Finance Business Partner R&D

Finance Business Partner R&D

argenx

Ghent, Belgium

As Finance Business Partner, you will serve as a true strategic finance partner to our Chemistry, Manufacturing & Controls (CMC), and Asset development teams where you will translate complex drug development activity into financial clarity and help make better, faster decisions.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Strategic Business Partnering

• Act as the primary finance business partner for TechOps/CMC and Asset development teams – building trusted relationships and providing decision-relevant financial perspective;
• Translate R&D strategy and pipeline milestones into financial plans, forecasts, and scenario analyses that guide investment decisions;
• Proactively flag risks and opportunities, offering financially sound recommendations rather than simply reporting variances.

Financial Planning & Forecasting

• Own the end-to-end budgeting, forecasting, and long-range planning processes for assigned R&D functions;
• Build and maintain robust financial models that reflect the realities of drug development – including clinical milestones, manufacturing scale-up, regulatory timelines, and external spend;
• Partner with PMO, Procurement and Alliance Management to ensure accurate accruals and PO management for CRO, CMO, and other R&D vendor contracts;
• Monitor actuals vs. plan, provide meaningful variance commentary, and continuously improve forecast accuracy.

Insights & Analytics

• Develop dashboards, KPI scorecards, and financial narratives that give R&D leadership a clear, real-time view of financial performance;
• Apply analytical rigour to answer business questions – from program-level cost-per-patient analyses to portfolio prioritisation trade-offs;
• Leverage argenx's Oracle EPM/PPM ecosystem and emerging AI/data tools to drive efficiency and elevate analytical depth.

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Represent Finance in CMC programme reviews, Asset meetings, and project governance forums;
• Collaborate closely with the broader FP&A team (R&D, Corporate) and the R&D FP&A Lead to ensure consolidated financial coherence;
• Support with ad hoc analyses and special projects;
• Drive automation and AI adoption in day-to-day operations.

WHAT DO YOU BRING?

Experience & Knowledge

• 8+ years of progressive FP&A or finance business partnering experience, with meaningful time in pharma, biotech, or life sciences;
• Deep working knowledge of the drug development process – from IND-enabling studies through Phase I–III, CMC scale-up, regulatory submissions, and launch readiness;
• Proven track record as a finance partner who influences decisions, not just supports reporting;
• Experience managing complex R&D budgets including CRO/CDMO contracts, milestone-based payments, and accrual methodologies;
• Proficiency with EPM/ERP tools (Oracle EPM/PPM a strong plus) and advanced Excel financial modelling;
• Master's degree in Finance, Economics, Accounting, or equivalent; CPA/CIMA/CFA qualification is a plus.

Mindset & Ways of Working

• Curiosity-driven – you ask why, not just what. You want to understand the science, strategy, and operational context behind the numbers;
• Analytical rigour paired with the ability to communicate complexity simply to senior non-finance stakeholders;
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and fast-paced environments; self-directed and proactive;
• Collaborative by nature – you actively build relationships across functions and bring others along;
• High standards for output quality and attention to detail, without losing sight of the bigger picture.