Job Summary
The Vice President, Finance (VP, Finance) is a critical leadership role for the U.S. organization, reporting to the OAPI and OPDC Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The role is a member of the CFO Leadership Team and serves as an officer of the company, with responsibilities that include presenting to the Board of Directors and the Audit and Risk Committees.
The VP, Finance has broad and complex responsibilities across the U.S. pharmaceutical business, the North American holding company Otsuka America, Inc. (OAI), and Otsuka’s Japanese parent company Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd (OPC). The role oversees all aspects of financial operations, including controllership, financial reporting, financial operations, planning, forecasting, and internal controls.
As a strategic advisor to the CFO, CEO, and Executive Leadership Team, the VP, Finance provides an active voice on both business operations and the company’s strategic direction. The role supports decision-making with a focus on value creation, financial discipline, resource allocation, and the long-term financial and operational implications of major investments and strategic priorities.
Key Scope and Responsibilities
The VP, Finance provides financial leadership, strategic direction, and technical guidance to Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. (OAPI) and affiliated U.S. companies, including OPDC. The role supports the Commercial Organizations and Corporate Functions, serves leadership committees as required, and provides expert consultation to affiliate companies and the parent holding company as requested.
The position leads and provides direction to the following departments and centers of excellence:
- Corporate Controller
- Finance Operations, including Payroll, Source to Pay, Invoice to Cash, and Record to Report
- Financial Planning and Analysis for Commercial and G&A
- Alliance Management
This leader will work across but not directly lead other areas of the business where influence and partnership are essential. These areas include, but are not limited to:
- Market Access
- Information Technology
- Business Development
- Technical Operations
The role is responsible for financial strategy, planning, and forecasting; engagement with the CFO, CFO Leadership Team, and Executive Leadership Team; oversight of the internal controls framework; Japanese Financial Instruments and Exchange Law requirements (JSOX); risk management; budget review with Corporate Planning; preparation of financial reports; and internal control activities.
This position is based in Princeton, New Jersey. Otsuka maintains a hybrid work policy. Travel is expected up to 15% of the time based on business needs, including domestic and international travel.
Detailed Responsibilities
The following are the primary responsibilities of the Vice President, Finance. This list is not exhaustive, and responsibilities may be adjusted as business needs evolve.
Financial Leadership and Statutory Responsibilities
- Meets regularly with the Board of Directors and provides required financial reporting, including updates on risks, issues, and areas of concern to the Audit Committee of the Board.
- Ensures financial reporting is complete, accurate, and prepared in accordance with IFRS, with appropriate controls over processes, transactions, and records.
- Represents management with external auditors regarding the completeness and accuracy of financial statements.
- Serves as the primary contact for OAI and OPC on financial matters, governance issues, and selected matters related to OAPI Commercial and G&A, providing regular updates on financial performance, plans, forecasts, and investments as appropriate.
- Drives long-term financial growth by optimizing cost structures, managing risk, and enabling investment decisions that support innovation, profitability, and business resilience, delivers measurable ROI. Stays close to early business development activities.
- Drives value for the enterprise through ensuring supplier management processes align with best practices in Sourcing.
- Assuming fiduciary responsibility for Otsuka US, including financial integrity, regulatory compliance, and international reporting requirements.
Strategic Financial Support
- Provides the CFO, CEO, and Executive Leadership Team with a clear, complete view of OAPI Commercial and G&A financial performance, planning, trends, and the financial implications of strategic and operational decisions.
- Partners with the CFO, CEO, and Executive Leadership Team to develop and implement the company’s strategic, operational, and financial plans.
- Advises the CFO, CEO, Executive Leadership Team, and Board on the risks, implications, sensitivities, and constraints associated with business issues and strategic decisions.
- Serves as a strategic advisor and enterprise integrator, actively shaping top-line strategy and fostering alignment across functions to drive business-wide performance and long-term value.
- Understands the short- and long-term operational and financial dynamics of the organization, enabling strategic decisions through cross-functional insight, financial stewardship, and collaborative partnership.
- Operates with a broad organizational lens, balances financial stewardship with strategic growth and innovation.
- Understands the business strategy, portfolio, and associated dynamics; knows where Otsuka needs to go to be successful in the future and understands intricacies of the leaders' roles.
- Reviews and advises on high-level policy and strategic choices to ensure alignment with long-term strategy, operating plans, and financial budgets.
- Evaluates the long-range planning impact of new programs, strategies, regulatory changes, and other enterprise-wide developments.
- Monitors the evolving pharmaceutical landscape, anticipates future impacts, and guides investment adjustments to align with the expected future state.
Financial Operations
- Designs, develops, implements, and manages a finance operating model that delivers customer-first support mindset while maintaining compliance with applicable legal, regulatory, and internal financial control standards.
- Ensures accounting and costing systems are appropriate for business needs.
- Oversees reporting and accounting requirements, including regulatory, legal, tax, distribution, annual report, and account-related obligations.
