GRAIL is seeking an experienced Associate Director, Cost & Inventory Accounting to lead our cost and inventory accounting operations, ensuring accurate financial reporting, strong internal controls, and efficient accounting processes. This role will oversee the financial close process, drive process improvements, develop a high-performing team, and collaborate cross-functionally with Lab Operations, Supply Chain, IT, and FP&A. The ideal candidate brings strong technical accounting expertise, a hands-on leadership approach, and the ability to drive operational excellence in a dynamic, growing organization
This role is based at our Durham, North Carolina or Sunnyvale, California, office. It offers a flexible work arrangement, with the ability to work from GRAIL's office or from home. Our current flexible work arrangement policy requires that a minimum of 60%, or 24 hours, of your total work week be on-site. Your specific schedule, determined in collaboration with your manager, will align with team and business needs and may change over time.
Responsibilities:- Lead the monthly and quarterly cost and inventory close, establishing clear priorities, schedules, responsibilities, and checkpoints to meet reporting deadlines.
- Provide thoughtful and thorough reviews of key accounting deliverables, including reconciliations, journal entries, inventory rollforwards, E&O reserve, and cost calculations, with the ability to independently validate or reperform work as appropriate.
- Investigate significant fluctuations and changes to standards, understand underlying business drivers, and provide clear, well-supported explanations of financial variances.
- Ensure accounting workpapers and supporting reports are accurate, complete, well documented, and ready for internal and external audit review.
- Serve as a key contact for auditors, overseeing execution of cost and inventory SOX controls, identifying potential control gaps, and working with internal audit and cross-functional partners to implement improvements and address findings.
- Build a practical understanding of Lab Operations, Supply Chain, Warehouse, and inventory processes to evaluate accounting impacts, challenge assumptions, and identify opportunities to improve accuracy and efficiency.
- Coach and develop the team through clear expectations, timely feedback, technical guidance, appropriate delegation, and accountability for quality and deadlines.
- Partner with Lab Operations, Supply Chain, Lab, IT, and FP&A to resolve data and process issues and coordinate changes that affect accounting and reporting.
- Lead improvements to processes, reporting, controls and systems, recommending solutions, coordinating action plans, and following through to resolution.
- Partner with the Technical Accounting team to understand new accounting standards and regulatory requirements, assess their operational impact, and lead the implementation of necessary changes to accounting processes, policies, systems, and internal controls
Required Qualifications:- Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance.
- 8+ years of accounting experience, including work in a SOX-compliant environment, with a strong understanding of audit documentation, control execution, and identifying and resolving accounting for control deficiencies.
- 3+ years of people management or team leadership experience, with demonstrated ability to review work effectively, coach staff, and deliver against deadlines.
- Strong understanding of US GAAP, inventory accounting, financial close processes, internal controls, and audit support requirements.
- Experience reviewing accounting analyses and reconciliations, identifying exceptions, and working with others to resolve issues.
- Sound analytical judgment, attention to detail, and ability to connect financial results with underlying transactions and business processes.
- Effective planning, prioritization, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Advanced spreadsheet skills and experience with ERP systems such as NetSuite.
- 10% Travel requirements
Preferred Qualifications:- CPA and/or public accounting experience preferred
- Experience in diagnostics, genomics, life sciences, or another inventory-intensive environment.
The expected, full-time, annual base pay scale for this position is $168k-$223k in Sunnyvale, CA, or $146k-$194k in Durham, NC.
At GRAIL, we believe in recognizing and rewarding the contributions our employees make to our mission and success. In addition to base pay, this role may be eligible for additional compensation, including an annual bonus and/or other incentives, in accordance with applicable plans and the company's discretion. The posted range reflects our good-faith estimate of the base pay we expect to offer for this position at the time of hire. Actual compensation will be determined based on factors such as the candidate's experience, skills, qualifications, and other relevant considerations.
At GRAIL, we invest in the health, well-being, and future of our employees and their families. Employees in this role are eligible for a comprehensive and competitive benefits package designed to support what matters most, including flexible time off or vacation, a 401(k) retirement plan with employer match, medical, dental, and vision coverage, and thoughtfully selected well-being programs. Benefits are offered in accordance with applicable plans and policies.
