Associate Director, Accounting Operations

Waltham, Massachusetts, United States

Who We Are:

Cogent Biosciences is a publicly traded biotechnology company focused on developing novel precision therapies to treat a broad range of patients with unmet medical needs. Cogent’s lead program, bezuclastinib, is designed to selectively and potently inhibit exon 17 mutations found within the KIT receptor tyrosine kinase, including KIT D816V. KIT D816V is responsible for driving a rare and serious condition called Systemic Mastocytosis, and exon 17 mutations are also found in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), a type of cancer with strong dependence on oncogenic KIT signaling.

Bezuclastinib has exhibited promising initial data across all three trials: APEX in AdvSM, SUMMIT in NonAdvSM and PEAK in GIST, including an encouraging safety profile across 600+ patients in single agent and combination dosing.

The Role:

We are looking for a seasoned accounting leader to oversee day-to-day accounting operations, including accounts payable, vendor management, fixed assets, and procurement processes. This role provides strategic oversight of compliance, tax reporting, internal controls, and audit support while driving process improvements and automation initiatives.

Responsibilities:

• Own day-to-day accounting operations, including procurement, vendor management, accounts payable, fixed asset management, and supporting services and contracts
• Prepare and review journal entries, accruals and account reconciliations based on assigned accounting areas and consistent with accounting operations
• Provide leadership, direction, and oversight to the accounting operations team responsible for purchasing and PO maintenance, invoice processing, vendor maintenance, and payment execution
• Generate and present critical metrics, such as AP aging reports, Days Payable Outstanding (DPO), data input and review, stakeholder follow up, etc.
• Support FX forecasting and other cash forecasting processes
• Support business tax reporting, including sales and use tax and VAT filings and work directly with third party consultants on tax filings
• Support state registrations, filings and maintenance
• Support and oversee the build out and maintenance of compliance processes, including expense report audit and Sunshine Act reporting processes; work closely with the compliance and accounting teams to ensure we have appropriate processes and controls in place
• Own and manage credit card and expense report reporting processes, including exception processing, policy validation and trend reporting, and monitoring for HCP meals and sponsorship activity processed to credit card
• Oversee day-to-day equity operations, including maintenance of system, reporting of grants and exercises and ensuring information is provided to accounting and payroll teams timely
• Work with internal teams to ensure procure to pay processes are efficient, well-documented, and aligned with internal controls and critically evaluate existing processes and controls for changes or enhancements needed
• Review changes to access and workflows needed to support changing processes and internal controls and ensure appropriate documentation is maintained for all changes
• Develop reporting to support processes and internal controls
• Support internal and external audit efforts
• Ensure compliance with GAAP, internal policies, and all applicable regulatory requirements
• Drive continuous improvement initiations and process enhancements to systems and month-end close processes, embracing digital automation
• Lead, mentor and develop accounting operations team to drive performance and professional growth

Qualifications:

• 7+ years’ experience with accounts payable and/or purchasing management and accounting,…