Centers, Research and Development, Manufacturing Division, Global Human Health, Animal Health divisional finance teams as well as the finance teams in the local markets.

The Executive Director, Head of Global Accounting Standards must be able to understand complex transactions to ensure the accounting and financial reporting treatments are handled properly. Communication skills are particularly important as the individual in this role must articulate complex accounting concepts in language that is understood by non-accountants. In addition, this role is an important interface with the Company’s external auditors. Enterprise leadership skills of execution excellence, decision making, influence, and networking/partnerships are critical to this role, given the broad base of interactions across the organization globally.

Details of specific areas of responsibility are:

• Lead the application of accounting principles applying deep technical accounting knowledge and business acumen to support and influence strategic business imperatives.  

• Monitor new accounting or reporting standards, evaluate the impact to our company and manage the implementation of these new standards, including developing new reporting disclosure requirements.

• Provide guidance to the various disciplines around the Company, including the CFO, Controller, Tax, Treasury, Business Development, Divisional Finance, Consolidations, Internal Audit, Local Country Finance, Legal and Business Alliances.

• Oversee the process for goodwill accounting and impairments (including managing third party valuation firms as needed).

• Collaborate with the Tax Accounting team to ensure all aspects of income tax accounting are in accordance with accounting principles and clearly understood throughout the organization.

• Contribute to the Company’s communications with accounting regulators (FASB or SEC) through Exposure Drafts issued for comment. 

• Represent our company in accounting/finance industry conferences and the Pharma/biotech accounting.

• Oversee our company's restructuring program, ensuring the actions under any restructuring plan are accounted for properly.

• Support the development of materials for the Audit Committee and Board of Directors, including technical accounting updates.

• Maintain effective internal controls and technical accounting policies in support of the Company’s global internal control framework.

• Lead, develop and mentor technical accounting professionals, leveraging the Company’s enterprise leadership skills and career development frameworks.

• Support the Company’s transformation journey by identifying opportunities to simplify, streamline and automate, where appropriate.

The Executive Director, Head of Global Accounting Standards, reports to the Assistant Controller.

Education Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, and Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or equivalent

Required Skills:

Accounting Applications, Accounting Applications, Asset Risk Management, Budgeting, Business Acumen, Business Development, Career Development, Clinical Judgment, Communication, Conflict Resolution, Credit Management, Detail-Oriented, External Financial Reporting, Finance, Financial Accounting Controls, Financial Analysis, Financial Reports, Internal Control Framework, International Accounting Standards, IS Audit, Leadership, Negotiation, People Leadership, Preparation of Financial Reports, Project Risk Assessments {+ 5 more}

Preferred Sk