Senior Associate - Audit Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences

PwC; Pully; On-site; Vertraulich; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Exposure to leading pharma orgs

Professional development support

Flexible working arrangements

Job summary

PwC Switzerland is seeking an experienced audit professional to join the Assurance team, focusing on pharmaceutical and healthcare clients. You will lead audits of multinational groups, review complex accounting estimates and support clients through evolving regulatory landscapes.

You will collaborate with senior stakeholders, coach junior staff, and contribute to continuous improvement of audit methodologies within a fast-changing pharma and life sciences sector.

Qualifications

• Degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics or a related discipline.
• Pursuing or completed ACA/ACCA/CPA or equivalent.
• Experience auditing multinational organisations in pharma/life sciences/healthcare or consumer industries.
• Strong understanding of financial reporting, accounting estimates and internal control frameworks.
• Experience reviewing financial models, forecasts and valuation assumptions.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate audit engagements for clients in pharma, biotechnology, healthcare and consumer health sectors.
• Evaluate significant accounting judgments, including impairment assessments, intangible asset valuations and business combination accounting.
• Review management forecasts, cash flow projections and key financial assumptions supporting asset recoverability and strategic investment decisions.
• Analyse governance documents, board materials, and external market intelligence to assess financial reporting implications.
• Perform and review testing of internal controls over financial reporting per Swiss and international auditing standards.
• Support audits of multinational groups with exposure to US reporting requirements and complex regulatory environments.
• Collaborate with senior client stakeholders including Finance Directors, CFOs and business unit leaders.
• Coach and develop junior team members while supporting engagement planning and quality delivery.
• Contribute to enhancement of audit methodologies and industry insights within Pharma & Life Sciences.

Skills

Fluent English

Communication skills

Analytical mindset

Attention to detail

Education

Degree in Accounting/Finance/Economics

Professional accounting qualification (ACA/ACCA/CPA)

Job description

At PwC, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. As part of our Assurance team, you will support multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare clients in navigating increasingly complex financial reporting, regulatory, and audit environments.

You will work with some of the industry's leading organisations, contributing to audits of multinational groups, reviewing complex accounting estimates, evaluating financial reporting processes, and supporting clients through a rapidly evolving business and regulatory landscape.

Your Impact

• Lead and coordinate audit engagements for clients operating in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare and consumer health sectors.
• Evaluate significant accounting judgments, including impairment assessments, intangible asset valuations and business combination accounting.
• Review management forecasts, cash flow projections and key financial assumptions supporting asset recoverability and strategic investment decisions.
• Analyse internal governance documentation, board and committee materials, and external market intelligence to assess financial reporting implications.
• Perform and review testing of internal controls over financial reporting in accordance with Swiss and international auditing standards.
• Support audits of multinational groups with exposure to US reporting requirements and complex regulatory environments.
• Collaborate directly with senior client stakeholders including Finance Directors, CFOs and business unit leaders.
• Coach and develop junior team members while supporting engagement planning, resource coordination and quality delivery.
• Contribute to the continuous enhancement of audit methodologies and industry-specific insights within the Pharma & Life Sciences sector.

Your Skill Set

• Degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics or a related discipline.
• In progress towards, or completed, a professional accounting qualification (e.g. ACA, ACCA, CPA or equivalent).
• Experience auditing multinational organisations within the pharmaceutical, life sciences, healthcare or consumer industries.
• Strong understanding of financial reporting, accounting estimates and internal control frameworks.
• Experience reviewing financial models, forecasts and valuation-related assumptions.
• Exposure to audits of listed entities and multinational group environments.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage confidently with senior stakeholders.
• Strong analytical mindset and attention to detail.
• Fluent in English; additional languages are an advantage.

What We Offer

• Exposure to leading pharmaceutical and life sciences organisations in Switzerland and internationally.
• Opportunities to work on complex accounting and assurance matters in a highly regulated sector.
• Continuous professional development and support for professional qualifications.
• A collaborative and inclusive environment focused on innovation, learning and career growth.
• Flexible working arrangements and the opportunity to build an international network within the PwC global organisation.

About PwC

At PwC Switzerland, we help clients build trust and reinvent so they can turn complexity into competitive advantage. We're part of a tech-forward, people-empowered network and help clients build, accelerate and sustain momentum across audit, assurance, tax, legal, workforce, deals and consulting.