- Strengthens the credibility of the Finance organization by providing timely, accurate analysis of budgets, financial trends, and forecasts.
- Manages interactions with statutory, internal, and government auditors on financial matters.
- Safeguards financial integrity and regulatory compliance by maintaining strong internal controls and collaborating closely with audit, legal, and risk functions to protect enterprise value.
- Oversees financial activities for strategic alliances.
- Identifies and supports cost optimization opportunities.
- Manages payroll functions and accounting related to employee benefit programs.
Team Leadership and Development
- Leads a team of approximately 75 FTEs across Commercial and G&A FP&A, Finance Operations, Controllership, Sourcing, and Alliance Management.
- Develops plans, coaching, mentoring, and succession strategies for next-generation leaders, including successors for the VP role and all direct reports.
- Develops and communicates a clear vision for the Finance organization that engages, motivates, and inspires team members around a shared purpose.
- Partners with the leadership team to build and maintain a culture of collaboration, accountability, responsibility, integrity, and kindness.
- Models ASPIRE leadership behaviors by setting a clear enterprise vision, acting with integrity and accountability, and creating an inclusive environment where people are empowered to contribute, grow, and deliver meaningful impact.
Specific Accountabilities
The VP, Finance has a broad enterprise role and is ultimately accountable for the performance and outcomes of several key functions and departments.
- Finance functions:
- Corporate Controller, responsible for a team of approximately 60 FTEs, including Corporate Controller, Finance Operations, OAPI Commercial and G&A Financial Planning and Analysis, and Digital Business support.
- Includes Strategic Sourcing for all addressable indirect spend, approximately $500M+ in 2025.
- Includes preparation of financial statements and management of the annual audit.
- Provides Financial Operations support for OCPI, the Canadian affiliate, and emerging markets (Brazil).
- Responsible for travel management, Flexible Contract Worker (FCW) program, and the HCP Engagement Portal.
- Commercial and G&A FP&A
- Accountable for all OAPI based Commercial and G&A FP&A teams, led by Executive Director, Finance Strategy and Planning
- Builds and maintains a consistent, high performing model across the organization providing balance of Strategic Finance support, Reporting & Analysis, Planning and Analysis, and Decision support.
- Establishes structure and process to ensure complete understanding of current performance based on establishment of KPIs, cross-functional reviews of financial performance, and a framework for actions and monitoring to
- Understands how current performance may impact future expectations and recommends adjustments to investments as needed to meet near-term financial objectives while continuing to align with our long-term business strategies
- Otsuka Alliance Management – Under the leadership of the Senior Director, Alliance Management, accountable for the strategy, deliverables, relationships, and overall project management of the alliance portfolio, approximately 19 alliances as of October 2023.
- Otsuka Patient Assistance Foundation (OPAF) – Under the leadership of the Director, OPAF, accountable for the strategy, deliverables, and outcomes of the function. OPAF provides free OAPI and U.S. affiliate corporation medications and supplements, has supported more than 80,000 patients since 2017, and has shipped more than 300,000 prescriptions. The annual value of donated products typically exceed $200M.
Qualifications:
Leadership and Strategic Capabilities
- Strategic finance leader with the ability to understand business strategy, related strategic imperatives, and their impact on the company’s financial profile, resource allocation, and investment decisions.
- Ability to translate complex financial details into a clear narrative that supports business understanding, analysis, and decision-making.
- Capable of seeing the broader enterprise picture while maintaining command of the underlying details.
- Effective enterprise leader with experience as a member of an executive leadership team and the ability to think beyond a functional perspective.
- Leads by example and demonstrates a commitment to developing others across the organization.
- Demonstrates ASPIRE competencies by aligning people and resources around enterprise priorities, promoting ownership and performance, encouraging innovation and continuous improvement, and role-modeling inclusive, values-based leadership.
Communication, Influence, and Judgment
- Excellent communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage employees at all levels and influence across the enterprise without overreliance on positional authority.
- Ability to communicate ideas and concepts through compelling storytelling while navigating ambiguous and complex environments. Excellent stakeholder and leadership influencer Ability to systematically define problems, collect data, establish facts, and make recommendations that support the organization’s strategic direction.
- Ability to quickly understand new situations and make sound judgments.
- Ability to instill trust and inspire confidence by demonstrating domain expertise across the Finance organization and adjacent functions.
- Advanced negotiation skills, including experience negotiating budgets and targets across complex, multinational organizations.
- Builds trust through transparent communication, sound judgment, respectful challenge, and the ability to inspire commitment across senior leaders, global stakeholders, and cross-functional partners.
Operating Experience and Technical Knowledge
- Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment with multiple tasks, competing priorities, and tight deadlines.
- Demonstrates the drive to meet deadlines while maintaining empathy and supporting team morale and motivation.
- Leadership experience in a fully integrated pharmaceutical or life sciences organization.
- Experience operating and leading in a complex, multi-billion-dollar organization.
- Knowledge of general accounting and budgeting principles for organizations with multiple cost centers.
