VP, Finance and Corporate Controller at Trace Neuroscience

Launched in 2024, Trace Neuroscience is a biopharmaceutical company on a mission to expand the promise of genomic medicine for people living with neurodegenerative diseases. With an initial focus on ALS, the company is developing novel therapies to restore UNC13A protein function to re-establish healthy communication between nerves and muscle cells.

About Us

At Trace Neuroscience (Trace), our vision is to bring the promise of genetic medicine to all people living with ALS. ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It is a debilitating and devastating disease for people living with ALS and their families. Trace is a pre-clinical biotechnology company, founded on the collaboration of leading scientists, industry experts, and investors, aiming to change the course of this disease. We are developing a new generation of treatment for people with ALS, grounded in human genetics and a detailed understanding of the mechanism of action.

At Trace, our values of urgency, unity, and drive fuel everything we do. We embrace a sense of immediacy, understanding that every moment matters for those living with ALS, as well as their caregivers and families. As a lean team, we foster a culture that combines individual accountability with a shared responsibility for our ambitious mission. We believe that effective collaboration is essential, encouraging open communication, mutual support, and collective problem-solving. As we build on fundamental discoveries from our founders, our growing team is driven to turn that cutting-edge science into medicine.

We invite you to consider an opportunity with Trace Neuroscience to help achieve our goal of delivering meaningful treatments to people living with ALS.

Position Summary      

Reporting to the Chief Business and Strategy Officer, the VP, Finance and Corporate Controller will oversee all Financial and Accounting aspects within the organization. This is an individual contributor role, but will be responsible for managing all Financial and Accounting responsibilities, including managing day-to-day accounting consultants, and providing accounting and financial guidance and leadership to the Executive Leadership Team, Department Leaders, and the Board of Directors. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Operations and Systems

• Manage all day-to-day accounting operations including general ledger, accounts payable, cash flow analysis and more
• Partner with HR to process payroll and associated compliance, ensuring accuracy and timeliness
• Implement, maintain and optimize financial software and systems, ensuring efficiency data integrity and automation across finance operations    
• Prepare monthly, quarterly, annual financial statements in accordance with US GAAP
• Manage cash management strategies; including banking relationships, investments, disbursements to optimize cash flow, cash collection processes and monitoring cash position
• Ensure compliance with Biotech specific regulatory and financial reporting requirements.
• Implement internal controls
• Provide actionable financial insights and reports to cross-functional teams, supporting operational decision-making    

Financial Management and Reporting

• Provide updates to the Executive Leadership team, providing visibility into financial health, cash position and operational performance     
• Lead the end-to-end annual budgeting and forecasting process, working with various Budget Owners, tracking and sharing variance reports with stakeholders throughout the year
• Monitor and communicate budget variances to stakeholders, providing recommendations for corrective action     
• Manage the annual audit process and tax filings, acting as the primary liaison with external auditors
• Develop and maintain comprehensive accounting and financial policies and procedures to support scalability and audit readiness
• Build long-term financial projections and scenario analyses to guide capital planning, fundraising strategy and operational decisions     

Strategic Planning

• Contribute to organizational strategic planning, iterating with the Leadership Team to update objectives, goals, and initiatives
• Provide financial analysis for new initiatives, partnerships, and programs
• Advise on financial implications of operational and organizational decisions
• Support additional duties as assigned to drive company growth and mission alignment     

Qualifications and Experience:

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance and/or Accounting required
• CPA required
• MBA or advanced degree is preferred    

Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive finance and accounting experience with increasing leadership responsibilities
• Minimum 5 years experience in biotechnology or pharmaceutical-related industry, with a preference for experience in a lean or early-stage biotech environment
• Experience with managing and evaluating full-cycle budgeting, forecasting process, and financial modeling, providing actionable insights to support strategic decision-making
• Experience partnering with a Venture Capital or Private Equity-backed company, including investor reporting and capital management    
• Successful experience in a Big 4 or Tier 2 accounting firm is preferred

Skills

• Advanced Excel, financial modeling and analytical capabilities to support scenario planning, cash flow management and strategic initiatives     
• Excellent organizational, project management, and leadership skills capable of analyzing and scaling finance operations in a dynamic, early-stage biotech         
• Strategic, independent thinker with a strong scientific and business acumen
• Excellent communication skills, capable of presenting financial insights to boards, investors and cross-functional stakeholders
• Ability to thrive in a small, fast-paced biotech or startup environment, able to translate complex data into actionable recommendations
• Motivated to lead through ambiguity and adapt to rapidly evolving and shifting priorities
• Collaborative, solutions-focused, and adept at building trusted partnerships across executive, operational, and scientific teams         

Working Conditions

• Prolonged periods of being at a stationary desk or working on the computer    
• Fast-paced, evolving startup environment with cross-functional collaboration    

Salary Range

The salary range for this role is $275,000-$325,000. Compensation and title will be competitive and commensurate with the candidate's experience, qualifications, and the responsibilities of the position.

Additional Information

Trace Neuroscience is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. Trace Neuroscience is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at [email protected]

$275,000 - $325,000 per year