Strategic Finance Manager (San Diego / Hybrid)

What if the work you did every day could impact the lives of people you know? Or all of humanity?

At Illumina, we are expanding access to genomic technology to realize health equity for billions of people around the world. Our efforts enable life-changing discoveries that are transforming human health through the early detection and diagnosis of diseases and new treatment options for patients.

Working at Illumina means being part of something bigger than yourself. Every person, in every role, has the opportunity to make a difference. Surrounded by extraordinary people, inspiring leaders, and world changing projects, you will do more and become more than you ever thought possible.

Position Title: Strategic Finance Manager

Location: San Diego area; 2–3 in-office days per week and additional on-site presence as needed. The individual must reside in the greater San Diego area and be able to commute to our corporate offices.

 

Reports To: Head of Strategic Finance

FLSA Status: Exempt

Position Summary

The Manager, Strategic Finance delivers financial analysis to support Illumina’s corporate and business development transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, partnerships, joint ventures, divestitures, licensing agreements, and structured investments. The role applies financial modeling and valuation expertise to assess transaction economics, compare alternatives, and identify financial risks. Accurate, well-supported analyses and clear recommendations help inform transaction decisions that advance Illumina’s strategic objectives.

Reporting to the Head of Strategic Finance, the Manager independently executes defined analytical workstreams within larger transactions, with direction and review at key points. The role partners with Corporate Development, Technical Accounting, Tax, Treasury, Legal, FP&A, and business unit finance to gather inputs, validate assumptions, and resolve analytical questions. Working with incomplete information, evolving requirements, and compressed timelines, the Manager applies judgment within the assigned scope and raises risks and questions requiring broader guidance.

Essential Functions

The following are the essential functions of the role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

• Build, maintain, and stress-test transaction and business-case financial models, including multi-scenario P&L architectures, probability-weighted forecasts, discounted cash flow and returns analyses, capital structure models, and revenue and cost-share constructs.
• Execute analytical workstreams in support of mergers, acquisitions, partnerships, alliances, joint ventures, divestitures, licensing agreements, and new business formation.
• Support the structuring of non-standard commercial arrangements (including services-for-value exchanges, contra-R&D and unconsolidated funding structures, and multi-party partnerships) by modeling the economic and financial statement consequences of alternative structures and surfacing the trade-offs between them.
• Conduct financial and market diligence on potential targets and partners, including analysis of historical financials, operating metrics, cost structures, contract economics, and integration considerations.
• Prepare executive-quality written materials, memos, and presentations, ensuring analytical accuracy, internal consistency, and clarity of recommendation.
• Maintain the analytical infrastructure of the active deal pipeline, including model version control, assumption libraries, source documentation, and post-close tracking against original deal cases.
• Support the routine assessment and reporting of previously completed transactions, including performance against underwriting assumptions and identification of lessons applicable to live opportunities.
• Collaborate across Corporate Development, Technical Accounting, Tax, Treasury, Legal, FP&A, and business unit finance teams to gather inputs, validate assumptions, and reconcile analytical differences.

The listed responsibilities represent the essential duties usually associated with the position but are not exhaustive. Individual responsibilities may change due to business needs.

Decision-Making and Impact

Exercises independent judgment in selecting analytical methods, evaluating assumptions, and developing recommendations within assigned transaction workstreams, with review at key points. Financial analyses inform investment and resource-allocation decisions; budget commitments and transaction approvals remain with authorized leaders. The accuracy and quality of this work support informed enterprise decisions by clarifying transaction value, financial risks, and trade-offs.

Key Competencies

Financial Modeling: Builds complex, auditable, assumption-driven models from a blank page rather than adapting existing templates.

Corporate Finance and Valuation: Applies strong fundamentals in DCF, comparable company and precedent transaction analysis, accretion/dilution, returns analysis, and capital structure mechanics.

Accounting Knowledge and Application: Applies working knowledge of GAAP to commercial and transaction structuring, including complex revenue recognition, collaborative arrangement, consolidation, and R&D funding frameworks, in partnership with Technical Accounting.

Judgment and Decision Quality: Makes timely, well-supported decisions within assigned scope, maintains accuracy as priorities evolve, and recognizes when additional guidance is needed.

Intellectual Curiosity and Learning Agility: Asks probing questions, tests assumptions, and quickly applies new financial, commercial, and industry knowledge to analytical work.

Attention to Detail and Analytical Rigor: Self-audits work product with exceptional attention to detail, identifying errors, inconsistencies, and unsupported assumptions before they reach senior review.

Initiative and Resilience: Proactively advances assigned work, follows through on commitments, and adapts constructively to setbacks, feedback, and changing requirements.

Financial Communication: Translates quantitative analysis into clear written and verbal narratives appropriate for a senior executive audience.

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Communicates and collaborates effectively across finance, legal, accounting, tax, and commercial functions.

Discretion and Confidentiality: Exercises sound judgment in handling highly confidential and market-sensitive information.

All listed requirements are deemed essential functions to this position; however, business conditions may require reasonable accommodation for additional tasks and responsibilities.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This role has no direct reports at hire; the successful candidate is expected to develop toward workstream and team leadership.

Minimum Qualifications

All minimum qualifications are job-related and consistent with business necessity.

• Typically requires a Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Relevant experience includes investment banking, private equity, transaction advisory, management consulting, corporate development, or corporate strategic finance.
• Direct transaction experience is required. Candidates should be able to describe specific deals or transaction processes on which they personally built the financial analysis.

Preferred Credentials

• MBA, CPA, CFA, or advanced scientific degree preferred
• Relevant knowledge of the Life Science Tools, Diagnostics, or Biopharma industries, including companies and technologies, is a plus.

#LI-HYBRID

The estimated base salary range for the Strategic Finance Manager (San Diego / Hybrid) role based in the United States of America is: $107,700 - $161,500. Should the level or location of the role change during the hiring process, the applicable base pay range may be updated accordingly. The range reflects long‑term growth in the role; therefore, most candidates are hired between the minimum and middle of the range. Placement depends on experience, skills, location, and internal equity. Additionally, all employees are eligible for one of our variable cash programs (bonus or commission) and eligible roles may receive equity as part of the compensation package. We offer a wide range of benefits as innovative as our work, including access to genomics sequencing, family planning, health/dental/vision, retirement benefits, and paid time off.

We are a company deeply rooted in belonging, promoting an inclusive environment where employees feel valued and empowered to contribute to our mission. Built on a strong foundation, Illumina has always prioritized openness, collaboration, and seeking alternative perspectives to propel innovation in genomics. We are proud to confirm a zero-net gap in pay, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or race. We also have several Employee Resource Groups (ERG) that deliver career development experiences, increase cultural awareness, and offer opportunities to engage in social responsibility. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to providing employment opportunity regardless of sex, race, creed, color, gender, religion, marital status, domestic partner status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, pregnancy, military or veteran status, citizenship status, and genetic information. Illumina conducts background checks on applicants for whom a conditional offer of employment has been made. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws. Background check results may potentially result in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment. The background check process and any decisions made as a result shall be made in accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws. Illumina prohibits the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the application and interview process. If you require accommodation to complete the application or interview process, please contact accommodations@illumina.com. To learn more, visit: https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf. The position will be posted until a final candidate is selected or the requisition has a sufficient number of qualified applicants.