Director, Operations Finance

Position Summary Cellares is seeking a dynamic, influential, and highly motivated Director, Operations Finance with extensive FP&A, accounting, manufacturing, supply chain, and business partnering experience with a track record of success, who will contribute significantly to driving our organization forward to achieve our ambitious goals. The primary focus of this position will be to support the Operations organization worldwide, including our manufacturing sites in Bridgewater, NJ, Europe, and Japan. This position will be responsible for product costing and driving operational efficiencies to improve gross margin. They will also lead the cost forecast process for assets under development and new products in the commercial pipeline. They will be directly responsible for leading the finance teams at our manufacturing facilities worldwide. Top candidates will be intellectually curious, detail-oriented, and able to collaboratively drive solutions to complex problems. This is a hands-on role with a scaling early-stage company, and the ability to drive the performance of the organization through financial insights and foresight is critical to our success. Candidates should enjoy working in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment and be prepared to tackle a broad selection of challenges as the company grows. Responsibilities Work collaboratively with the Chief Operating Officer and Operations leadership to provide financial support and business partnering for the Operations organization Manage all aspects of FP&A for Operations, such as forecasting, monthly budget vs. actual, and analysis Provide insights into key opportunities and profitability for potential projects to ensure each is financially viable and aligns with the company’s strategic goals Develop and maintain the manning plan for our manufacturing sites to ensure gross margin targets are achieved and drive cost improvement projects to improve gross margins over time Support the creation of business and financial presentations (e.g., board decks, Quarterly Business Reports, etc.) for Operations-related activities Establish and lead Operations Finance teams at our manufacturing site in Bridgewater, Europe, and Japan As part of the Company’s annual audit process, prepare supporting and supplemental information as requested by the Company’s auditors, as it relates to Operations Requirements Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or a related field 10+ years of relevant demonstrated financial and leadership experience Extensive experience with SAP or other relevant ERP solutions Experience with analysis tools and databases such as SQL, Power Query, Power BI, Snowflake, and Tableau Highly organized with a meticulous attention to detail and the willingness to be in a hands-on position Deep understanding of industry financials Proven track record of financial leadership in a fast-paced, dynamic environment Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information into clear recommendations Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with both internal teams and external partners This is Cellares Cellares is the first Integrated Development and Manufacturing Organization (IDMO) and takes an Industry 4.0 approach to mass manufacturing the living drugs of the 21st century. The company is both developing and operating integrated technologies for cell therapy manufacturing to accelerate access to life-saving cell therapies. The company’s Cell Shuttle integrates all the technologies required for the entire manufacturing process in a flexible and high-throughput platform that delivers true walk-away, end-to-end automation. Cell Shuttles will be deployed in Cellares’ Smart Factories around the world to meet total patient demand for cell therapies at global scale. Partnering with Cellares enables academics, biotechs, and pharma companies to accelerate drug development and scale out manufacturing, lower process failure rates, lower manufacturing costs, and meet global patient demand. The company is headquartered in South San Francisco, California with its commercial-scale IDMO Smart Factory in Bridgewater, New Jersey. The company is backed by world-class investors and has raised over $355 million in financing. Leveling will be based on overall experience, education, and demonstration of knowledge throughout the interview process.