Director of Finance in Livingston

We are a specialty vaccine company that develops, manufactures, and commercializes prophylactic vaccines for infectious diseases addressing unmet medical needs. We have leveraged our expertise and capabilities both to commercialize three vaccines, including the world's first and only chikungunya vaccine, and to rapidly advance a broad range of vaccine candidates into and through the clinic, including candidates against Lyme disease and Zika. With operations in Austria, Canada, France, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the U.S., we are committed to making a positive impact on global public health. Together, we are a global Company which is open to people of all backgrounds. Our diverse and inclusive workforce makes Valneva a great place to work.

We are seeking a skilled and versatile Director of Finance to join our team at our Regional Finance Hub in Livingston. Your role is to manage the company's accounting and financial affairs for all entities within the Regional Finance Hub as well as managing the reporting of Group inventory and Group COGS. To provide accurate and timely financial data to the parent company, external and internal stakeholders. Ensure the operational efficiency of the Regional Finance Hub financial function is maintained and enhanced. Member of the site executive/leadership team, Global Operations Senior Leadership Team and Senior Finance team. Act as the primary contact for all Finance activities within scope and collaborate with other functions as appropriate to ensure delivery against plan. Ensure compliance with local and global processes, policies and systems. Act as main Finance functional leader for the COO covering FP&A related activities of Global Operations. Main contact person for external auditors and key responsibility of the role to deal with complex inventory valuation and manufacturing accounting related topics as well as queries concerning the internal controls / SOX environment.

Requirements

• Manage all statutory and management accounting activities of the Regional Finance Hub and contribute to the site performance as agreed through the performance management objectives.
• Support the Site (UK & Sweden) Leadership and Management Teams, act as local "Finance Director".
• Lead and develop the Regional Finance Hub based in Scotland and create leverage by providing accounting services to Sweden.
• Ensure accurate and timely local contribution to group IFRS reporting on a monthly & quarterly basis.
• Production of accurate and timely financial reports in accordance with UK and Swedish GAAP ensuring organisational compliance with UK and Swedish tax laws.
• Act as key point of contact for auditors and manage local IFRS and UK / Swedish GAAP audit processes.
• Act as key point of contact to tax advisors and manage timely and accurate preparation and filing of tax returns.
• Ensure that suitable financial controls are in place to protect the assets of Valneva Scotland Ltd, Valneva UK Ltd and Valneva Sweden AB and safeguard adherence to defined internal control procedures over financial reporting.
• Monitor and manage cash flow on a weekly basis.
• Act as a principle contact person for all bank partners; supervise payment and bank account management.
• Prepare the Regional Finance Hub organization for potential future enhancement of responsibilities.
• Manage all FP&A activities of VLA Scotland, VLA UK and VLA Sweden and manage Group inventory and Group COGS.
• Lead the regular management reporting as well as managing the local financial planning processes.
• Perform the annual budgeting process, in partnership with the Global FP&A team and local stakeholders.
• Lead and develop the Regional Finance Hub based FP&A team responsible for all manufacturing activities across Scotland, Sweden and Austria.
• Perform monthly reporting processes and compile standardized management reports focused on providing business insights and decision support to Operations management.
• Be responsible for the development, collation and reporting of key business metrics, and use such metrics to drive a culture of continuous process improvement.
• Manage financial grants including cash and supporting submission of grantor reports.
• Develop and apply the discipline of COGS efficiency across the organisation and perform annual STD cost calculations for products manufactured within the global manufacturing organization (Scotland, Sweden, Austria).
• Promote site wide financial awareness – including the delivery of specific finance training to all non-financial managers / employees as appropriate.
• Continue to develop controlling systems to improve cost effectiveness including consistent and cohesive accounting approaches across Livingston and Solna.
• Continue to develop controlling systems to improve cost effectiveness and support development and enhancement of new / established FP&A tools.
• Provide Finance leadership in Operations specific strategic and operational project initiatives.
• Represent Finance and provide Finance / FP&A support in significant decision making processes.

Experience

• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience.
• CFA certified - Experience in Finance and Controlling in a manufacturing context, ideally in a multi-national environment.
• Experience with standard controlling tools.
• International accounting, IFRS experience.
• Strong experience of cost accounting in a manufacturing environment.
• Background in managing banking activities for corporates.
• Experience of managing and interacting within diverse working relationships.
• Chain of custody serialisation from a Finance perspective would be advantageous.
• 10+ years of senior management in a manufacturing environment with preference for Life Sciences / Pharma / BioTech.

Benefits

• Stock Options.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Gym membership OR fitness allowance.
• EV Salary Sacrifice.
• Many others included.