South San Francisco

Nkarta Therapeutics is a publicly traded (Nkarta NKTX symbol), South San Francisco headquartered, early-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of allogeneic, off-the-shelf engineered natural killer, or NK, cell therapies to treat cancer.

Founded in 2015 at the birthplace of biotechnology, our development pipeline of engineered NK cell therapy candidates includes two co-lead clinical programs, NKX101 and NKX019. Clinical trials for 101 are in process; 019 will begin in H2 2021. Nkarta recently announced a collaboration with CRISPR Therapeutics, a world leader in gene-based medicines, for the development and commercialization of up to three new cell therapy candidates and access to clinically validated CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering.

Complementing our broad research and development capabilities, Nkarta has also built an extensive cell therapy manufacturing operation.  We have a 2,700-square foot clinical good manufacturing practice, or cGMP, facility on-site at our primary corporate location in South San Francisco, California. We plan to start in-house manufacturing of NKX019 in 2021 and NKX101 in 2022. We are also currently designing a separate, larger cGMP facility, to supply our anticipated pivotal clinical trial and commercial needs.

Overview

The Corporate Controller is responsible for managing the accounting team, external financial reporting functions, including financial statements and related footnotes and the MD&A, technical accounting analysis and technical memos, corporate tax compliance, oversight of SOX compliance, and the financial services area including payroll, stock administration, fixed assets, and accounts payable.  The Controller is responsible for implementing and maintaining a system of internal controls that will ensure that company assets are adequately safeguarded and that all financial reporting is prepared in compliance with all financial policies, SEC requirements and US GAAP. This position will report to the SVP Finance.

Responsibilities

• Manage the Company’s general accounting function, including oversight of the monthly and quarterly general ledger close processes, including analysis of monthly trends and flux analysis; work closely with the Director of Finance on analysis of budget vs. actual variance analysis
• Provide technical accounting GAAP guidance and oversee technical accounting memos
• Work closely with the Assistant Controller and the legal team to ensure complete and accurate quarterly and ad-hoc SEC filings
• Manage other finance-related activities, including general accounting, treasury, equity plan administration, and interactions with transfer agent, banks and investment managers
• Supervise payroll function and partner with HR to manage employee benefits, currently supported by TriNet; ensure the completion of Federal and State tax reporting requirements, including income, property, sales and use, payroll and other local taxes
• Manage relationships with external auditors and SOX consultants
• Assist in preparing audit committee and board materials
• Ensure the integrity and accuracy of information provided to the external auditors in relation to the annual audit and quarterly reviews
• Ensure integrity of the Company’s accounting systems, including interfaces from payroll, equity, purchasing, banks and expense management to the general ledger
• Provide cross-functional support to the Company as needs arise, including special projects, system improvements or ad-hoc financial analyses

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance with an active CPA license
• 15+ years accounting experience, including at least four years in a public company
• 7+ years of Big 4 audit experience preferred; biotech industry experience preferred
• Strong knowledge and understanding of GAAP accounting principles
• Experience in a clinical stage bioscience/pharmaceutical company
• Experience operating within a Sarbanes-Oxley control environment
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Advanced Excel skills
• Enjoys being ‘hands-on’ and able to work cross-functionally in a co-located environment
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with people in diverse and different settings, including presentations to upper management
• Possesses a sense of urgency; identifies challenges and problems and takes the initiative to identify solutions; ability to deal with business issues collaboratively with other departments
• Fast learner, with well-developed problem-solving skills
• Good energy, enthusiastic, goal driven
• Working experience with NetSuite

Working at Nkarta Inc.

The 130+ team members describe working at Nkarta through some of the following comments. While getting better work-life balance and improving communications between groups in an early stage start up environment are two areas in which we’re working, here are real anonymous comments of why people think Nkarta is a great place to work.

• “People are always open to ideas. This company provides a safe place for its employees (covid testing, etc.)”
• “Exceptionally talented, committed, *kind* & supportive team”
• “The CEO is transparent and honest with expectations for the whole company. There is genuine care amongst the leadership team for their peers and employees. I believe this is unique.”
• “Not to sound corny, but the emphasis on people as a valuable resource is something I  recognize doesn't often exist elsewhere, and it's here in ample supply, which is great.”
• “It's the first place that I've worked where the executive team truly values the employees. It's a pretty amazing thing not to hear that employees can be replaced with someone new. Institutional knowledge is understood.”
• “We have a very diverse team with executives that are friendly and accessible.”
• “Smart and dedicated colleagues. Mission to make a difference in patients lives. Empower us with tools needed to succeed.  Open and transparent culture. Transparent leadership. Handling of covid and running the company was done very well.”

To learn more about our work at Nkarta and the career opportunities that will drive us forward to serve patients, please visit the company’s website at https://www.nkartatx.com

To see this and other open financial positions with our ABFO member companies,
please visit our ABFO website job posting page

To view this html email as a web page in your browser, please use this link.