Financial Analyst, FP&A

The FP&A Analyst is an integral part of CymaBay’s FP&A team and is primarily responsible for managing the annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting process. In addition, this role performs activities that support the quarterly closing process with a primary emphasis on budget vs. actual analysis and internal management reporting to executive management and department leaders. The role requires familiarity and experience with applicable aspects of contracting, procurement, accounts payable, month-end close, and budget/forecasting operations. This role interacts extensively with other finance personnel, management, department leaders and their delegates, and product/project team members as applicable.

The FP&A Analyst role reports to the Sr. Manager, FP&A and also reports “dotted line” to VP, Finance who oversees the Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) function.

• Provide financial analysis and business partnership support to department leaders and their delegates; create financial plans and ensure discipline and transparency in spending through insightful analysis and reporting
• Assist in the annual operating plan, budget, and quarterly forecasting processes
• Coordinate with department leaders, their delegates and vendors to understand the scope and timing of key clinical studies and other significant product development activities. Maintain life-to-date study and product development plans and budgets using contracts, change orders, and management assumptions as appropriate
• Partner with product/study management teams to provide in-depth analysis of business results, analyze and explain variances, identify emerging risks and opportunities, and regularly communicate findings to management
• Maintain financial accounting models used to forecast expenses for business activities performed by CROs, CMOs & other key/significant vendors
• Prepare monthly variance analysis of actuals vs budget/forecast, investigate, and explain significant discrepancies, understand key business drivers, and propose corrective measures
• Support monthly/quarterly close process related to operating expense management, cash burn analysis, actual vs budget operating expense reviews, headcount reviews, and other related processes
• Support ongoing development of processes, tools, and infrastructure to enable project-level budgeting, resource planning, and portfolio planning
• Seek ways to continually improve current processes to drive more efficient and effective assessment of resources available to top management
• Coordinate with necessary functions (e.g. Accounting, AP, Business Partners) in monitoring project level details relative to spend and strategic initiatives
• Work cohesively with the finance team on various ad-hoc projects

• Bachelor of Science in Accounting or Finance
• Minimum of 2 or more years of relevant experience (Biotech experience preferred)
• Proficient in Microsoft Office such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Experience with Adaptive Planning preferred
• Experience with NetSuite preferred
• Understanding of accounting and financial reporting
• Strong technical aptitude and strategically agile
• Eager and quick to learn new procedures and skills
• Ability to adapt to a quickly changing environment
• Ability to work with a reasonable amount of uncertainty and provide best estimates with comfort and confidence
• Ability to understand and define issues, collect and analyze data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions
• Ability to effectively communicate issues, results, financial drivers and ideas with peers and management
• Ability to build effective working relationships throughout the organization
• Ability to prioritize and plan work activities to successfully meet tight deadlines
• Strong organization and project management skills
• High degree of organizational awareness, ability to connect the dots to understand all the interdependency and big picture
• Self-motivated and willing to accept temporary responsibilities outside of initial job description