Associate Director, FP&A

Work Schedule

Environmental Conditions

Job Description

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue of more than $40 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, increasing productivity in their laboratories, improving patient health through diagnostics or the development and manufacture of life-changing therapies, we are here to support them. Our global team delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services, Patheon and PPD.

Associate Director, FP&A – Clinical Research Group (PPD)

Reporting to the Executive Director of Finance, the Associate Director, FP&A is a strategic and detail-oriented finance leader who partners closely with the Executive Director and senior business stakeholders across the Clinical Research Group (CRG). This role owns key areas including study and project authorization portfolio management and advanced analytics and insights related to authorizations and other critical CRG performance metrics, with scope expected to expand over time.

In this role, you will provide financial governance over study and project authorizations while delivering actionable insights to support strategic and operational decision-making in a fast-paced, complex environment. The Associate Director will work in close partnership with operational, commercial, and functional leaders to drive financial rigor, transparency, and alignment with business objectives, while contributing to the ongoing development of the FP&A organization.

Authorizations & Financial Governance

• Partner with operational and project delivery teams to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant study-level financial approvals.
• Drive and support policy updates and enhancements, partnering with business leaders and the commercial operations team on items outside established policy.
• Ensure compliance with financial and accounting policies in partnership with an established Center of Excellence (CoE).
• Establish and enforce financial controls related to RPO, budget change authorizations, and scope amendments.
• Manage alignment across Statements of Work (SOWs), budgets, and authorization forecasts to ensure financial integrity and visibility.

Analytics & Insights

• Translate complex financial and operational data into clear, actionable insights for senior leadership and key stakeholders.
• Develop solutions to new and complex analytical problem statements while enhancing existing analyses to drive insights across financial, operational, and authorization performance.
• Identify trends, risks, and opportunities to inform decision-making and continuous improvement.

Business Partnership & Strategic Support

• Function as a trusted finance business partner to leaders, providing balanced challenge and support through sound financial guidance and strategic insights.
• Proactively identify issues and recommend corrective actions to improve business outcomes.
• Prepare and present analyses during key strategic business cycles, including STRAP, AOP, Forecasts, MBRs, and QBRs, supporting leadership in defining actions to improve performance.

People Leadership

• Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, and development for 1–2 FP&A team members, fostering a high-performance and continuous improvement culture.
• Set clear priorities and expectations, ensuring timely, accurate, and value-added delivery of analyses and insights.
• Review, challenge, and elevate analytical outputs to ensure consistency, quality, and relevance for senior stakeholders.
• Support team members’ professional growth through regular feedback, performance management, and increasing responsibility over time.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent and relevant formal academic / vocational qualification (MBA preferred)
• Previous finance FP&A experience that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job (comparable to 8+ years’ experience) 
• 5+ years of management responsibility
• In some cases, an equivalency, consisting of appropriate education, training, and/or directly related experience will be considered sufficient for an individual to meet the requirements of the role.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Outstanding leadership, communication and interpersonal skills
• Exceptional analytical, problem solving and critical thinking skills, with the ability to interpret complex financial data.
• Strong systems and data analytic capabilities including Oracle, Power BI /Tableau, SQL, SFDC
• Must possess a strong set of personal and business values that align with those of the 4is (Integrity, Innovation, Involvement, Intensity)
• Excellent project leadership and consultancy skills with ability to function as an effective and respected partner to internal clients at all levels of the organization
• Proven leadership and management skills
• In-depth knowledge of accounting/financial principles and best practices with sophisticated analytical and quantitative skills
• Proven business acumen with ability to understand complex organizational structures and environments
• Advanced level of skill in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint for analysis and presentation of data
• Demonstrated ability to influence at all levels of the organization
• Proven ability to effectively delegate and balance work and deliver against competing demands
• Demonstrated skill in financial modeling and valuation analysis
• Knowledge of SEC reporting requirements and necessary documentation related to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

The salary range estimated for this position in North Carolina is $118,000 - $170,000 USD. This position will also be eligible to receive a variable annual bonus based on company, team, and/or individual performance results in accordance with company policy. Actual compensation will be confirmed in writing at the time of offer. 

PPD values the health and well-being of our employees. We support and encourage individuals to create a healthy and balanced environment where they can thrive. Below is listed the working environment/requirements for this role:

• Able to communicate, receive, and understand information and ideas with diverse groups of people in a comprehensible and reasonable manner.
• Able to work upright and stationary for typical working hours. 
• Ability to use and learn standard office equipment and technology with proficiency.
• Able to perform successfully under pressure while prioritizing and managing multiple projects or activities. 
• May require as-needed travel (0-20%).