WHAT IS A CFO ?
The Chief Financial Officer will spearhead our company's financial vision, orchestrating strategic financial planning and capital raising efforts to forge new alliances in the biopharmaceutical sector. Their role is pivotal in steering the company towards a prosperous future, benefiting our investors. Drawing from their extensive biopharmaceutical background, they will leverage an in-depth understanding of our innovative technology to assess and guide our financial strategy. As the face of our company to external stakeholders, the CFO will engage with partners, industry leaders, and investors, while also managing the oversight of our information technology infrastructure, ensuring the integrity and security of our financial and HR information systems.
An Overview of Chief Financial Officer Responsibilities and Qualifications
1. Chief Financial Officer Duties and Responsibilities
- Lead and manage the company to raise capital to fuel the company to commercialization
- Develop a corporate strategy to drive the company to a successful liquidity event, e.g. M&A, IPO, etc.
- Maintain investor “pitch” slide deck and full investor presentation deck with non-scientific updates in concert with scientific contributions.
- Keep watch on related markets and advise accordingly while constantly developing relationships with potential strategic investors.
- Identify risks within the company and problem-solve to find solutions.
- Set the tone for company image and culture.
- Supervise, build and maintain effective Finance, Accounting, Business Development, IT, Human Resources and Administration teams.
- Develop and enforce policies and internal controls.
- Advance the company’s partnering strategies
- Represent the company in public; attend board and commercial meetings
- Uphold company business laws and ethics
- Direct financial analysis and reporting, including but not limited to the monthly balance sheet, income statement and cash flows.
- Ensure all financial reporting obligations to outside investors are met timely.
- Analyze and synthesize performance metrics and operating data to monitor the performance of the business.
- Serve as financial advisor to the CEO and Executive Team.
- Serve as an advisor from the financial perspective on capital spending, evaluate capital lease proposals and any corporate contracts.
- Work closely with lenders, auditors and additional third parties including health benefit and commercial insurance firms.
- Direct vendor management function, activities, policies and strategies.
- Direct risk management activities, contracts and policies.
- Perform oversight of cash management, borrowing and investment strategies and activities.
- Perform direct or indirect supervision of accounting staff, including mentoring.
- Define the vision for continual improvement of the efficiency and effectiveness of the group.
2. Chief Financial Officer Skills, Abilities and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in business, economics, biology or related field, MBA and/or CPA required.
- C-level management experience with a focus on fundraising for pre-revenue companies.
- Deep relationships with venture capital, the biotech investor ecosystem and other vehicles to fundraising.
- Proven track record of closing serial rounds of financing.
- Ability to attract capital investment and drive financing efforts.
- Entrepreneurial, understand the company’s technology
- Strategic/tactical experience advancing technology into marketable biopharmaceutical technologies.
- Successful business and corporate development work and proven merger and acquisition experience in the biopharmaceutical space.
- Ability to develop and execute business and market penetration strategies utilizing third parties and leveraging strategic marketing.
- Ability to clearly and effectively communicate to a broad range of audiences including investors, Board members, scientists and nonscientists.
- Collaborative and servant leader management style.
- Excellent board and employee management skills.
- Strong oral and written communication skills; comfortable with public speaking.
- Be able to make key decisions that will benefit the company.