Business Controller to a Global Pharmaceutical Company

About the role

Our client is looking for a dedicated Business Controller to take on a central and business-facing controlling role within Research, Development and Medical Affairs (RDMA). The organization manages an annual budget of several billion SEK, divided between project activities and the ongoing line organization, comprising approximately 200 employees and 100 cost centers across Europe, the US, and Japan.

In this role, you will act as a financial business partner to several functional leaders, translating business plans into financial realities and creating transparency around performance. This is a dynamic role suited for someone who wants to combine qualified finance business partnering with clear operational responsibility in a complex global environment.

You are offered

• A strong international network: Collaborate closely with global functional leaders, an international co-controller, and an experienced local network of finance professionals.
• Strategic and operational variety: A highly varied role where you move seamlessly between strategic discussions with senior leaders and hands-on Excel analysis, forecasting, and cost center management.
• High degree of ownership: The opportunity to independently drive and develop financial processes in a trust-based, collaborative culture.

Work tasks

Your responsibilities will include:

• Act as a financial business partner to functional leaders and senior stakeholders within RDMA.
• Develop a thorough understanding of business plans, priorities, resource requirements, and cost drivers.
• Constructively challenge budget owners' assumptions and plans, helping to identify practical solutions that balance scientific needs with available resources.
• Drive the four annual planning and forecasting cycles, including the budget process.
• Coordinate and quality-assure financial input from a large number of cost centers and business areas.
• Monitor actual performance against budget/forecast and analyze the underlying causes of variances.
• Identify financial risks and opportunities, explaining their impact on the full-year forecast.
• Take ownership of relevant month-end and quarter-end close activities (accruals, reallocations, and closing documentation).
• Collaborate with accounting, Business Controllers, System Controllers, and the wider global finance organization to improve processes and transparency.

We are looking for

• Have at least 4-5 years of relevant experience in Business Controlling, Line Controlling, or Finance Business Partnering.
• Have extensive experience with budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, and performance management.
• Have proven experience independently supporting and challenging senior business leaders.
• Have a solid understanding of month-end closing, accruals, and other accounting-related controlling activities.
• Have strong analytical capabilities and advanced Excel skills.
• Are fluent in English, both spoken and written, as this is the primary working language.

It is meritorious if you have

• God skills in Swedish
• Experience in the life science pharmaceutical, research, or other knowledge-intensive industries.
• Experience supporting R&D organizations or clinical studies, including project controlling.
• Experience with large ERP systems, financial reporting tools, or digital/AI-enabled automation in finance.

To succeed in the role, your personal skills are:

• Structured
• Proactive
• Driven
• Communicative team payer
• Social

Our recruitment process

This recruitment process is handled by Academic Work and it is our client’s wish that all questions regarding the position is directed to Academic Work.

Our selection process is continuous and the advert may close before the recruitment process is completed if we have moved forward to the next phase. The process includes two tests: one personality test and one cognitive test. The tests are tools to find the right talent for the right position, to enable equality, diversity, and a fair process.