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Purpose and Scope:

The Accounting & Operational Finance Practice Lead is a senior capability owner within the Global Business Solutions (GBS) hub, accountable for the maturity, evolution, and development of finance capabilities across the enterprise. Reporting to the Head of GBS, the role leads the Accounting & Operational Finance practice, ensuring the organisation has the standards, tools, and skills required to enable accurate, efficient, and compliant financial operations across cross-functional pods and value teams.

This role oversees approximately 170 finance professionals, grouped into chapters and line managed by Chapter Leads who report directly to the Practice Lead. The current focus is on capabilities supporting technical and general accounting, external reporting, financial controls, financial operations, purchasing operations, master data, and contracting, with potential to expand as the practice evolves. Additionally, the role oversees capabilities at outsourcing partners and ensures right skills in GBS Operations.

While primarily a capability leadership role, the individual may also be deployed into a Pod or Value Team to Team to deliver transformation initiatives, standardisation or automation.

The role requires strong cross-functional collaboration and may evolve over time to incorporate other leadership responsibilities, in line with organisational needs and Astellas values and behaviours.

Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

• **Capability Ownership** : Own and continuously evolve the Accounting & Operational Finance capability, ensuring it enables high standards of compliance, accuracy, and efficiency across the organisation. Focus of the practice are capabilities related to accounting, finance, operations combined with technology, especially SAP and AI

• **Leadership & Line Management** : Provide line management and strategic leadership to Chapter Leads, supporting the development of skilled, scalable, and high-performing finance teams. Mentor junior talent. Drive One Astellas mindset and collaboration across the teams.

• **Standards & Governance** : Define and maintain finance policies, process standards, and best practices to ensure consistent, compliant, and auditable financial operations globally.

• **Training & Content Management** : Own onboarding, mentoring and training program for practice/chapters, including creation, development and continual update of relevant content. Accountable for all SOPs, job descriptions, knowledge articles, controls owners and other formal documentation for finance operations. It includes access control, quality of content, periodical reviews, etc.

• **Capability Deployment** : Collaborate with Pod Leads and Value Team Captains to ensure finance capabilities are appropriately assigned across delivery teams and aligned to business priorities.

• **Community Building** : Lead a strong community of practice to promote cross-team alignment, professional development, and continuous improvement within the finance function.

• **Continuous Improvement** : Stay abreast of financial, regulatory, and technological trends to ensure continuous evolution of capabilities and standards to meet emerging demands. Propose improvements to processes and systems and execute productivity targets.

• **Strategic Finance Advocacy** : Champion the role of GBS as a centre of excellence for financial stewardship, supporting the business with modern, scalable, and forward-looking finance capabilities.

• **Transformational Initiatives** : Lead and contribute to transformation initiatives, including driving standardisation, automation, and efficiency improvements. Projects and initiatives will be assigned each quarter based on GBS priorities.

• **Budget and Headcount Planning** : Accountable for all personnel costs, related expenses, and headcount planning, including securing required approvals and ensuring reporting.

• **Strategic workforce planning** : utilise fully GCC locations and lead consolidation of the chapters in specific hubs.

• **Strategic Collaboration & Evolution** : Work closely with cross-functional leaders to ensure alignment of financial operations with broader business objectives.

• **Astellas Values and Behaviours:** Act as a role model by consistently demonstrating and promoting the company's values and behaviours in all interactions and decisions.

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• **Professional Certification** : Recognised accounting qualification such as ACCA, CIMA, or CPA.

• **Finance Expertise** : Extensive experience in accounting, financial operations, or finance transformation within large, complex, or global organisations.

• **Leadership & Line Management** : Demonstrated success in leading and developing capability teams, including direct line management of senior professionals or Chapter Leads.

• **Standards & Compliance** : Deep understanding of financial controls, compliance requirements, and regulatory frameworks (e.g. SOX, IFRS).

• **Framework & Policy Development** : Proven ability to establish and embed finance policies, process standards, and governance frameworks across enterprise operations.

• **Stakeholder Engagement** : Strong communication and influencing skills, with a track record of collaborating across finance, business, and operational stakeholders.

• **Cultural Awareness:** Previous involvement in large-scale, culture-driven projects; experience with Japanese business culture is a plus.

• **Global Team Leadership & Talent development:** Demonstrated leadership in global team environments with a strong track record of building and leading high-performing, cross-cultural teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• **Finance Systems Experience** : Familiarity with enterprise finance systems (e.g. SAP, Ariba) and related reporting or data tools.

• **Agile Operating Model Exposure** : Experience working within Agile or product-aligned environments, with an understanding of how finance capabilities support delivery.

• **Process Automation Awareness** : Exposure to finance automation tools and technologies, such as RPA, workflow automation, or intelligent data validation.

• **Community Leadership** : Experience building or leading Communities of Practice or Centres of Excellence in a finance or shared services environment.

• **Languages:** Japanese language skills would be advantageous.

**Salary Range** : $228,095 - $358,435 (Final compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to skills, experience and organizational equity considerations)

**Benefits** :

+ Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance

+ Generous Paid Time Off options, including Vacation and Sick time, plus national holidays including year-end shut down

+ 401(k) match and annual company contribution

+ Company paid life insurance

+ Annual Corporate Bonus and Quarterly Sales Incentive for eligible positions

+ Long Term Incentive Plan for eligible positions

+ Company-paid fleet vehicle for eligible positions

+ Referral bonus program

Category Corporate Accounting & Global Business Services

Astellas is committed to equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment.

EOE including Disability/Protected Veterans