R&D Finance Partner — Strategic Analyst (Hybrid)

Illumina, Inc.; San Diego (CA); Hybrid; USD 83,000 - 124,000; Full time

Job summary

Illumina, Inc. in San Diego, CA is seeking a Senior Financial Analyst for R&D Finance to partner with research leadership and translate complex R&D activity into clear financial insight.

You will drive planning, forecasting, close processes, and capital planning for a diverse R&D portfolio, leveraging AI-powered analytics to improve accuracy and support strategic decision-making. This role requires a strong finance foundation, communication with leadership, and the ability to navigate a matrix

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or related field.
• Typically requires a minimum of 5 years of related professional experience; 3 years with a relevant master’s degree.
• Experience with budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, financial modeling, reporting, and management presentations.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.

Responsibilities

• Provide finance partnership for a complex set of R&D functions, programs, and R&D leadership team members, building trusted relationships while maintaining appropriate financial challenge and discipline.
• Manage key components of annual planning, quarterly forecasting, monthly close, long-range planning inputs, and recurring management reporting for assigned R&D areas.
• Analyze operating expense, headcount, purchase orders, accruals, and capital expenditure performance; explain key variances; identify risks and opportunities; and recommend actions to improve business outcomes.
• Leverage AI and advanced analytics tools responsibly to improve forecasting accuracy, automate routine financial processes, increase operational efficiency, and generate actionable business insights.
• Develop leadership‑ready narratives that translate complex R&D activity, shifting program scope, capital timing, and financial trade‑offs into clear messages and recommendations.
• Coordinate capital planning and tracking activities, including project‑level analysis, timing of equipment receipt, Construction in Progress recognition, depreciation timing, and distinction between sustainable savings and timing‑related rephasing.
• Help resolve cross‑functional issues by identifying process gaps, forecast risks, unclear ownership, data quality concerns, and decision points; escalated with recommended options when broader alignment is needed.

Skills

Excel

PowerPoint

Forecasting

Variance analysis

Financial modeling

Management presentations

Finance partnerships

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field

Tools

SAP

OneStream

Cognos

Job description

Illumina, Inc. in San Diego, CA is seeking a Senior Financial Analyst for R&D Finance to partner with research leadership and translate complex R&D activity into clear financial insight.

You will drive planning, forecasting, close processes, and capital planning for a diverse R&D portfolio, leveraging AI-powered analytics to improve accuracy and support strategic decision-making. This role requires a strong finance foundation, communication with leadership, and the ability to navigate a matrix