Line/business Controller to a Global Pharmaceutical Company

Academic Work Sweden AB; Stockholms kommun; On-site; SEK 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Academic Work Sweden AB is assisting an international biopharmaceutical company in finding a Line Controller / Business Controller with about five years of experience. The role blends hands-on line controlling with finance business partnering in a global setting, across multiple regions including Europe, the US, and Japan.

You will partner with functional leaders to translate plans into financial results, manage budgets, forecasts, and cost centers, and drive transparency and performance across

Qualifications

• Strong analytical capabilities and advanced Excel skills.
• Fluent in English with good communication in Swedish is nice to have.
• Budgeting, forecasting, and cost center management experience is required.

Responsibilities

• Act as a financial business partner to functional leaders and senior stakeholders within RDMA.
• Develop understanding of business plans, priorities, resource requirements and cost drivers.
• Challenge budget owners' assumptions and help identify practical solutions balancing science and resources.
• Lead annual planning and forecasting cycles, including the budget process.
• Coordinate and quality-assure financial input from many cost centers and business areas.
• Monitor performance vs budget/forecast and analyze variances.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Proactive

Tools

Excel

Job description

We are looking for a driven Line Controller / Business Controller with around 5 years of experience to join an international biopharmaceutical company experiencing strong growth. This is a perfect opportunity for a controller who is ready for a natural next step in their career, combining hands‑on line controlling with finance business partnering in a complex global organization.

About the role

Our client is looking for a dedicated Line Controller to take on a central and business‑facing role within Research, Development and Medical Affairs (RDMA). The organization manages an annual budget of several billion SEK, divided between project activities and the ongoing line organization, comprising approximately 200 employees and 100 cost centers across Europe, the US, and Japan.

In this role, you will act as a financial business partner to several functional line leaders, translating business plans into financial realities and creating transparency around performance. This is a dynamic role suited for someone who wants to combine qualified finance business partnering with clear operational line responsibility (budgeting, forecasting, cost center management, and variance analysis) in a global environment.

You are offered

• A natural career step: A role where you get full ownership of your areas and room to grow in a global biopharmaceutical environment.
• A strong international network: Collaborate closely with global functional leaders, international co‑controllers, and an experienced finance team.
• Strategic and operational variety: A highly varied role where you move seamlessly between forecasting discussions with functional leaders and hands‑on Excel analysis, cost center management, and follow‑ups

Work tasks

Your responsibilities will include:

• Act as a financial business partner to functional leaders and senior stakeholders within RDMA.
• Develop a thorough understanding of business plans, priorities, resource requirements, and cost drivers.
• Constructively challenge budget owners' assumptions and plans, helping to identify practical solutions that balance scientific needs with available resources.
• Drive the four annual planning and forecasting cycles, including the budget process.
• Coordinate and quality‑ assure financial input from a large number of cost centers and business areas.
• Monitor actual performance against budget/forecast and analyze the underlying causes of variances.
• Identify financial risks and opportunities, explaining their impact on the full‑year forecast.
• Take ownership of relevant month‑end and quarter‑end close activities (accruals, reallocations, and closing documentation).
• Collaborate with accounting, Business Controllers, System Controllers, and the wider global finance organization to improve processes and transparency.

We are looking for

• Around 4-6 years of relevant experience in Business Controlling, Line Controlling, or Finance Business Partnering.
• Experience with budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, and performance management.
• Have a solid understanding of month‑end closing, accruals, and other accounting‑related controlling activities.
• Have strong analytical capabilities and advanced Excel skills.
• Are fluent in English and have good communication skills in Swedish.

It is meritorious if you have

• Are fluent in Swedish.
• Experience in the life science pharmaceutical, research, or other knowledge‑intensive industries.
• Experience in R&D controlling.
• Experience in providing financial support and guidance to teams or organizations working with clinical studies.
• Experience with large ERP systems, financial reporting tools, or digital/AI‑enabled automation in finance.

To succeed in the role, your personal skills are:

• Structured
• Proactive
• Driven
• Communicative team payer
• Social

Our recruitment process

This recruitment process is handled by Academic Work and it is our client's wish that all questions regarding the position is directed to Academic Work.

Our selection process is continuous and the advert may close before the recruitment process is completed if we have moved forward to the next phase. The process includes two tests: one personality test and one cognitive test. The tests are tools to find the right talent for the right position, to enable equality, diversity, and a fair process.