Senior Accountant

Overview

Certara accelerates the potential of bringing medicines to market and to patients using biosimulation software, technology, and services to transform traditional drug discovery and development. Our clients include more than 2,400 biopharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, and regulatory agencies across 70 countries.

Our goal is to enable the life sciences industry's use of data, modeling, and analytics to make better decisions across the various phases of discovery and drug development. Our software and scientists incorporate modern advances in scientific understanding, drug development experience, data analysis, and AI resulting in significant opportunities to decrease the cost and increase the probability of success for new drug approval and commercialization.

The Senior Accountant supports a scalable, well-controlled close and reporting in a public company environment by performing monthly close activities, preparing journal entries and account reconciliations, and assisting with financial reporting, intercompany accounting, lease accounting, revenue recognition accounting, and global tax compliance. This role partners closely with the Assistant Controller and Corporate Controller to strengthen internal controls, reduce key-person risk, and support audit-ready financial reporting across multiple subsidiaries.

Responsibilities

• Perform monthly close procedures, including preparation and posting of journal entries and completion of balance sheet and income statement account reconciliations.
• Analyze and document significant period-over-period variances with clear, supportable explanations.
• Assist in the preparation of internal and external financial statements, including supporting schedules and management reports.
• Prepare audit schedules and support internal and external audit requests.
• Support lease accounting under ASC 842, including maintenance of lease schedules, monthly entries, reassessments, modifications, and disclosure support.
• Execute and document SOX controls related to revenue recognition, including review of revenue schedules, contract data inputs, deferrals, and recognition calculations in accordance with ASC 606.
• Support management review controls by preparing revenue support, variance explanations, and audit-ready documentation.
• Partner cross-functionally to ensure revenue-related financial activity is accurately recorded and properly supported.
• Support ad hoc projects, accounting research, and process improvement initiatives as needed.
• Review and validate recurring transfer-pricing charges to ensure compliance with documented intercompany agreements.
• Analyze intercompany balances and coordinate with Treasury to execute intercompany settlements and cash transfers.
• Support internal and external tax compliance teams by preparing schedules, gathering documentation, and meeting statutory filing deadlines.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business; CPA required.
• Minimum of 5+ years of progressive accounting experience.
• Strong technical knowledge across core accounting areas and U.S. GAAP.
• Working knowledge of revenue recognition (ASC 606), lease accounting (ASC 842), capitalized software development costs, intercompany accounting, transfer pricing, tax compliance, and foreign currency transactions.
• Experience with NetSuite or comparable ERP systems preferred.

Skills & Abilities

• Demonstrated technical accounting proficiency in a growing multi-entity environment.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced close cycle with tight deadlines.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and financial reporting tools.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining accuracy and SOX discipline.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain financial results clearly to stakeholders.

Certara bases all employment-related decision on merit, taking into consideration qualifications, skills, achievement, and performance. We treat all applicants and employees without regard to personal characteristics such as race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, nationality, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental condition, genetic information, military service, or other characteristic protected by law.