Director, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) - Technical Operations

What You’ll Do:

As Director, FP&A – Technical Operations, you will serve as the strategic finance partner to Kailera’s Technical Operations organization, partnering closely with leadership across Drug Product, Drug Supply, and Global Supply Chain. You will contribute to Kailera’s budgeting processes and own the financial planning, forecasting, and analysis that underpin our manufacturing and supply chain strategy, including cost of goods sold, capital investments, and third-party manufacturing spend. As the key business partner to Technical Operations leadership, you will lead complex, cross-functional financial initiatives and translate data into insights that inform executive decision-making. This is a highly visible, full-time role based at our Waltham, MA headquarters, offering the opportunity to build financial infrastructure and processes as Kailera scales its manufacturing and supply chain capabilities to bring new obesity therapies to patients.

 

Required location: Waltham, MA (hub-based, onsite 3-4 days per week)

 

Responsibilities:

• Partner with leadership across Drug Product, Drug Supply, and Global Supply Chain to develop annual budgets, long-range financial plans, and rolling forecasts for cost of goods sold (COGS), capital expenditures, and operating expenses
• Serve as the key financial business partner to Technical Operations leadership, translating financial data into actionable insights that guide strategic and operational decisions
• Lead financial analysis of manufacturing costs, third-party CDMO/CMO spend, and Technical Operations project budgets to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for leadership
• Build and maintain financial models supporting manufacturing scale-up, capacity planning, and make-versus-buy analyses for Drug Product and Drug Supply
• Contribute to Kailera’s enterprise budgeting process, ensuring Technical Operations plans are integrated with company-wide financial goals and timelines
• Drive the monthly close and variance analysis process for Technical Operations, partnering with Accounting to ensure accurate accrual tracking and spend visibility
• Lead cross-functional collaboration with Technical Operations, Accounting, Procurement, and Corporate FP&A to align financial priorities, timelines, and reporting standards
• Champion process and systems improvements (e.g., ERP and planning tools) to increase the efficiency, accuracy, and scalability of Technical Operations financial reporting
• Prepare executive and board-level materials summarizing Technical Operations financial performance, key risks, and recommendations

 

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of 7 years of progressive finance experience within the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry, including at least 3 years supporting Technical Operations, Manufacturing, Drug Product, Drug Supply, or Supply Chain functions
• Demonstrated experience leading budgeting, forecasting, and long-range financial planning for complex, multidisciplinary functions
• Strong financial modeling and analytical skills, with the ability to translate complex data into clear, actionable insights for senior leadership
• Proven ability to lead through influence and build trusted, cross-functional partnerships with Technical Operations, Accounting, and Corporate FP&A
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to tailor messages for audiences ranging from working teams to executive leadership
• Demonstrated ability to lead and deliver results in a fast-paced, evolving biotech environment, responding to shifting priorities with resilience and sound judgment

 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting CDMO/CMO relationships and external manufacturing financial oversight
• Experience with ERP and financial planning systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Hyperion, Anaplan, or Adaptive Insights)
• Experience in obesity, metabolic disease, or GLP-1 therapeutic areas
• Experience operating in a high-growth, pre-commercial biotech environment

 

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, or a related field, with 10+ years of relevant experience or 8+ years with advanced degree.
• MBA or CPA preferred