At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead financial operations for advanced manufacturing, driving decision-making and optimising performance.
- Company: Join Moderna, a pioneering company transforming medicine with mRNA technology.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, generous time off, wellness support, and career growth opportunities.
- Other info: Dynamic work culture focused on innovation, teamwork, and personal development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in healthcare while collaborating with global teams on innovative projects.
- Qualifications: Bachelor's in finance/accounting and 5+ years in manufacturing finance required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
The Role
Joining Moderna means advancing mRNA science to transform medicine. Work with exceptional global teams on a broad pipeline and build a career that makes a real difference for patients. Play a pivotal role in shaping the financial performance of advanced manufacturing operations across the UK, Canada, and external manufacturing partners. As a strategic finance business partner, you will combine operational insight with financial expertise to influence decision-making, optimize manufacturing performance, and support the continued growth of Moderna's global mRNA platform.
Here’s What You’ll Do
As the Plant Finance Lead, you will provide financial leadership and business partnership across manufacturing operations supporting Harwell (UK), Laval (Canada), and an External Drug Product CMO. You will be responsible for delivering financial transparency, operational excellence, and informed decision-making while ensuring efficient, compliant manufacturing operations.
- Leading annual budgeting, quarterly forecasting, and long-range planning across both manufacturing sites and the External CMO.
- Delivering monthly financial analysis, variance reporting, and operational performance insights to site leadership and Corporate Finance.
- Developing and monitoring key performance indicators related to manufacturing efficiency, labor utilization, overhead absorption, and inventory management.
- Supporting scenario modelling and financial analysis for operational initiatives, capacity expansion, and process improvement projects.
- Overseeing standard costing, product costing, inventory valuation, and manufacturing variance analysis.
- Ensuring accurate accounting and reporting for raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods inventory.
- Analyzing labor, material usage, scrap, yield, and overhead absorption variances while partnering with Operations to identify cost reduction opportunities and improve manufacturing performance.
- Leading monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close activities across both sites.
- Preparing journal entries, accruals, reconciliations, site-level financial reporting packages, and executing month-end process order settlements.
- Coordinating with Corporate Accounting, Internal Audit, and External Auditors to ensure timely, accurate reporting in accordance with company policies and applicable accounting standards.
- Partnering with Engineering and Operations to evaluate capital investment proposals, develop business cases, monitor capital project spend, manage capitalization and project close-out activities, and perform NPV, ROI, and payback analysis.
- Supporting Supply Chain, Warehouse teams, and External CMO operations to improve inventory accuracy, inventory turns, working capital performance, inventory controls, physical inventory programs, cycle counts, inventory reserves, obsolescence management, and supply chain optimization initiatives.
- Maintaining strong internal controls across manufacturing finance processes while ensuring compliance with SOX requirements, company policies, and regulatory standards.
- Supporting audit activities, remediate control findings, and driving process standardization and continuous improvement across both manufacturing sites.
- Acting as a trusted advisor to Site Leadership, translating financial data into actionable operational insights, supporting strategic initiatives, operational improvements, and productivity programs.
- Collaborating across international, cross-functional teams while mentoring finance colleagues as appropriate.
The key Moderna Mindsets you’ll need to succeed in the role:
- We behave like owners. The solutions we’re building go beyond any job description.
- We act with dynamic range, driving strategy and execution at the same time at every step.
Here’s What You’ll Need (Basic Qualifications)
- Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance required
- 5+ years of progressive finance or accounting experience, including significant experience in manufacturing finance
- Prior experience as a Plant Controller, Operations Finance Lead, or similar manufacturing finance role preferred.
- Strong understanding of cost accounting, inventory accounting, and manufacturing operations.
- Experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, life sciences, or highly regulated manufacturing environments preferred
- A desire to be part of a high-growth, transformational company that is Bold, Relentless, Curious and Collaborative
- Detail-oriented, ensuring accuracy in reporting and data analysis
- Adaptability and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities
- Strong collaboration and teamwork skills in a global, cross-functional context.
- High degree of initiative, proactiveness and problem-solving attitude
- Advanced Excel skills and experience with ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, or similar).
Here’s What You’ll Bring to the Table (Preferred Qualifications)
- Strong business acumen: proven ability to effectively scrutinize and challenge assumptions and interpret the strategy and priorities of the organization in financial terms
- Excellent project management / leadership skills with demonstrated track record and ability to engage teams to work together towards common deadlines
- Strong presentation skills to deliver succinctly and effectively deliver recommendations to senior leaders, frames complex concepts
- Excellent problem-solving and analytical abilities, with proficiency in Excel-based financial modeling
- Exceptional attitude, diligence, and ability to motivate teams to do the same
- A desire to make an impact as part of a high-growth, transformational company that is Bold, Relentless, Curious, and Collaborative
As part of Moderna’s commitment to workplace safety, this role may require an enhanced pre-employment check.
Pay & Benefits
At Moderna, we believe that when you feel your best, you can do your best work. That’s why our benefits and well-being resources are designed to support you—at work, at home, and everywhere in between.
- Competitive healthcare, plus voluntary benefit programs to support your unique needs
- A holistic approach to well-being with access to fitness, mindfulness, and mental health support
- Family building benefits, including fertility, adoption, and surrogacy support
- Generous paid time off, including vacation, bank holidays, volunteer days, sabbatical, global recharge days, and a discretionary year-end shutdown
- Savings and investments to help you plan for the future
- Location-specific perks and extras
The benefits offered may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Moderna and the country where you work.
About Moderna
Since our founding in 2010, we have aspired to build the leading mRNA technology platform, the infrastructure to reimagine how medicines are created and delivered, and a world-class team. We believe in giving our people a platform to change medicine and an opportunity to change the world. By living our mission, values, and mindsets every day, our people are the driving force behind our scientific progress and our culture. Together, we are creating a culture of belonging and building an organization that cares deeply for our patients, our employees, the environment, and our communities.
If you want to make a difference and join a team that is changing the future of medicine, we invite you to visit modernatx.com/careers to learn more about our current opportunities.
Plant Finance Lead in Oxford employer: ModernaTX
Moderna is an exceptional employer that prioritises employee well-being and professional growth, offering competitive healthcare, generous paid time off, and a holistic approach to wellness. With a strong emphasis on collaboration and innovation, employees work in a dynamic laboratory environment where they can contribute to groundbreaking mRNA science while enjoying a supportive culture that values diversity and inclusion. The company's commitment to in-person collaboration fosters mentorship and teamwork, making it an ideal place for those looking to make a meaningful impact in the field of medicine.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Plant Finance Lead in Oxford
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We think you need these skills to ace Plant Finance Lead in Oxford
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Numbers!:In the banking and financial services world, quantifiable achievements are key. Make sure your CV highlights your grades in relevant subjects, any financial certifications you hold, and specific projects where you've delivered measurable results. Employers love to see how your skills translate into real-world success.
Tailor Your Cover Letter to the Role:When applying for a full-time position, your cover letter should make a direct connection between your experience and the job description. Don't just state your enthusiasm for finance—dive into how your background in banking or financial analysis sets you apart. Let your passion shine through while being specific about what you can bring to ModernaTX.
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How to prepare for a job interview at ModernaTX
✨Brush Up on Financial Analysis Skills
Make sure you're well-versed in financial concepts and analytical techniques relevant to banking and financial services. Get comfortable with tools like Excel for modelling or financial forecasting, as technical questions in this area are common during interviews with ModernaTX.
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Before your interview, reach out to current or former ModernaTX employees on platforms like LinkedIn. They'll offer unique insights into the company's culture and the interview process, which can give us a delightful edge in showcasing a good fit for the team.