Corporate R&D Controller

MENARINI Group; Toscana; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Up to 25% travel

Job summary

MENARINI Group seeks an experienced R&D Controller to drive the financial strategy for the global R&D portfolio. You will partner with the Chief Medical Officer and senior R&D leaders to allocate resources, lead long-range planning, and ensure rigorous monthly close analytics across Oncology and Non-Oncology programs.

The role requires a finance leader with biotech/pharma experience, strong modeling, and the ability to influence executive decisions while managing day-to-day controlling across

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field.
• 10 years of progressive experience in FP&A with leadership.
• Deep experience in biotechnology/pharma, especially R&D and clinical trial finance.
• Proven experience coordinating global or remote teams.
• Strong financial modeling, ability to translate data into strategy.
• Experience with management reporting, budgeting and forecasting.
• Mastery of Excel; excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to work independently with integrity and discretion.

Responsibilities

• Develop global R&D financial strategy aligned with corporate goals.
• Partner with CMO and R&D leadership on strategic financial matters.
• Lead budgeting, forecasting and 5‑year planning for global R&D.
• Oversee consolidation, monthly reporting and KPI monitoring.
• Manage cost, headcount and investment budgets across sites.
• Implement standardized controlling processes and tools across R&D.

Skills

Financial planning

Strategic partnership

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Financial modeling

Excel proficiency

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's in Finance/Accounting

Master's or CPA (preferred)

Tools

SAP

NetSuite

Adaptive

Job description

Overview

We are seeking a strategic and experienced R&D Controller to join our Corporate Finance Team and support senior financial leadership for our entire global R&D organization. This is a critical, hands-on role responsible for driving the financial strategy, planning and stewardship for our complete R&D portfolio and for driving the financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, analysis and monthly business reporting for all R&D operations spanning both our high-growth Oncology pipeline and our diverse Non-Oncology therapeutic areas.

Reporting to the Senior Director, R&D Controller, you will be in direct contact with the Chief Medical Officer and other senior R&D leaders. You will be responsible for translating R&D's scientific and clinical strategy into a robust long-range financial plan, ensuring optimal resource allocation and sound investment decisions across the portfolio.

You will be a key strategic partner to the R&D, Finance and Procurement teams. The successful candidate will deliver in-depth monthly close analytics, coordinate the full budget and forecast cycles and help refine our approach to key stakeholder interactions, including monthly business reviews and presentations to Menarini Corporate.

Your focus will be on designing the global framework, driving portfolio-level strategy and delivering high-impact analysis to the Menarini executive leadership team.

The ideal candidate is a highly motivated, collaborative team player with strong analytical skills and meaningful experience supporting financial management in a pharmaceutical organization. You must be able to manage strategic-level thinking while simultaneously executing the day-to-day responsibilities required to establish this function.

Main Activities & Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Global R&D Financial Strategy & Leadership

• Develop the global R&D financial strategy, ensuring alignment with both corporate finance objectives and scientific R&D goals.
• Act as a financial partner to the Chief Medical Officer and R&D leadership, providing strategic counsel on all financial matters.
• Orchestrate the global R&D budgeting, forecasting and 5-year planning processes, ensuring consistency and accuracy.

Portfolio & Investment Management

• Provide comprehensive financial oversight and strategic analysis for the entire R&D portfolio, including both Oncology and Non-Oncology programs.
• Support the financial evaluation of new R&D projects, including portfolio prioritization, resource allocation modeling and feasibility studies.
• Partner with R&D leaders to analyze and challenge portfolio assumptions, milestone timing and financial risk.

Controlling, Reporting, & Business Partnership

Controlling

• Oversee the consolidation of all global R&D financials, ensuring qualified and timely monthly reporting and analysis for Head Office.
• Lead the accurate and timely preparation of the global R&D budget, forecasts and 5-year strategic plan.
• Maintain responsibility for the R&D project cost and investment budget, including detailed forecasting and tracking.
• Implement harmonized controlling processes, methodologies and financial systems across all global R&D sites to drive efficiency and comparability.
• Maintain ultimate oversight for global R&D cost management, budget control and headcount control.
• Oversee and manage local cost management and budget control for all R&D functions.
• Manage headcount control versus budget, working in close cooperation with HR Controlling.
• Take responsibility for controlling financial processes, identifying and implementing improvements.

Reporting

• Ensure qualified and timely monthly reporting and analysis of the business for both Head Office and local management.
• Prepare global R&D financial performance presentation, forecasts and strategic insights for the executive Finance & R&D leadership team.
• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for the global R&D organization.
• Business Partnership:
• Act as a primary financial partner to R&D, ensuring a strong local business linkage and close, day-to-day cooperation with HQ Business Controlling.
• Conduct financial analysis of feasibility studies for new R&D projects to support strategic decision-making.
• Analyze the business situation and market developments, providing insights and recommendations.
• Provide special, ad-hoc analysis as requested by local management or Head Office functions.

Process Improvement

• Implement standardized methodologies & tools (BI….) for tracking and reporting on R&D project costs and investment returns across all stages of development.
• Lead the local implementation of new controlling processes and methodologies.
• Train and support local staff in all Controlling-related matters.
• Lead and/or participate in special projects as assigned.

Job Requirements

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field.
• 10 years of progressive experience in financial planning and analysis, with a significant portion in a leadership role.
• Deep experience in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical sector is required, with preferably specific expertise in R&D and clinical trial finance.
• Proven experience in coordinating global or remote teams.
• Exceptional analytical and financial modeling skills, with the ability to translate complex data into actionable strategy and to communicate complex financial data clearly (both verbal and written).
• Demonstrated experience with management reporting, financial analysis, budgeting and forecasting.
• Strong understanding of financial systems and the design of global financial processes.
• Mastery of Excel .
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills; must be able to act with integrity and professionalism.
• Ability to work well independently and without close supervision, keeping focused on objectives.
• Proven ability to manage confidential and sensitive information.
• Positivity, flexibility and strong time management skills necessary to succeed in a performance-driven environment.

Preferred

• Master’s degree or CPA.
• Experience managing financials for both oncology and non-oncology portfolios.
• Experience in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical sector, specifically supporting R&D and clinical trial forecasting.
• Experience working in a global, matrixed organization, preferably with a European headquarters.
• Experience implementing financial systems (e.g., SAP, NetSuite, Adaptive).

Other Requirements

• Up to 25% of travel time.