Vice President, Finance & Controller

Position Summary

The Vice President of Finance & Controller will lead all accounting, tax, and treasury functions globally. In addition to bringing strategic expertise, the ideal candidate will bring deep technical accounting experience in a publicly traded biotech or life sciences commercial environment. They will have the ability to operate in a fast paced, dynamic setting. The Vice President coordinates and supervises the accounting department, delegates work, and ensures the staff follows all current laws, financial accounting requirements, and Company procedures. The Vice President requires the management of large amounts of information, analyzing results, and making changes where necessary to benefit the Company and protect corporate assets. The focus of the Vice President includes regulatory compliance and practices, financial risk management, management of day-to-day accounting responsibilities, audit management, and collaborating with the CFO on the development and execution of financial strategies. This includes direct leadership of all accounting functions, systems, internal financial controls and financial reporting, finance strategies, treasury, tax, as well as transforming financial operations to handle future commercial activities, revenue, inventory, and cost accounting, among other duties.

This position is remote with a corporate headquarters in Foster City, CA and Parsippany, NJ. The Vice President will report to the Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead accounting department through direct reports: general ledger, month-end closes, accounts payable, payroll, fixed assets, 401K administration, clinical trial expenses, treasury, cash management, taxes, stock administration, and technical accounting
• Manage and review month-end closing of Company financial statements ensuring books are closed in a timely manner and in accordance with US GAAP
• Direct oversight of all monthly, quarterly and annual close processes of external financial reporting, including all regulatory filings (federal, state, and local regulations, including tax and SEC)
• Maintain a thorough system of accounting records, policies, and controls designed to mitigate risk and ensure the accuracy of the Company's reported financial results, including the timely filing of SEC reports
• Accountable for the Company's program of internal controls, policies, and procedures to ensure conformance and compliance with US GAAP and other statutory requirements, including Sarbanes-Oxley
• Identify and resolve accounting and/or financial technical issues, including research for tax, SEC, and FASB compliance
• Work with FP&A to develop and monitor annual budgets, monthly forecasts, month-end reporting of actual results, including variance analysis to forecast and budget, cash forecasts, headcount, spending trends, and other financial reporting
• Mange relationships with and efficiently coordinate activities of external auditors, SOX, GTN consultants, financial treasury advisors, attorneys and tax partners
• Ensure debt covenants are adhered to and provide reporting to financial institutions
• Regularly interact with the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee, including organizing and preparing materials for Audit Committee meetings
• Fiduciary responsibilities for Company's 401K, including reviews of fund performance and services provided by advisors
• Oversee the Company's equity programs, capitalization table, options ledger, and maintenance of stock/option related matters; prepare stock compensation calculations and related accounting
• Risk management through analysis of corporate insurance and forecasting of business needs
• Build strong working relationships with all functional leaders to provide strategic and analytical decision support
• Recommend and assist in implementing continuous improvement techniques to increase productivity and efficiencies
• Develop and maintain accounting policies and procedures, including adoption of "best practice" business process improvement
• Provide support to Investor Relations and earnings preparation as needed
• Provide financial guidance to support strategic transactions and business development activities as well as key decisions across corporate and project-specific goals and objectives
• Organize, coordinate, and assist with execution of financing projects, such as capital raising, M&A, joint ventures, etc.
• Effectively manage the accounting/finance team, including supervising direct reports to achieve the skill mix required to support Company growth, including providing coaching, counseling, training, and feedback on performance
• Other financial projects as needed

Competencies

• Solid understanding of US GAAP, SOX, and SEC regulations; technically savvy with systems; able to build processes and utilize technology to enhance productivity, reduce errors, and mitigate risks
• Flexible and embraces change; executive presence; courage; strategic; mentor and coach team; leads by example; develops and provides challenging assignments to direct reports
• Effectively deals with ambiguity; continuously learns; cognitive analytical ability; innovative; solutions oriented with the ability to gain buy-in and build consensus with key stakeholders
• Able to assure that minor and complex details are attended to and accomplished; highly organized; effective time management for self and others
• Possesses honesty, integrity, and the highest ethical and moral standards
• Able to envision and articulate "the big picture" and help colleagues understand goals; demonstrated ability to make strategic recommendations to advance business objectives and drive change throughout the organization
• A self-starter; genuinely enthusiastic; strong personal work ethic; drives for results; motivated to learn new tasks
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, changing environment, as well as coordinate and manage multiple parties to meet accelerated deadlines
• Can command respect of staff and external customers
• Able to build good relationships with colleagues and influence the decision making of senior executives
• Has skills necessary to gain the trust of others to interact effectively with persons at all levels, both internally and externally, to develop rapport and gain key insights into business processes or alternative approaches
• Active listener; provide clear feedback; strong oral and written skills, including in group presentations; exercises influence positively; able to analyze, organize, summarize, and articulate complex legal and financial information
• Has a positive attitude about work and providing service; collaborative; diplomatic; authentic

Experience

• Bachelor's degree or global equivalent in Finance, Accounting, or related field; Master's degree a plus
• CPA or equivalent
• Minimum of 15 years' experience in accounting, finance, financial analysis, tax, or SEC reporting with at least 4 years in a public company and time in public accounting
• Minimum of 7-10 years in a leadership role
• Prior experience in a publicly traded biotechnology/pharmaceutical company in the commercial stage required
• Proven experience with revenue recognition for commercial product sales (ASC 606)
• Proven track record with SOX 404 compliance
• Commercial operations experience a plus
• Experience with ERP systems and financial reporting tool
• Knowledge of Netsuite, Floqast, Management Reporter, Equity Edge, ADP Workforce Now
• Excellent Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint skills

EEO Statement:

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

Benefit Statement:

All regular-status, full-time employees of Geron are eligible to participate in the Company's comprehensive benefit program, pursuant to plan terms and conditions. Plan choices include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, flexible spending accounts, disability insurance, supplemental health insurance, a 401(k) retirement savings plan, and an employee stock purchase plan. Geron also provides regular-status, full-time employees with a generous time off program that includes the eligibility to accrue 160 hours of vacation during each full year of employment, 64 hours of sick leave, 9 standard paid holiday days off, and paid leave for certain life events. Geron recognizes that its employees work in many different states and therefore may be affected by different laws. It is Geron's intention to comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws that apply to the Company's employees.

Salary Statement:

Offered compensation is determined based on market data, internal equity, and an applicant's relevant skills, experience, and educational background. The salary ranges displayed below are only for those who, if selected for the role, will perform work in the specific locations listed. Please note the employment opportunity is not limited to these locations.

General Salary Range: $295,000 to $335,000