Director, Financial Reporting & Technical Accounting

THE OPPORTUNITY
insitro is a physical AI company dedicated to unlocking causal human biology and accelerating the delivery of better medicines to patients. Our unique Virtual Human™ platform identifies novel, high-impact genetic intervention points, which our TherML™ platform translates into therapeutics, whether small molecules, biologics, or oligos. With multiple programs in metabolic disease and neuroscience advancing toward the clinic, we are at a pivotal inflection point.
insitro is looking for an Director, Financial Reporting & Technical Accounting, with level set by experience, to be the company’s technical accounting expert and the owner of its financial reporting. In this senior individual contributor role, you will lead the year-end audit and financial statements, account for insitro’s most complex transactions, including pharma collaboration revenue, equity financings, and stock-based compensation modifications, and own the 409A valuation, international compliance, and accounting policy. This is also a chance to help build the function: as insitro grows, you will take on ownership of SOX and SEC reporting and help expand the team, playing a central role in building a public-company-ready finance organization, with a clear path to grow in level and scope as the function expands.
You will be joining a department that brings together Accounting Operations, FP&A, and Procurement. That structure gives this role visibility into each transaction from the contract and purchase order through to the financial statements. You will partner closely with Strategic Finance on forecasts and on Executive Leadership Team and Board materials. Corporate Development and Legal will also bring you in early on partnerships, financings, and equity matters, so the accounting implications are understood before terms are finalized. Our team is lean, collaborative, and hands-on, with a builder’s mindset. We are high-performing and considered a trusted partner across the company. We are also rebuilding our workflows with Claude and other AI tools, and you will help shape how reporting and technical accounting get done.
This position is based at our South San Francisco headquarters, reports to the SVP, Accounting & Financial Operations, and works onsite three days per week as part of our in-person hybrid model.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Financial Reporting
- Own the Financial Statements: Direct the annual audit and financial statement process, preparing US GAAP financial statements and footnote disclosures that are accurate, timely, and fully supported
- Run the Audit: Serve as the primary point of contact for our external auditors, leading audit planning, the PBC list, tie-outs, disclosure checklists, and resolution of audit comments
- Lead the Disclosure Committee: Own and lead the Disclosure Committee, including setting the agenda, running the meetings, gathering and assessing potential disclosure items from across the company, and documenting conclusions
- Prepare Executive and Board Materials: Prepare and update financial reporting and accounting content for Executive Leadership Team and Board of Directors materials and support the monthly reporting package and ad hoc investor requests
Technical Accounting & Policy
- Lead Technical Accounting: Lead research and author memos on complex and non-routine transactions, including ASC 606 / ASC 808 collaboration and partnership revenue, ASC 842 leases, and equity and financing instruments
- Account for the Pipeline: Evaluate the accounting and disclosures for preclinical and clinical activities as our programs advance toward the clinic, including R&D and clinical trial accrual methodologies for CRO and CDMO arrangements
- Shape Deals Early: Partner with Corporate Development, Legal, and Strategic Finance on partnership agreements, financings, and other transactions so accounting implications are assessed before terms are finalized
- Leverage Advisors: Serve as the primary liaison to our third-party tax advisor, communicating the tax implications of deals, financial results, and other transactions, and overseeing the tax provision, tax returns, R&D credit study, Section 382 analysis, and equity tax considerations for grants outside the US
- Set the Policy: Develop, document, and maintain US GAAP accounting policies; monitor FASB developments and lead the adoption of new standards
Equity, Valuation, Insurance & International Compliance
- Own Stock-Based Compensation Accounting: Own ASC 718 accounting and reporting, including expense recognition, award modifications, forfeitures, roll-forwards, and related disclosures, partnering with Legal, which administers grants and the equity plans
- Support the 409A Valuation: Partner with our third-party valuation advisor on the 409A valuation process, including providing inputs, reviewing key assumptions and conclusions, and supporting audit review
