Senior Director, Controller

Overview

Lycia Therapeutics is a biotechnology company using its proprietary lysosomal targeting chimera (LYTAC) platform to discover and develop best-in-class therapeutics that degrade extracellular and membrane-bound proteins. These proteins drive a wide range of difficult-to-treat diseases, including autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. Lycia was established in 19 in collaboration with academic founder and Nobel Laureate Carolyn Bertozzi, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and HHMI investigator at Stanford University. In June, 2026, Lycia Therapeutics completed a $75 million Series D financing to advance its pipeline of LYTAC extracellular protein degraders into the clinic. Lycia is headquartered in South San Francisco.
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Lycia Therapeutics is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Director, Controller to lead the company’s accounting and financial reporting functions during a pivotal period of growth. Reporting to the SVP, Finance, this leader will own the integrity of Lycia’s financial statements, direct the monthly and quarterly close process, lead the annual audit, and ensure the company’s accounting infrastructure scales with its ambitions. This is a high-visibility role that partners closely with senior leadership and the audit committee on complex accounting matters and cross-functional financial operations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the end-to-end financial close process, including general ledger, accounts payable, payroll, and accruals, delivering accurate and timely monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements in compliance with U.S. GAAP
• Serve as the company’s primary technical accounting resource, researching and documenting positions on complex transactions including collaboration agreements, equity instruments, clinical trial accruals, in-process R&D, and lease accounting
• Lead preparation and maintenance of financial statements and supporting schedules in Workiva, ensuring disclosures are accurate, complete, and audit-ready
• Direct the annual financial statement audit and quarterly review processes; manage auditor relationships, PBC schedules, and audit timelines
• Oversee federal, state, and local tax compliance and filings in coordination with external tax advisors; manage tax provisions and ensure timely filing of all required returns
• Design, implement, and maintain a robust internal control environment appropriate for a company operating under public company accounting standards
• Oversee treasury operations including cash management, banking relationships, and short-term investment oversight
• Administer equity accounting in coordination with legal and external stock plan administrators; ensure accuracy of stock-based compensation expense and capitalization table reporting
• Manage NetSuite as the system of record, partnering with IT and FP&A on chart of accounts governance, reporting configuration, and process improvements; oversee Point Purchasing for procure-to-pay workflows and approval controls
• Identify and implement AI-enabled tools and process automation to drive efficiency across the close, reporting, and controls functions; build a culture of continuous improvement within the accounting team
• Build and develop a high-performing accounting team; hire, mentor, and retain talent as the company grows
• Partner with the SVP, Finance on board and audit committee financial materials, technical accounting memos, and ad hoc analytical support as needed
• Partner with SVP, Finance on cash burn analysis, runway modeling, and program-level cost tracking; provide accounting-level input into the long-range financial plan and investor-facing financial narratives

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance required; CPA required
• 12+ years of progressive accounting experience, including at least 3 years in a Controller or Assistant Controller capacity; Big 4 public accounting experience strongly preferred
• Public company accounting experience required, including demonstrated ownership of financial statement preparation and audit management under public company reporting timelines
• Biotech or life sciences industry experience required; familiarity with clinical-stage accounting (CRO accrual methodology, collaboration revenue, grant accounting) strongly preferred
• Hands-on proficiency with NetSuite and Workiva required; experience with Point Purchasing or comparable procurement platforms a plus
• Deep technical accounting knowledge of U.S. GAAP, with particular facility in ASC 718 (stock-based compensation), ASC 842 (leases), ASC 808/606 (collaboration and revenue), and equity accounting
• Demonstrated ability to build and document internal controls in a dynamic, high-growth environment
• Strong communicator with the ability to translate complex accounting positions clearly for non-accountants, auditors, and senior leadership

The expected base salary range for this role is $265,000-$290,000. We encourage candidates of all levels to apply as there is often flexibility on job title and responsibilities. Compensation will be based on a variety of factors, including experience, qualifications, and internal equity. Lycia offers a competitive employment package that includes an annual bonus, equity, and a generous benefits package.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Lycia and other biotech companies have recently noticed an increase in email and social media scams targeting job candidates in our industry. Please note Lycia will post any legitimate job openings directly on our website or through our recruitment partner, Lever. If you wish to verify the legitimacy of a job opening, you may contact us.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.