Work Schedule
Standard (Mon-Fri)
Environmental Conditions
Office
Job Description
As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you’ll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every single day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while helping to take science a step beyond by developing solutions for some of the world’s toughest challenges, like protecting the environment, making sure our food is safe or helping find cures for cancer.
DESCRIPTION:
The IT Director – Global Finance Systems is responsible for defining and executing the technology strategy supporting the organization's global Finance function within the Clinical Trials Division. This role partners closely with Finance leadership to deliver scalable, standardized, and compliant business processes through enterprise technologies, with primary ownership of the Oracle Cloud Financials platform and related financial systems.
The Director leads the team responsible for finance system strategy, finance applications, and business process transformation. Success in this role requires balancing business partnership, technology leadership, governance, and operational excellence while driving simplification, standardization, and automation across global finance operations.
DESCRIPTION
Key Responsibilities
Finance Technology Strategy
- Develop and execute the multi-year technology roadmap supporting the Finance organization within CTD.
- Align IT investments with Finance strategic priorities including digital transformation, compliance, operational efficiency, and scalability.
- Serve as the trusted technology advisor to VP Finance, Finance process owners, and regional finance leaders across clinical trial sites.
- Lead evaluation and implementation of emerging technologies including AI, automation, analytics, and cloud-based finance solutions that support clinical research financial operations.
ERP Leadership
- Own the system and platforms supporting Finance operations (SAP S/4HANA, Oracle Cloud ERP,etc.).
- Drive ERP modernization, optimization, and continuous improvement initiatives aligned with clinical research business needs.
- Lead Finance system upgrades, releases, migrations, and transformation programs.
- Establish governance for ERP configuration and enhancements specific to CTD requirements.
Global Process Standardization
- Lead enterprise-wide efforts to standardize finance business processes across regions and business units within the clinical trials division.
- Partner with Global Process Owners to define global process templates and eliminate unnecessary customization while supporting clinical trial-specific financial requirements.
- Promote adoption of best practices and common operating models across clinical research sites globally.
- Drive simplification through process harmonization while balancing regulatory and regional requirements critical to clinical research operations.
- Champion process documentation, governance, and continuous improvement methodologies.
Key process areas include:
- Record-to-Report
- Procure-to-Pay
- Order-to-Cash
- Fixed Assets
- Financial Close
- Treasury
- Tax
- Consolidation
- Planning & Forecasting
- Master Data Management
Business Partnership
- Build strong relationships with Finance executives and business stakeholders across the Clinical Trials Division.
- Translate business strategy into technology capabilities that support clinical trial financial management.
- Lead steering committees and governance forums.
Transformation & Program Leadership
- Lead global finance transformation initiatives from strategy through implementation within CTD.
- Oversee cross-functional programs involving Finance, IT, Clinical Operations, Quality, Regulatory, and external partners.
- Manage project portfolios, budgets, risks, and executive communications.
- Drive organizational change management and user adoption across global teams.
Application Portfolio Management
Responsible for the global Finance application ecosystem including:
- ERP
- Consolidation
- Financial Planning & Analysis
- Accounts Payable Automation
- Treasury Management
- Tax Systems
- Revenue Recognition
- Expense Management
- Financial Reporting
- Data Integration
- Analytics & Business Intelligence
Governance & Compliance
- Ensure systems support SOX, internal controls, audit, and regulatory requirements.
- Establish application governance standards aligned with clinical trial industry requirements.
- Ensure appropriate segregation of duties within financial systems supporting clinical trial operations.
Leadership
- Develop talent and succession plans.
- Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
- Manage strategic vendor relationships and outsourced service providers supporting clinical trial finance operations.
REQUIREMENTS
Required Qualifications
- Associate's degree required.
- Bachelor's degree preferred or equivalent experience in lieu of a BA degree.
- 12+ years of progressive IT leadership experience.
- 7+ years supporting enterprise Finance organizations.
- 5+ years leading global ERP implementations or support organizations.
- Experience leading and working with geographically distributed teams.
- Understanding of clinical trial or life sciences industry financial operations.
Preferred Experience
- Oracle Cloud ERP, SAP, or other enterprise systems.
- Finance transformation initiatives within clinical trials or life sciences environments.
- Shared Services organizations supporting global operations.
- Global process ownership models.
- System or cloud migrations.
- Mergers & acquisitions integration in the life sciences sector.
- Pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or life sciences industry experience.
- Familiarity with clinical trial financial management and passthrough cost models.
Technical Expertise
Strong knowledge of:
- ERP Finance modules
- General Ledger
- Accounts Payable
- Accounts Receivable
- Fixed Assets
- Cost Accounting
- Treasury
- Tax
- Consolidation
- Financial Planning & Analysis
- Master Data Management
- Integration platforms
- Financial systems supporting clinical trial operations
Leadership Competencies
- Strategic thinking
- Executive communication
- Business acumen
- Financial management
- Organizational leadership
- Influence without authority
- Change leadership
- Talent development
- Customer focus
- Results orientation
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Global mindset
- Understanding of clinical research business models
Success Measures
Success in this role will be measured by:
- Increased global finance process standardization across CRG operations.
- ERP platform stability and performance supporting clinical trial financial operations.
- Reduction in customizations and technical debt.
- On-time and on-budget delivery of transformation initiatives.
- Improved financial close efficiency.
- Increased automation of finance processes.
- Improved system adoption and user satisfaction across global clinical sites.
- Compliance with audit and regulatory requirements.
- Delivery of measurable business value from technology investments in clinical research operations.
Strategic Focus Areas
This role is expected to lead initiatives that:
- Standardize finance processes across all regions and business units within the Clinical Trials Division.
- Modernize and optimize the enterprise ERP platform to support clinical trial financial management.
- Improve data quality, governance, and reporting consistency for clinical trial financial data.
- Simplify the finance application landscape while meeting the unique needs of clinical trial operations.
- Strengthen the partnership between Finance and IT to accelerate business transformation across the Clinical Trials Division.
