Head of Commercial Finance

Head of Commercial Finance

Reports to: CFO

Location: Tustin/Irvine, CA

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly strategic and analytically rigorous Head of Commercial Finance to serve as the financial partner to our Commercial, Business Development, and Program Management organizations.

This role sits at the intersection of pricing, deal structuring, and profitability, ensuring that all commercial agreements are economically sound, cash-efficient, and aligned with the company’s value creation objectives.

The ideal candidate brings deep experience in contract manufacturing and/or pharma, is comfortable operating in high-stakes negotiations, and has a strong command of how contract terms translate into revenue, margin, and cash flow outcomes over time.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Finance Leadership

Act as the primary finance partner to Commercial leadership on all pricing, contracting, and deal-related decisions

Establish and continuously improve commercial finance frameworks for pricing, margin optimization, and deal approval

Drive consistency and rigor in evaluating customer profitability across lifecycle (from RFP to execution)

Deal Structuring & Negotiation Support

Actively participate in customer and partner negotiations as the finance lead

Structure commercial agreements to optimize: Revenue recognition and timing

Margin profile and cost recovery

Cash flow timing (milestones, prepayments, working capital)

Ensure contracts appropriately reflect: Capacity utilization dynamics

Cost structure (fixed vs. variable)

Risk allocation (e.g., batch failure, forecast risk, change orders)

Pricing & Profitability Analytics

Build and own advanced models to evaluate: Project-level and customer-level profitability

Scenario analyses (volume, yield, pricing, input cost variability)

Sensitivity to operational and contractual assumptions

Partner with Operations and Program Management to ensure cost assumptions reflect real manufacturing economics

Continuously track and report actual vs. expected profitability and identify drivers of variance

Cash Flow & Contract Economics

Develop deep understanding of how contract terms impact: Cash conversion cycle

Working capital requirements

Long-term value creation

Ensure commercial structures appropriately balance: Pricing vs. payment terms

Upfront vs. back- ended economics

Risk vs. return trade-offs

Cross-Functional Business Partnering

Serve as a bridge between Finance, Commercial, Legal, and Operations

Translate complex financial concepts into clear decision frameworks for non-finance stakeholders

Support executive decision-making on strategic accounts, partnerships, and large deals

Success in the First 6 Months

Ensure a standardized and effective pricing and deal review framework across all major opportunities

Establish visibility into customer and program-level profitability

Ensure discipline and consistency in commercial decision-making and approvals

Improve cash flow profile through enhanced contract structuring

Build credibility as a trusted partner in negotiations and strategic discussions

Required Qualifications

10+ years of progressive experience in commercial finance, FP&A, or deal finance

Significant experience in one or more of the following: Contract manufacturing (CDMO preferred)

Biopharma / life sciences

Complex project-based or long-term service contracts

Proven track record supporting or leading commercial negotiations

Strong financial modeling skills, including: Profitability modeling

Scenario and sensitivity analysis

Cash flow modeling

Key Capabilities

Commercial Acumen: Understands how deals are won and structured in competitive environments

Analytical Rigor: Able to build and interpret complex financial models quickly and accurately

Negotiation Presence: Comfortable in customer discussions, able to influence outcomes

Systems Thinking: Connects pricing, operations, contracts, and financial outcomes holistically

Judgment: Balances risk and return, short-term vs. long-term value creation

Preferred Experience

Experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing or CDMO environments

Familiarity with: Capacity-based pricing models

Yield, batch economics, and manufacturing constraints

Long-term supply agreements

Mindset & Style

Hands-on, pragmatic, and business-first

Comfortable operating in ambiguity and fast-moving deal environments

Willing to challenge assumptions and push for economically sound outcomes

Strong communicator who simplifies complexity for decision-makers

Why This Role Matters

This role directly impacts revenue quality, margin expansion, and cash generation—and is critical to ensuring the company scales with disciplined, value-accretive growth.

Compensation:

We offer competitive compensation packages for this role, including a base salary, performance-based bonuses, and comprehensive benefits such as health, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) matching, and paid time off.

The compensation range for this role is $172,800 - $216,000 annually …