Position Summary:

ultradedicated – Your biggest challenges yield rare possibilities

The Senior Director, FP&A will be a key business partner to Ultragenyx’s Development organization, with primary responsibility for strengthening financial governance, budget transparency, and accrual rigor across development activities. The position supports the Chief Medical Officer and senior Development leadership by enabling a clear, consistent understanding of spend to date, remaining budget, and forward‑looking financial exposure across clinical and non‑clinical functions. The role combines hands‑on analytical execution with executive‑level financial storytelling to improve confidence, decision‑making, and stewardship across the development portfolio. 

Work Model: 

Flex: This role will typically require onsite work 2-3 days each week, or more depending on business needs. In many locations, the business will set certain days each week that Flex employees are required to be onsite.

Responsibilities:

1. Establish and maintain strong working relationships with Development leadership and operational stakeholders, serving as a trusted finance partner embedded in clinical study governance, financial oversight, and execution forums.  
2. Provide hands‑on financial support to Program Teams and Development functions by reviewing invoices, tracking actual spend, and identifying total and remaining budget at the study, program, and functional levels.  
3. Lead clinical trial cost modeling, including scenario planning and sensitivity analyses, clearly explaining cost drivers related to study design, timelines, enrollment assumptions, and execution strategies.  
4. Perform regular budget‑to‑actual analyses across clinical and non‑clinical Development activities, synthesizing account‑level, vendor‑level, and study‑level variances into concise, decision‑oriented insights.  
5. Deliver clear, actionable financial updates on spend, forecast changes, risks, and opportunities to minimize surprises and strengthen confidence in Development financial outlooks.  
6. Partner with Accounting and operational teams to support Development accrual processes, ensuring assumptions are timely, well‑documented, and aligned with underlying operational activity.  
7. Lead financial communications related to clinical trials and broader Development spend, including inputs to executive‑level readouts, portfolio reviews, and CMO‑level presentations.  
8. Support annual planning and in‑year reforecasting cycles by reviewing business‑generated forecasts, assessing reasonableness, and providing Development‑wide financial context and challenge.  
9. Design, implement, and continuously improve financial tools, reporting, and processes that enhance budget visibility, accrual understanding, and financial fluency across Development teams.  
10. Balance near‑term execution and stewardship of existing processes with a longer‑term focus on strengthening governance frameworks, standardization, and transparency across Development financial management. 

Requirements:

1. Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related discipline; MBA, CPA, or advanced degree preferred.  
2. Minimum of 12 years of progressive experience in FP&A, finance, or financial management supporting R&D or development organizations within the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or life sciences industry.  
3. Demonstrated experience partnering with Development teams, including Clinical Operations and non‑clinical functions such as Regulatory, Pharmacovigilance, Biostatistics, and Statistical Programming.  
4. Deep expertise in clinical trial financial modeling, including cost drivers, scenario planning, and sensitivity analysis, with the ability to translate operational assumptions into credible forecasts.  
5. Strong background in financial governance, including budget oversight, variance analysis, accrual support, and spend‑to‑date transparency.  
6. Proven ability to influence without formal authority and partner effectively with senior leaders, program teams, and functional stakeholders.  
7. Ability to operate seamlessly between strategic and detailed perspectives, including hands‑on engagement with invoices, actuals, and accrual drivers, as well as executive‑level synthesis.  
8. Demonstrated success leading process improvement initiatives that improve budget visibility, accrual rigor, and financial fluency within business teams.  
9. Strong communication skills, with the ability to deliver clear, concise summaries of variances, forecast changes, and drivers to audiences ranging from study teams to executives.  
10. Advanced proficiency in financial modeling, forecasting, and analytics tools (e.g., Excel, Adaptive Insights, and enterprise planning systems) 

#LI-CK1 #LI-Hybrid

Position Summary:

The Executive Assistant role will report to the Chief Business Officer (CBO) and will act as a partner to executives across the office of the CBO, including Corporate Communications, Portfolio & Program Management, and Business Development & Alliance Management functions. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in fast-moving environments, brings structure to ambiguity, and can seamlessly shift between executive support and operational coordination. This role enables leadership to stay focused on strategy and growth by ensuring administrative priorities and cross-functional initiatives continue moving forward despite ambiguity and shifting priorities.

Responsibilities

Executive & Leadership Support

• Manage complex executive calendars, travel, expense reporting, and meeting prioritization.
• Prepare briefing notes and key materials for internal and external meetings.
• Coordinate meetings and track action items.
• Help track department budgets.

Project & Operational Coordination

• Support portfolio/program management activities and cross-functional coordination.
• Track priorities, risks, and dependencies across initiatives.