- Ensure International Compliance: Oversee statutory reporting, audits, and local compliance for our international subsidiary, partnering with local advisors so filing, tax, and regulatory requirements are met on time, and coordinate intercompany agreements and transfer pricing with our tax advisor
- Support Insurance Renewals: Support the annual insurance renewal process with our insurance brokers, assessing the company’s risk profile and making sure coverage remains adequate as insitro grows and its programs move into the clinic
- Support the Close: Prepare or review stock-based compensation, contract revenue, and other higher-risk journal entries and reconciliations
Controls, Scale & AI
- Build for Scale: Design and maintain process documentation and internal controls that will scale with the company; when applicable, lead the SOX program, including planning, risk assessment, ITGCs, entity-level controls, remediation, and third-party testing
- Build and Deploy AI Tools: Put Claude and other AI tools to work across reporting and technical accounting, such as roll-forwards, tie-outs, disclosure drafting, research, and memo drafting, and document those workflows so others can use and extend them
- Counsel and Advise: Provide clear, decision-ready accounting guidance that non-accountants can act on without a follow-up meeting
- Grow with the Function: As insitro grows, take on ownership of SOX compliance and SEC reporting (Forms S-1, 10-Q, and 10-K) and help expand the team, growing with the function into a public-company-ready organization
- Special Projects: Participate in special projects and perform other related duties as assigned
ABOUT YOU
Experience & Qualifications
- Proven Tenure: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field and 8–12+ years of relevant experience, preferably a mix of Big 4 public accounting and public company experience, ideally in biotech or life sciences
- Certification: Active CPA license
- Technical Depth: Deep, practical command of US GAAP and financial reporting, with a track record of authoring accounting positions that withstand auditor scrutiny
- Preclinical & Clinical Accounting: Experience with the accounting and disclosures for preclinical and clinical-stage biotech activities, including R&D and clinical trial accruals
- Reporting Ownership: Hands-on experience owning audited financial statements and footnote disclosures and working directly with external auditors
- AI in Practice: Hands-on experience using Claude and other AI tools to build or improve accounting and reporting workflows, with sound judgment about their limits and appropriate use
Core Competencies
- Hands-On Owner: You identify and scope high-impact work yourself, are equally comfortable preparing and reviewing, and own your areas end to end without a team beneath you
- Decisive Prioritizer: You quickly weigh complexity against impact, make sound calls when information is limited, and meet audit, board, and reporting deadlines with minimal oversight
- Sharp Business Judgment: You balance risk and reward in ambiguous situations and translate complex accounting topics into clear, persuasive guidance for a wide range of audiences
- Trusted Partner: You bring discretion, professionalism, and attention to detail, plus a collaborative style that builds trust across the company and with auditors, advisors, and executive leadership
- Elevates Others: You mentor colleagues across Accounting & Finance and the broader company, share expertise generously, and help attract top talent to insitro
Preferred Qualifications
- Life Sciences Context: Experience accounting for collaboration and licensing agreements with pharma partners, including upfront payments, milestones, and variable consideration
- Equity & Valuation: Experience with ASC 718 award modifications and with 409A valuations, including working with third-party valuation firms
- Tax Fluency: Strong familiarity, or equivalent experience, with R&D tax credits, Section 382 analysis, and tax considerations for international equity grants, enough to partner effectively with our tax advisor
- International Compliance: Experience with statutory reporting, local compliance, and transfer pricing for foreign subsidiaries
- Private-to-Public Experience: Experience at a venture-backed or pre-IPO company, ideally including taking a company through an IPO, and with SEC reporting or designing and implementing a SOX program
- Systems: Experience with Oracle Cloud ERP, Carta or similar equity systems, and Workiva or an equivalent reporting tool; advanced Excel and G-Suite skills
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS AT INSITRO
Our target starting salary for successful US-based applicants for this role is $217,000 - $231,000. To determine starting pay, we consider multiple job-related factors including a candidate's skills, education and experience, market demand, business needs, and internal parity. We may also adjust this range in the future based on market data.
This role is e

Employment type
FullTime

Work arrangement
Yes