Life Sciences - Managing Director

CFGI; United States; Hybrid; USD 350,000 - 750,000; Full time

Job summary

CFGI Life Sciences is seeking a Managing Director to advance the firm's Finance & Accounting Advisory practice within life sciences, including biotech, pharma, and medical devices. You will lead complex accounting matters, SEC reporting, and capital-market engagements while building client relationships and expanding CFGI’s market presence.

You will supervise high-performing teams, oversee project budgets, and collaborate with CFGI's cross-functional professionals to deliver client-ready

Qualifications

• 12+ years in public accounting, advisory, or corporate finance.
• Experience at a Big Four firm: Deloitte, EY, KPMG, or PwC.
• CPA license.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex accounting, financial reporting, transaction, and operational advisory engagements.
• Advise executives at life sciences companies across development stages including venture-backed and public.
• Develop meaningful relationships across the life sciences business community.
• Oversee engagement scope, staffing, budgets, timelines, and client satisfaction.
• Lead proposals, presentations, and the development of client solutions.
• Recruit and mentor Managers, Senior Managers, Directors, and other professionals.

Skills

Relationship management

Executive communication

Business development

Team leadership

Client advisory

Life sciences knowledge

Public accounting knowledge

Education

CPA license

Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance

Tools

Workiva

ActiveDisclosure

Job description

Life Sciences - Managing Director

Managing Directors at CFGI serve as trusted advisors to senior finance executives and provide leadership across client delivery, relationship development, business development, and team growth.

This Managing Director will help expand CFGI’s Finance & Accounting Advisory presence within the life sciences sector. The role will support biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostics, and other life sciences organizations as they navigate complex accounting, financial reporting, transactions, capital-markets activity, and operational challenges.

Take ownership of your career at CFGI:

• Advise executives at emerging, growth-stage, commercial, and publicly traded life sciences companies.
• Lead complex accounting, financial reporting, transaction, and operational advisory engagements.
• Develop meaningful relationships across the life sciences business community.
• Help build and expand CFGI’s life sciences market presence.
• Lead and develop high-performing teams of accounting and advisory professionals.
• Collaborate with professionals across CFGI’s broader accounting, finance, transaction, technology, data, tax, valuation, and risk capabilities.
• Make a measurable impact on clients while contributing to the continued growth of CFGI.

What you might expect:

• Serve as a trusted advisor to CFOs, Chief Accounting Officers, Controllers, Audit Committees, Boards of Directors, and other senior stakeholders.
• Lead complex technical accounting, financial reporting, transaction support, SEC reporting, and operational accounting engagements.
• Advise life sciences companies across different stages of development, including venture-backed, clinical-stage, pre-commercial, commercial-stage, and publicly traded organizations.
• Help clients evaluate and resolve accounting matters involving:
  • Research and development activities.
  • Clinical trial and contract research organization accruals.
  • Contract development and manufacturing arrangements.
  • Collaboration, licensing, co-development, royalty, and milestone agreements.
  • Revenue recognition and commercialization arrangements.
  • Stock-based compensation and equity transactions.
  • Debt, convertible instruments, warrants, and preferred equity.
  • Business combinations, asset acquisitions, and in-process research and development.
  • Consolidation, impairment, leases, and other complex U.S. GAAP matters.
• Lead SEC reporting and capital-markets engagements, including IPO readiness, public-company readiness, registration statements, reverse mergers, and other financing or transaction events.
• Support the preparation or review of Forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, S-1, S-3, and other SEC filings.
• Lead audit readiness, financial-statement preparation, close optimization, internal-control development, and accounting-process improvement initiatives.
• Oversee engagement scope, staffing, budgets, timelines, project economics, quality, risk management, and client satisfaction.
• Review technical accounting memoranda, financial statements, SEC filings, executive presentations, and other client deliverables.
• Identify opportunities to expand existing relationships and introduce clients to additional CFGI capabilities.
• Originate new client relationships through networking, market activity, referrals, thought leadership, and other business-development efforts.
• Lead proposals, presentations, negotiations, and the development of client solutions.
• Recruit, mentor, develop, and retain Managers, Senior Managers, Directors, and other professionals.
• Contribute to internal training, methodology development, industry events, thought leadership, and other practice-building initiatives.

What you must have:

• 12+ years of experience in public accounting, accounting advisory, consulting, and/or corporate accounting and finance.
• Experience at a Big Four firm: Deloitte, EY, KPMG, or PwC.
• Meaningful accounting, finance, audit, or advisory experience serving life sciences companies, including biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostics, or comparable organizations.
• CPA license.

What sets you apart:

• Experience serving as a senior advisor to CFOs, Chief Accounting Officers, Controllers, Audit Committees, Boards of Directors, and other executive stakeholders.
• Experience leading significant client portfolios, complex engagements, business units, industry verticals, or advisory service lines, including responsibility for delivery, staffing, quality, economics, and client relationships.
• Experience applying U.S. GAAP, SEC reporting requirements, and technical accounting guidance to complex accounting and financial-reporting matters.
• Experience generating new business through relationship development, networking, referrals, proposal leadership, client expansion, thought leadership, or other market-facing activities.
• Experience leading and developing senior professionals while contributing to recruiting, performance management, training, succession planning, or broader practice growth.
• Experience advising life sciences companies at multiple stages of development, including clinical-stage, pre-commercial, commercial-stage, and publicly traded organizations.
• Experience with life sciences accounting matters involving research and development, clinical trial accruals, collaboration or licensing arrangements, contract manufacturing, milestone payments, commercialization, or in-process research and development.
• Experience leading IPO readiness, public-company readiness, SEC reporting, financing, acquisition, divestiture, reverse-merger, or other capital-markets and transaction-related engagements.

Nice to have:

• Prior leadership experience within an accounting advisory practice such as FAAS, CMAAS, Accounting Advisory Services, Capital Markets Advisory, or a comparable professional-services group.
• Corporate experience as a Chief Accounting Officer, Controller, Principal Accounting Officer, or senior finance executive within a life sciences organization.
• Experience with biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostics, or other life sciences companies across both private and public-company environments.
• Relationships with executives, investors, attorneys, auditors, or other referral sources active within the life sciences ecosystem.
• Experience working with venture capital, private equity, or other investors focused on life sciences companies.
• Familiarity with SEC reporting and financial-reporting platforms such as Workiva or ActiveDisclosure.
• Experience speaking at industry events, publishing technical content, or developing life sciences-focused training or thought leadership.

Who thrives here:

• A credible and relationship-oriented leader who builds trust with executives, clients, teams, and referral partners.
• An entrepreneurial professional who enjoys developing business and growing an industry-focused practice.
• A commercially minded advisor who connects accounting and reporting matters to broader business priorities.
• A decisive leader who exercises sound judgment in complex and high-pressure situations.
• An effective communicator who translates technical issues into clear, practical guidance.
• A collaborative professional who works across service lines to bring the right capabilities to each client.
• A committed mentor who develops others, delegates effectively, and creates opportunities for team members to grow.
• A highly organized leader who can balance client delivery, business development, team leadership, and firm responsibilities.
• A self-motivated, ethical, and dependable professional with a commitment to exceptional client service.