Communications & Corporate Initiatives

• Support internal communication platforms and staff company-wide events.
• Oversee scheduling of corporate-wide events and event management.
• Manage contracts and SOWS with external consultants and speakers.
• Coordinate with other EAs on internal events.

Business Development Support

• Coordinate materials and logistics for business development meetings and partner interactions.
• Assist with coordination of external conferences, partner meetings, and other business development engagements.
• Support diligence processes by organizing materials, timelines, and internal coordination.
• Assist in tracking BD opportunities and maintaining internal trackers.

Qualifications:

• BA/BS degree with 2-3+ years of experience supporting senior executives or leading operational coordination in biotech, consulting, or high-growth environments.
• Experience supporting business development, strategy, or corporate functions preferred.
• Strong organizational skills and comfort managing multiple priorities that change quickly.
• Clear, concise communicator who can work effectively across functions and levels.
• Proactive, resourceful, and comfortable operating with limited direction.
• Demonstrates a high level of discretion, ownership, and accountability when handling sensitive information and supporting executive-level priorities.
• Highly proficient with productivity and collaboration tools including Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint), Slack, Box, and modern AI productivity tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude).

Good people. Good work. Great opportunities.

McCullough Robertson is a commercially focused firm with a proud 100 year history, working with high-calibre national and international clients. We work on big matters in small teams, approaching each day with dedication and professionalism.       

We provide exceptional opportunities for our employees to perform, grow and succeed through extensive training and career development. Our teams work together and support one another to achieve individual, team and firm-wide goals.

Backed by a national team of over 400 staff located in Brisbane and Sydney, McCullough Robertson combines a century of experience with a modern, collaborative approach, making us a big firm, without the attitude.

The Role

We are looking for a proactive and confident problem-solver to join our Risk and Compliance team as an AML/CTF and Compliance Analyst.

The purpose of this role is to assist us meet our obligations under Australia’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) regime, as well as supporting our conflicts management and matter intake processes.   

Working in the role, you will be responsible for conducting and overseeing Customer Due Diligence (CDD) in accordance with the firm’s AML/CTF program. 

Key responsibilities include:

• Creating and managing CDD cases within our electronic CDD platform;
• Liaising with clients to obtain and verify identification and beneficial ownership information and other required documentation;
• Reviewing documentation and assessing risk in line with our AML/CTF program;
• Monitoring outstanding CDD requirements and ensuring timely completion;
• Liaising with legal teams, the Risk and Compliance team, and other stakeholders as required;
• Escalating high-risk or complex matters, including to the AML/CTF compliance officer; and
• Assisting with other AML/CTF-related compliance tasks as required.

You will also assist in managing other compliance issues arising during the matter intake process as required, including:

• Reviewing and analysing conflicts search reports, identifying potential legal and commercial conflicts, and liaising with legal teams;
• Assisting with the implementation and maintenance of information barriers; and
• Assisting with matter opening and related matter intake tasks.

Experience

This role is ideal for someone with strong analytical skills, a passion for compliance, and experience in professional services.

As the successful candidate, you will ideally have:

• Experience handling CDD/KYC or other aspects of AML/CTF compliance, conflicts of interest, or similar compliance issues within a legal, financial services, or similar professional services environment;
• Experience using compliance or practice management software;
• The ability to interpret and critically evaluate documents and information and escalate issues when appropriate;
• Excellent communication skills and confidence liaising with clients and senior lawyers;
• Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail; and
• The ability to manage competing deadlines and work under pressure.

Benefits

At McCullough Robertson, we encourage a balanced work environment. Our teams enjoy having the opportunity to work in a supportive environment while having fun and achieving results.

We offer the following benefits for our employees:

• Dedicated diversity committee with an innovative program focusing on all areas of diversity and inclusion;
• Attractive further education program and supportive learning and development opportunities throughout your whole career;
• Mentoring and sponsorship opportunities as well as coaching and leadership support;
• Holistic Health and Wellbeing program including subsidised gym membership and active social and sporting committees; and
• In-house barista and end-of-trip facilities.

Inclusion and Diversity 

We are a leader in diversity and inclusion and are committed to creating an environment where our employees want to come to work.

Our commitment is to create an accessible and informed workplace, where we can collectively make a difference for everyone, including people with disability, to gain equal opportunities and grow their career at McR. This is our commitment to diversity and inclusion and how we bring to life our McR values.

An award-winning law firm, we have received the prestigious Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citation for the tenth consecutive year and have recently been awarded by Lawyers Weekly – Diversity Law Firm of the Year.

To apply for this position, please click on the "Apply for Job" button and submit your application online. Alternatively, please contact Sophie Sims on 07 3914 8462 for a confidential discussion.

We're an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.