Early Development Project Finance Manager

About the role

The Early Development Project Finance Manager is responsible for financial management and analysis of early‑stage R&D programmes, covering discovery, pre‑clinical and IND‑enabling activities. Working within the R&D Project Finance team, the role ensures accurate, well‑controlled financial outputs that support decision‑making across the portfolio.

Key responsibilities

• Perform monthly accruals for early development contracts, aligning with budgets and timelines.
• Own financial planning, forecasting and performance management for assigned programmes.
• Provide financial challenge and guidance to R&D leaders on investment decisions and resource allocation.
• Develop and maintain project budgets and forecasts, identifying risks and opportunities.
• Create scenarios and financial models to support pipeline decisions, including progression, delay or termination.
• Support budget development, tracking and efficiency in collaboration with operations teams.
• Prepare and post monthly and quarterly journal entries and prepaid entries.
• Review and approve contracts and amendments to ensure compliance with company policies.

Required profile

• Proven experience in finance within a pharmaceutical or life‑science R&D environment.
• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to interpret cost drivers and program performance.
• Excellent communication skills to interact with R&D leaders and cross‑functional teams.
• Detail‑oriented and capable of maintaining rigorous financial controls.

Required skills

• Financial modelling
• Budgeting
• Forecasting
• Accruals processing
• Journal entry preparation