Job description Posted 28 September 2022

Finance Manager - Technical Accounting

GSK

£600 - £625 via Umbrella

6 month contract

Location: Brentford (hybrid remote working)

Business Area: R&D Finance


Job Purpose:

Function as a key technical accounting advisor for the Deal Accounting & Alliance Finance Team, providing technical accounting guidance and support for newly formed deals and alliances in R&D, including in-licensing, out-licensing, acquisitions, venture funds, divestments and terminations.


Role Description:


Provide technical accounting support and advice, prepare accounting approval papers

  • Provide technical accounting guidance and support for newly formed deals and alliances in R&D, including in-licensing, out-licensing, acquisitions, venture funds, divestments and terminations.
  • Prepare accounting papers detailing the accounting treatment required for new or amended deals and alliances.
  • Prepare financial approval papers, including coordination of inputs and approvals from External Reporting, Tax and Treasury, for new deals in R&D.
  • Support acquisitions and integrations as needed, including technical accounting and agreeing mechanics of invoicing, working with External Reporting, Tax and Treasury as well as assisting R&D FDs with setting up of system coding for budget reporting purposes.
  • Provide support for divestments and associated transitional services as well as some complex alliances as needed.
  • Provide ad-hoc accounting advice and support to R&D World Wide Business Development (WWBD) and the R&D Finance community.
  • Support budget and cash forecasting activities for new deals.

VC Funds, Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures and Equity Investments

  • Support accounting for Venture Capital investment arrangements, Equity Investments and Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures undertaken by R&D.
  • Review R&D equity investments each quarter for changes in fair value and account for impairments as necessary.
  • Responsible for reviewing and ensuring completeness of monthly Corporate equity investment schedules and for completing Corporate Secretariat updates.
  • Responsible for updating budgets and forecasts relating to Investments in Associates and Venture Capital investments, as well as for reporting variances and providing commentary.


Month-End Reporting

  • Participate in month-end review of alliance related journals, transactions, balance sheet reconciliations, commentary and Sarbanes Oxley control responsibilities.

Support Corporate and R&D Finance Team Processes and Compliance

  • Manage financial processes and analytical support relating to external deals and alliances. 
  • Ad-hoc requests and queries, data provision, etc. for stakeholders.
  • Seek to continually improve Deal Accounting & Alliance Finance team processes and participate in process improvement and simplification projects.
  • Appreciate and adhere to Sarbanes Oxley controls and participate in testing, process and control improvement activities.


Skills required for this role:

The following skills and capabilities are useful to succeed in the role and a candidate should therefore have these skills or have the potential to develop them once in the role.

  • Strong technical accounting skills: proven solid judgement and track record in applying technical accounting in an advisory capacity to senior leaders.
  • Communication skills and experience in communicating potentially complex accounting treatments in a simple, understandable and compelling way, including an ability to distil detailed accounting rules into key principles. Must be able to communicate confidently and effectively (verbal and written) with people in a range of disciplines from external auditors and other technical accounting teams to business leaders and non-accountants with very different levels of knowledge and understanding of accounting.
  • Ability to work across boundaries: Stakeholders are based in different locations around the world, and stakeholders are part of different departments and teams in R&D and the wider GSK.  


Qualifications and experience required:

  • Undergraduate degree or equivalent
  • Accounting qualification (e.g. ACA, CIMA, ACCA)
  • Minimum 3 year in finance and/or accounting – ideally “big 4” accounting firm background.
  • Strong technical accounting knowledge
  • Experience of working in an advisory capacity to Finance colleagues and senior management, applying technical knowledge to complex business proposals.
  • Strong Excel skills


Preferred qualifications and experience:

  • Education in sciences (e.g. for the undergraduate degree)
  • Business education (e.g. for undergraduate degree, MBA, otherwise)
  • Previous experience with large, complex multi-national companies and/or a matrix structure organisation
  • Previous experience in the Pharma, Biotech, Healthcare or similar industry


Reports to: Finance Director, Deal Accounting & Alliance Finance