Director, Finance – Japan (Head of Finance, Japan)
Overview
Japan is one of Alnylam’s most important and fastest-developing markets worldwide, at a stage of sustained growth and expanding strategic importance. The Director, Finance – Japan is the most senior finance leader in the affiliate and serves as the Head of Finance for the entire Japan operation, as a core member of the Japan Leadership Team (JLT) and a trusted business partner to the Country General Manager.
This leader owns the full breadth of the finance agenda in Japan – financial planning and analysis, accounting and statutory compliance, finance operations, and strategic sourcing – delivered through a capable local team of three direct reports. The role is the single point of financial leadership and accountability for the affiliate, supporting every expertise area operating in Japan, and represents Japan within the International and Global Finance organizations.
This position is hybrid onsite and remote working and will be primarily located at Alnylam Japan office in Tokyo.
Reports to: Head of International Commercial Finance
Career track / level: Managerial – Director (M5)
Direct reports: 3 FTEs – Accounting, Finance Operations, Strategic Sourcing
Key Responsibilities
Finance leadership and business partnering
- Serve as the ultimate finance leader for the Japan affiliate, accountable for the affiliate’s financial performance, budget, and the integrity of its financial results
- Act as a strategic thought partner to the Country General Manager and the Japan Leadership Team, translating financial insight into commercial decisions, resource allocation, and business growth in the Japanese market
- Provide financial decision support for market development, pricing and access economics, and business cases for new opportunities in Japan
Financial planning and analysis
- Lead the affiliate’s planning cycles – annual Investment Planning, regular Reforecasting, and Long Range Planning – in alignment with International Commercial Finance and Corporate FP&A
- Analyze performance trends and variances versus budget and forecast, deliver clear narratives to senior management, and drive ad-hoc analyses in partnership with the Corporate FP&A team
- Drive process improvement and efficiency, identifying cost-saving opportunities and informing budget trade-offs
Accounting, compliance, and controls
- Oversee, through the Accounting lead, and in close collaborations with the Global Accounting team in Cambridge and Amsterdam, monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting for the Japan legal entity, including statutory accounts, tax calculations and filings, and coordination with external accounting, payroll, and tax firms
- Ensure a robust control environment, including Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance documentation and testing, and adherence to Alnylam policies on fiscal ownership and accountability (e.g., requisition-to-order and payment of invoices)
Finance operations and strategic sourcing
- Direct, through the Finance Operations and Strategic Sourcing leads, and in close collaboration with Global Finance Operations and Global Strategic Sourcing teams in Cambridge and Amsterdam where applicable, the affiliate’s transactional finance processes, vendor management, and procurement activities, ensuring efficiency, compliance, and value for the whole organization in Japan
Cross-functional and cross-entity support
- Support all expertise areas operating in Japan as their local finance leader; accounting, finance operations, and strategic sourcing responsibilities span the full affiliate
- For expertise areas whose financial planning requires strong collaboration with the global FP&A organization, align closely with the relevant global teams – contributing local business context and an on-the-ground financial perspective so that all teams in Japan are fully supportedBuild collaborative relationships across the International and Global Finance community, contributing a Japan perspective to regional and global initiatives
Team leadership
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of three finance professionals (Accounting, Finance Operations, Strategic Sourcing), setting priorities, building capability, and ensuring succession depth within the local finance organization
Qualifications
- University degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field; CPA, MBA, or equivalent qualification preferred
- Significant progressive finance experience, including FP&A and accounting leadership, ideally within the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry in Japan
- Proven experience partnering with general management and commercial leadership in a multinational matrix organization
- Strong knowledge of Japanese statutory accounting, tax, and compliance requirements; working knowledge of US GAAP and SOX
- Experience managing and developing a team; track record of coaching and building talent
- ERP proficiency (SAP preferred); strong analytical and modeling skills
- Fluent Japanese and business-level English; able to operate confidently with international stakeholders across time zones
What Makes This Role Distinctive
- Full affiliate scope: end-to-end ownership of finance for one of Alnylam’s leading international markets – not a single-discipline role
- A seat at the table: JLT membership and direct partnership with the Country GM and international finance leadership, with high visibility to global stakeholders
- A growing platform: an expanding business and organization in Japan, with an established, well-coached local team already in place
About Alnylam
Alnylam (Nasdaq: ALNY) is a leading global biopharmaceutical company and the pioneer of the RNA interference (RNAi) revolution. For more than two decades, the company has advanced the Nobel Prize-winning science of RNAi to develop transformative therapies with the potential to prevent, halt, or reverse disease. Alnylam today has six approved medicines available in more than 70 countries, together with a rapidly expanding pipeline, and is executing its Alnylam 2030 strategy to accelerate innovation and scale its impact on human health.
In Japan, Alnylam Japan K.K. was established in 2018 and is headquartered in Marunouchi, Tokyo. The affiliate has grown into one of the company’s most important international operations, with multiple RNAi therapeutics approved and marketed for rare and serious diseases, including ATTR amyloidosis, acute hepatic porphyria, and a footprint that continues to expand alongside new indications.
Our people-first culture is guided by our core values – Fiercely Innovative, Open Culture, Purposeful Urgency, Passion for Excellence, and Commitment to People – and these values shape how we work and the business decisions we make. Alnylam is consistently recognized as a top employer in the life sciences industry – a reflection of a high-performing organization where excellence and accountability go hand in hand with our commitment to people.
At Alnylam, we commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equal employment opportunity. We are dedicated to building an environment where employees can feel that they belong, can bring their authentic selves to work, and achieve to their full potential. By empowering employees to embrace their unique differences at work, our business grows stronger with advanced and original thinking, allowing us to bring groundbreaking medicines to patients.
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