- Knowledge and proficiency using financial modeling and accounting tools…SAP, Power BI, Essbase
- Knowledge of internal control frameworks.
- Applies a growth mindset to modernize Finance capabilities, simplify ways of working, and responsibly leverage technology, data, and AI to improve insight generation, efficiency, and decision quality.
Education and Experience
· Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or a related field from an accredited college or university.
· MBA or master’s degree in accounting from an accredited university and/or CPA license in good standing.
· 20+ years of diverse Finance and Accounting experience, including 5+ years at the VP of Finance level in a growing, complex organization with revenues greater than $1B.
· Specific experience in the pharmaceutical industry working with Commercial, R&D, Business Development, and or Alliance Management where at least one role was at a leadership level
· Experience leading large teams of 20+ people, including direct reports at the Senior Director level or above.
· Knowledge of Sarbanes-Oxley or Japanese Financial Instruments and Exchange Law requirements (JSOX).
· Technology literate, with a strong understanding of and/or interest in leveraging AI to optimize processes; comfortable with ERP and integrated accounting software.
Competencies
Accountability for Results - Stay focused on key strategic objectives, be accountable for high standards of performance, and take an active role in leading change.
Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving - Make decisions considering the long-term impact to customers, patients, employees, and the business.
Patient & Customer Centricity - Maintain an ongoing focus on the needs of our customers and/or key stakeholders.
Impactful Communication - Communicate with logic, clarity, and respect. Influence at all levels to achieve the best results for Otsuka.
Respectful Collaboration - Seek and value others’ perspectives and strive for diverse partnerships to enhance work toward common goals.
Empowered Development - Play an active role in professional development as a business imperative.
Minimum $372,438.40 - Maximum $535,380.20, plus incentive opportunity: The range shown represents a typical pay range or starting pay for individuals who are hired in the role to perform in the United States. Other elements may be used to determine actual pay such as the candidate’s job experience, specific skills, and comparison to internal incumbents currently in role. Typically, actual pay will be positioned within the established range, rather than at its minimum or maximum. This information is provided to applicants in accordance with states and local laws.
Application Deadline: This will be posted for a minimum of 5 business days.
Company benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, company provided basic life, accidental death & dismemberment, short-term and long-term disability insurance, tuition reimbursement, student loan assistance, a generous 401(k) match, flexible time off, paid holidays, and paid leave programs as well as other company provided benefits.
Come discover more about Otsuka and our benefit offerings; https://ah-prod.com/multi/videoplayer/player.html?v=6385356920112.
Join Our Talent Community: Stay connected with Otsuka by joining our Talent Community. Tell us about your interests, and we’ll notify you about future opportunities that align with your background. https://community.hireez.com/cielo-otsuka/82cb3591
Disclaimer:
This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the people assigned to this position. It is not intended to include every job duty and responsibility specific to the position. Otsuka reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet business and organizational needs as necessary.
Otsuka is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will be given consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, national origin, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected characteristic.
If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation, if you are unable or limited in your ability to apply to this job opening as a result of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by contacting EEAccommodations@otsuka-us.com.
Statement Regarding Job Recruiting Fraud Scams
At Otsuka we take security and protection of your personal information very seriously. Please be aware individuals may approach you and falsely present themselves as our employees or representatives. They may use this false pretense to try to gain access to your personal information or acquire money from you by offering fictitious employment opportunities purportedly on our behalf.
Please understand, Otsuka will never ask for financial information of any kind or for payment of money during the job application process. We do not require any financial, credit card or bank account information and/or any payment of any kind to be considered for employment. We will also not offer you money to buy equipment, software, or for any other purpose during the job application process. If you are being asked to pay or offered money for equipment fees or some other application processing fee, even if claimed you will be reimbursed, this is not Otsuka. These claims are fraudulent and you are strongly advised to exercise caution when you receive such an offer of employment.
Otsuka will also never ask you to download a third-party application in order to communicate about a legitimate job opportunity. Scammers may also send offers or claims from a fake email address or from Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc, and not from an official Otsuka email address. Please take extra caution while examining such an email address, as the scammers may misspell an official Otsuka email address and use a slightly modified version duplicating letters.
To ensure that you are communicating about a legitimate job opportunity at Otsuka, please only deal directly with Otsuka through its official Otsuka Career website https://vhr-otsuka.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/External.
Otsuka will not be held liable or responsible for any claims, losses, damages or expenses resulting from job recruiting scams. If you suspect a position is fraudulent, please contact Otsuka’s call center at: 800-363-5670. If you believe you are the victim of fraud resulting from a job recruiting scam, please contact the FBI through the Internet Crime Complaint Center at: https://www.ic3.gov, or your local authorities.
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical Inc., Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc., and Otsuka Precision Health, Inc. (“Otsuka”) does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs/resumes submitted by search firms to any Otsuka employee directly or through Otsuka’s application portal without a valid written search agreement in place for the position will be considered Otsuka’s sole property. No fee will be paid if a candidate is hired by Otsuka as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.
