Senior Director, Financial Reporting

at  Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc

WHO WE ARE:

Xenon Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: XENE) is a neuroscience-focused biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing, and commercializing innovative therapeutics to improve the lives of people living with neurological and psychiatric disorders. We are looking for great people who thrive in a respectful, collaborative, inclusive, and productive culture to join the Xenon team.

WHAT WE DO:

We are advancing an exciting product pipeline to address indications with high unmet medical need, including epilepsy and depression. Our flagship azetukalner program represents the most advanced potassium channel modulator in clinical development for multiple indications. Building upon the positive results and compelling data from our Phase 2b “X-TOLE” study in adult patients with focal epilepsy, our Phase 3 epilepsy program includes multiple clinical trials evaluating azetukalner in patients with focal onset seizures and primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures. In 2024, we are planning to initiate a Phase 3 azetukalner program in major depressive disorder, based on topline data from our Phase 2 “X-NOVA” clinical trial. In addition, we are proud of the leading-edge science coming out of our discovery labs, including early-stage research programs that leverage our extensive ion channel expertise and drug discovery capabilities to identify validated drug targets and develop new product candidates. Backed by a strong balance sheet to support our growth plans, we continue to build a fully integrated, premier neuroscience company with strong discovery, clinical development, corporate, and commercial operations.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s Degree and Professional designation (CPA or equivalent) is required, technical training with Big Four CPA firm or large regional CPA firm preferred
• 12+ years of experience, with at least 6 years of direct people management experience
• In-house public company experience with a late-stage or commercial-stage bio/pharmaceutical company required
• In-depth knowledge of U.S. GAAP and SOX requirements for bio/pharmaceuticals industry
• Proven experience building strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external service providers
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage concurrent deliverables and work effectively in a challenging, high performance, team environment
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills (written and oral); communicates in a clear, concise and organized manner; listens and works collaboratively with others outside of Finance to obtain information
• Able to think and act strategically, anticipate road-blocks and map out next steps in support of a fast-growing company
• Self‐motivated, with initiative and the ability to take ownership of, and drive projects from start to finish
• Demonstrated high level of integrity and ethics
  The base salary range for this role is $184,050 to $211,879 CAD; we will consider above this range for exceptional candidates. Base salary is determined by a combination of factors including, but not limited to, education and other qualifications, years of relevant experience, and internal equity.
  Our Total Rewards program includes base salary, target bonus, and stock options, as well as a full range of benefits including medical, dental, vision, short-& long-term disability, accidental death & dismemberment, and life insurance programs, Employee Assistance Program, travel insurance, and retirement savings programs with company matching contributions.
  Xenon encourages time to rest and re-charge through vacation, personal days, sick days, and an end-of-year company shutdown. Xenon highly values employee development and has an expanding Training, Learning & Development program, including a Tuition Assistance program for advanced degrees.
  US positions only: Xenon Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. participates in the E-Verify program in all states in which we hire. Learn more about the E-Verify program here.
  To apply for this position, click Apply Now to complete the application. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, due to the volume of applicants, only those chosen for interview will be contacted

ABOUT THE ROLE:

We are seeking a Senior Director, Financial Reporting to join our team. This role will be a key member of the Finance department and will play a crucial role in leading Xenon’s external financial reporting processes, ensuring compliance with U.S. GAAP and SEC regulations. This person must display an in-depth knowledge of SEC reporting and Sarbanes Oxley requirements and be able to apply them to all aspects of the Company’s accounting needs. The Senior Director, Financial Reporting will work closely with members of the Finance, Legal, Commercial, Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations teams, along with external auditors to ensure accurate reporting and full compliance with all external standards. The successful candidate will facilitate the selection and implementation of new accounting policies related to the company’s planned commercial launch of its first product in the U.S.
The Senior Director, Financial Reporting is a hands-on position with the potential to build a team over time. During periods of rapid growth and evolution, the Senior Director, Financial Reporting will be assigned additional responsibilities (beyond the core responsibilities described) based on company needs and the individual’s experience and expertise. This role will be a key leader within the Xenon Finance team and will also have the opportunity to assist in special projects and process improvements.
This position reports to the Vice President, Finance and will be in Vancouver, BC, Canada or Boston, MA, USA. This role is a hybrid position, requiring a minimum of 2 days per week in the office.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead the preparation of consolidated financial statements, footnote disclosures, management discussion and analyses, in accordance with U.S. GAAP and SEC regulations
• Lead preparation of the Company’s quarterly and annual SEC documents (10-Q, 10-K)
• Lead the external annual audit and quarterly review processes
• Support and/or manage the preparation of other external filings, including proxy, registration statements, etc.
• Lead technical accounting analysis, including key technical accounting judgements and policies, including oversight, implementation and execution of new accounting guidance
• Maintain a continuing awareness of developments and changes in SEC laws and accounting guidance as well as accounting policies and disclosures adopted by industry peers
• Lead the annual internal audit planning and scoping process with external SOX consultants and external auditors, ensuring efficient execution of SOX testing and appropriate risk management
• Develop strong internal collaboration with stakeholders including Legal, Human Resources, and other relevant departments and deep understanding of their processes to assess internal control risks
• Manage SOX control documentation and continuous improvements of key processes in collaboration with Accounting, Human Resources and Legal
• Support new system implementations or enhancement to systems to address planning and reporting needs (i.e., ERP, EPM, Procurement systems); make recommendations and update for changes in processes and controls as the company scales and optimizes processes and systems
• Prepare regular reports to the Audit Committee on SOX compliance
• Lead tax compliance activities including preparation of tax filings by external advisors and tax accounting and reporting, with the expectation that tax responsibilities may transition over time as the company continues to build out the Finance team
• Develop and propose short- and long-term objectives for the function in accordance with overall Company strategies and plans
• Recruit, lead, direct, develop, coach and evaluate direct reports in accordance with the Company’s Human Resource policies and practices
• Act in accordance with Company policies, including, for example, the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and ensure policies are understood and followed by direct reports
• Other duties as assigned