Associate Director, FP&A

Using living cells to treat – and sometimes even cure – cancer is one of the most dramatic advances in modern medicine. Patients with hematologic malignancies have been successfully treated with cell therapies. However, these profound results have not yet been achieved in patients with solid tumors, representing approximately 90% of all cancers. And for patients with hematologic malignancies, there is a need for next-generation cell therapies that can deliver increased response rates and longer duration of response. We are a clinical-stage company advancing a pipeline of next-generation CAR T-cell therapies for patients with solid tumors or hematologic malignancies. Lyell’s product candidates are enhanced with novel technology designed to generate T cells that resist exhaustion and have qualities of durable stemness in order to drive durable tumor cytotoxicity and achieve consistent and long-lasting clinical response. We were founded by cell therapy pioneers whose decades of research elevated the broader understanding of T-cell biology and its interaction with cancer. In our quest to advance next-generation CAR T-cell therapies, we have built a fully integrated company capable of discovering new technologies, translating science into therapies, manufacturing cell therapy products, and clinically evaluating them in patients. Our culture is based on Science, Respect, Collaboration, and Courage and reflects who we are, the environment we create, and our mission's urgency. This role will need to have frequent travel to our South San Francisco, CA office for in person meetings. The Associate Director, FP&A is responsible for leading the company’s core financial planning and analysis activities, including annual budgeting, quarterly forecasting, monthly financial reporting, variance analysis, financial modeling, and business performance management. The Associate Director will partner closely with functional leaders across the organization to develop and manage financial plans, understand key business drivers, monitor performance, and provide actionable financial insights to support effective resource allocation and decision-making. The Associate Director will serve as a key financial partner to R&D, Clinical, G&A, Commercial and other functional leaders, with a focus on understanding operational activities and their financial implications. The role will also be responsible for continuously improving the company’s FP&A processes, reporting, systems, forecasting capabilities, and financial discipline. KEY ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES: • Lead the annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting processes, coordinating cross-functional inputs, establishing timelines and assumptions, and ensuring forecasts accurately reflect current business plans and operational activities. • Own the monthly FP&A reporting and performance management process, including actual versus budget and forecast analysis, KPI reporting, identification of key drivers and trends, and communication of actionable insights to Finance and business leaders. • Partner with R&D, Clinical, G&A, Commercial, and other functional leaders to track spend, monitor performance, identify key cost drivers, including CRO and vendor costs, and provide timely financial analysis to support informed decision-making. • Develop and maintain driver-based financial models that link operational assumptions to financial performance, including headcount, departmental expenses, clinical programs, CRO and vendor costs, and other significant spending categories. • Lead headcount and operating expense planning and forecasting, partnering with Human Resources and functional leaders to understand resource requirements and assess their financial impact. • Support the long-range planning process by coordi