Senior Finance Director, Laboratory Chemicals Division

About this role

Work Schedule Standard (Mon-Fri) Environmental Conditions Office Job Description

As part of Thermo Fisher Scientific , you’ll do meaningful work with global impact. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer . You’ll join a team that takes science a step beyond—helping solve some of the world’s toughest challenges, from protecting the environment and ensuring food safety to advancing the search for cancer cures.

Position Summary The Senior Finance Director, Laboratory Chemicals Division is the strategic finance leader for a $600M+ global business within the Laboratory Products Group. As a key member of the divisional leadership team, this role partners closely with the President, Business Unit GMs, and leaders across Commercial, Operations, Supply Chain, Sourcing, Quality, HR, and IT.

This leader will play a critical role in shaping business strategy and driving profitable growth, margin expansion, cash flow, and operational performance . With ownership of the Division’s finance function, this individual will lead planning, forecasting, performance management, pricing, capital allocation, investment analysis, and financial controls.

We’re looking for a strategic, commercially minded finance leader who combines financial expertise, operational rigor, and an ownership mindset . The successful candidate will understand the drivers behind the numbers, anticipate risks and opportunities, influence senior leaders, and translate insights into action.

Key Responsibilities Strategic Finance Leadership • Serve as the lead finance partner to the Division President and leadership team , sharing accountability for overall business and financial performance. • Shape strategy through insights on growth opportunities, portfolio decisions, pricing, productivity, and resource allocation . • Lead long-range planning and strategic initiatives that accelerate revenue growth, margin expansion, and ROI. • Translate market, customer, and operational trends into clear recommendations and actions.

Business Performance • Lead the annual operating plan, monthly forecasting, and long-range planning for the $600M+ Division. • Drive rigorous forecasting with clear visibility into business and site-level performance, assumptions, risks, and opportunities. • Deliver actionable insights across revenue, gross margin, operating expenses, working capital, and cash flow . • Build a deep understanding of manufacturing costs and operational drivers to improve predictability and performance. • Establish meaningful KPIs and business review processes that strengthen accountability and decision-making. • Anticipate emerging risks and opportunities and enable leaders to take action before they impact results.

Commercial & Pricing Finance • Partner with Commercial and Marketing on pricing strategy, profitability, sales analytics, and revenue growth management . • Build strong commercial insight through active engagement with customers, markets, and commercial teams. • Evaluate growth investments, go-to-market initiatives, customer programs, and commercial productivity. • Support portfolio decisions through analysis of mix, margin, lifecycle, and customer and regional trends .

Operations & Supply Chain Finance • Partner with Operations, Supply Chain, Sourcing, and Manufacturing to improve productivity, inventory, margins, and cost competitiveness . • Develop first-hand knowledge of site operations and turn operational performance into financial insights and actions. • Provide financial leadership across manufacturing efficiency, costing, procurement, freight, and supply chain optimization . • Lead margin improvement and productivity initiatives with accountability for measurable results. • Guide capital investments in capacity, automation, network optimization, and operational improvements.

Financial Governance • Maintain strong financial controls, compliance, and disciplined financial processes. • Oversee monthly and quarterly close activities in partnership with Corporate Finance and Controllership. • Ensure appropriate governance around forecasts, investments, reporting accuracy, accounting standards, and internal controls.

Team Leadership • Lead, develop, and inspire a high-performing finance team. • Build organizational capability and succession pipelines while fostering accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. • Develop finance talent to operate as strategic business partners and trusted advisors.

Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field . • 10+ years of progressive finance leadership experience , including significant experience supporting a manufacturing business. • Experience leading finance for a sizable business, business unit, or region with complex P&L responsibility . • Strong expertise in FP&A, business partnering, commercial finance, and operational finance . • Proven success partnering with senior leaders to drive profitable growth and performance improvement. • Strong analytical and financial modeling skills with the ability to translate data into strategic insights. • Demonstrated experience leading teams and developing talent . • Excellent executive communication and influencing skills.

Preferred Qualifications • MBA, CPA, CMA , or equivalent advanced qualification. • Experience in life sciences, laboratory products, medical devices, diagnostics, consumables, or manufacturing . • Experience in a global, matrixed organization. • Knowledge of ERP and planning systems such as SAP, Oracle, Hyperion, or similar platforms . • Experience with pricing analytics, portfolio management, and manufacturing cost accounting.

Leadership Profile The successful leader will bring: • A strategic mindset with strong commercial orientation • An ownership mentality and accountability for overall business performance • The confidence to influence and constructively challenge senior executives • Strong business judgmen

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