Post a job

Director, Business Finance

Hybrid Japan full time
Director, Business Finance

Syneos Health® is a leading fully-integrated life sciences services organization built to accelerate customer success. We partner with innovators at every point across the drug development and commercialization continuum, helping them navigate complexity, anticipate change and accelerate progress.
 
Every day we perform better because of how we work together, as one team, each the best at what we do. We bring together talented experts across a broad spectrum of business critical corporate functions. Every role plays an essential part in enabling our customers to achieve their goals. Our teams are agile, collaborative, and committed to delivering—for each other, for our customers, and ultimately for the people who rely on the services we support.
Discover what your 25,000 future colleagues already know:
 
Why Syneos Health
• We are passionate about developing our people, through career development and progression; supportive and engaged line management; technical and therapeutic area training; peer recognition and total rewards program.
• We are committed to building an inclusive culture – where you can authentically be yourself. Central to this is our purpose – Driven to Deliver – which captures the passion of our colleagues to show up each day and shape solutions that have the ability to dramatically impact someone’s life. 
• We are continuously building the company we all want to work for and our customers want to work with. Why? Because we know that when we bring together smart colleagues from across the world, we can shape the future of healthcare, driving impact for customers and defining the pace of patient progress. 

Job Responsibilities

- Oversees management and direction of assigned finance personnel. Approves course of action on all management/human resource matters, including employment hires, transfers, terminations, promotions, performance appraisals, professional development, job descriptions, employee evaluation, training, counseling, and discipline of direct staff members.

- Supports, reports, and forecasts on revenue, contracts, projects, and resource requirements for assigned business unit(s). Ensures all financial requirements are being properly controlled within thebusiness unit and in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

- Ensures global compliance of corporate revenue and expense recognition policies. Supports line of business financial requirements and corporate profitability targets. Ensures backlog is accurate and updated timely.

- Fully supports business unit(s) on a proactive basis. Understands their financial and reporting needs and is viewed as a valued business partner by recommending action plans and providing high quality, professional and creative financial analysis that supports their ability to reach their corporate profitability, financial, and operational goals.

- Provides financial leadership, system support, and functional guidance to the Business Unit Controllers to ensure compliance with policies and GAAP. Leadership could be in the form of either direct reports or matrix reporting. May have line management responsibilities for staff members.

- For direct and indirect reports, may participatein and manage activities related to department staff operations such as interviewing and selection, job description preparation, professional development, goal setting, performance management, coaching and mentoring, employee counseling, and separations. Approves courses of action on salary administration, hiring, corrective action, and terminations. Reviews and approves time records, expense reports, requests for leave, and overtime. Works with and advises staff on administrative policies and procedures, technical problems, priorities, and methods.

- Ensures project revenues are being recorded in accordance with GAAP and company policies. Fully understands projects underway and their unique nuances. Recommends revenue recognition principals that are GAAP compliant.

- Oversees review of project profitability and balance sheet health, to include unbilled and billed Accounts Receivable balances. Meets with project managers regularly to assess progress and to discuss any potential contract needs or changes. Participates in monthly project status meetings and ensures concurrence of project status and progress. Serves as a financial liaison for the project management, escalating significant issues within finance and working across departments to resolve issues as required.

- Reviews and validates Business Unit Profit & Loss Statements. Investigates and resolves anomalies and unusual trends. Supports and participates in Monthly/Quarterly Business Unit Reviews, providing financial insights to business growth trends and profitability in assigned area. Offers methods and ideas for improving results.

- Reviews all significant proposals to ensure they meet corporate profitability and cash targets. Approves those that do meet targets and escalate those that do not meet targets. Supports all financial negotiations for contracts and proposals and provides insightful solutions as to how to meet both the sponsors and Company financial goals.

- Supports Company’s accounting closing schedule and all corporate financial reporting requirements, including backlog, forecasting to meet or exceed respective deliverable deadlines.

- Accurately forecasts future financial periods. Ensures backlog reporting is current, with any significant variances explained. Works closely with business units to ensure backlog reflects consistent, accurate and timely reporting. Supports assigned business unit in the annual budgeting process including the creation and/or review of budget versus actual numbers.

- Ensures unit’s reporting and process structures are and remain compliant with all statutory internal and external requirements. Identifies and implements controls, efficiencies, and procedures to ensure financial information is reported accurately and timely for group deadlines.

- Supports and responding to requests received from Operational Management and Teams, Proposals, Contracts, Business Development, Accounts Receivable Finance, and other operational groups. Leadsmiscellaneous projects such as assessing changes to processes and analyzing unique financial anomalies.

- Supports and assisting in new system implementations, conversions, and acquisitions as needed.

- Performs other work-related duties as assigned. Minimal travel may be required (up to 25%).

Qualifications

- BA/BS degree in Business, Accounting, Finance, or related field required; advanced degree preferred.

- Requires a minimum of 10 years of extensive, progressive financial experience preferably within a Contract Research Organization or pharmaceutical environment.

- Demonstrated leadership skills.

- Effective presentation, documentation, and interpersonal skills with a team-oriented approach.

- Ability to organize and prioritize work to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment is essential.

- Proficiency with accounting software packages is required; Oracle Finance experience strongly preferred.

- Demonstrated ability to work with confidential and sensitive data.

- Strong computer skills utilizing Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

- English proficiency required.

Get to know Syneos Health

Over the past 5 years, we have worked with 94% of all Novel FDA Approved Drugs, 95% of EMA Authorized Products and over 200 Studies across 73,000 Sites and 675,000+ Trial patients.

No matter what your role is, you’ll take the initiative and challenge the status quo with us in a highly competitive and ever-changing environment. Learn more about Syneos Health.
 

http://www.syneoshealth.com

Additional Information

Tasks, duties, and responsibilities as listed in this job description are not exhaustive.  The Company, at its sole discretion and with no prior notice, may assign other tasks, duties, and job responsibilities. Equivalent experience, skills, and/or education will also be considered so qualifications of incumbents may differ from those listed in the Job Description. The Company, at its sole discretion, will determine what constitutes as equivalent to the qualifications described above.   Further, nothing contained herein should be construed to create an employment contract.  Occasionally, required skills/experiences for jobs are expressed in brief terms. Any language contained herein is intended to fully comply with all obligations imposed by the legislation of each country in which it operates, including the implementation of the EU Equality Directive, in relation to the recruitment and employment of its employees.  The Company is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, including the provision of reasonable accommodations, when appropriate, to assist employees or applicants to perform the essential functions of the job.

Source: the employer's careers page. Last checked 2026-10-26. Posted 2026-10-26.

Applications happen on Syneos Health's own site. View role and apply

Get jobs like this by e-mailAt most one e-mail a day, only when something new matches. Unsubscribe in one click.

More from Syneos Health

All jobs at Syneos Health

Similar jobs in Japan

All finance and accounting jobs in Japan

Hiring for a role like this? See how employers fill a role fast.