Head of Accounting

Job description

**This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Head of Accounting based in France.** This is a senior accounting leadership opportunity within a fast-growing, international SaaS environment undergoing significant expansion. You will take ownership of accounting and financial administration across three legal entities while managing an established accounting team. The role combines hands-on accounting leadership with financial reporting, compliance, process optimization, and strategic project support. You will work closely with the CFO to ensure reliable financial data supports reporting, forecasting, modeling, and business decisions. A key part of the role is strengthening processes, controls, tools, and automation as the organization scales internationally. You will collaborate with external auditors, banks, advisors, and internal stakeholders across a highly distributed global team. The position is available on a contractor basis, with flexibility to work either four or five days per week. ### Accountabilities - Lead and manage the accounting team of two people, providing direction, support, and clear operational priorities. - Structure, manage, and strengthen end-to-end accounting processes, covering customer and supplier invoices, accounting entries, cash flow monitoring, and financial controls. - Ensure accounting records remain accurate and up to date, including data entry, account reconciliation, bank reconciliations, and coordination with external accounting partners. - Maintain a high level of accuracy across analytical accounting and financial reporting outputs. - Produce monthly financial reporting, including cut-offs, provisions, and closing activities in collaboration with the CFO and relevant internal teams. - Design and implement appropriate control points to improve the reliability and consistency of reporting and financial closings. - Define and implement operational finance KPIs and dashboards, including opportunities to leverage AI for improved analysis and reporting. - Provide ad-hoc support for budget monitoring, financial analysis, and business planning. - Lead continuous improvement initiatives across finance and cross-functional administrative processes, including expense validation, customer invoicing, and key supplier controls. - Assess, select, implement, and optimize finance tools and technology, including automation opportunities. - Identify operational bottlenecks and lead targeted analysis or project-management initiatives to resolve them. - Coordinate relationships with external auditors, accounting firms, banks, advisors, and other financial or administrative stakeholders. - Coordinate and secure the financial closing of each legal entity, including intercompany transactions. - Manage legal, administrative, accounting, and tax obligations across the relevant entities. - Lead ESOP administration and maintain accurate capitalization table records. - Support broader corporate initiatives related to financing, international expansion, M&A, board reporting, and other strategic projects. ## Requirements - More than 5 years of professional accounting experience, ideally within an SMB, scale-up, SaaS environment, or accounting firm. - Strong knowledge of accounting, financial reporting, and related legal and administrative requirements. - Good understanding of Belgian and French accounting and financial environments, particularly in relation to legal entities and corporate requirements. - Experience managing accounting processes across multiple entities and coordinating with external accounting partners. - Strong process orientation, with a demonstrated ability to structure, document, improve, and control financial workflows. - Comfortable working with financial tools and technology, with an interest in automation and AI-enabled finance processes. - Strong analytical capabilities and attention to detail, particularly when reviewing financial data, reconciliations, reporting, and closing activities. - Experience managing or coordinating accounting professionals and external financial stakeholders. - Strong organizational and project-management skills, with the ability to handle recurring responsibilities alongside ad-hoc strategic projects. - Excellent communication and collaboration skills in a distributed, international environment. - Fluent English is required. - French language skills are an advantage. - Additional familiarity with Belgian legal and financial matters is a strong plus. - Ability to work independently, take ownership, and operate effectively in a remote-first environment. - Willingness to work on a contractor basis, with availability for either four or five days per week. ## Benefits - Fully remote position within Europe. - Contractor engagement with flexibility to work **4 or 5 days per week**. - Opportunity to take ownership of the accounting function across three legal entities. - Direct collaboration with the CFO and exposure to senior-level financial and strategic decision-making. - Opportunity to shape and improve accounting processes, financial controls, tools, automation, and reporting. - International working environment spanning multiple continents, nationalities, and time zones. - English-speaking global team with regular company-wide meetings and annual gatherings. - High degree of flexibility and emphasis on work-life balance. - Choice of high-quality IT equipment, including Apple or Windows devices. - People-first culture focused on communication, transparency, collaboration, and employee wellbeing. - Opportunity to contribute to financing, international expansion, M&A, ESOP, and other strategic corporate initiatives. - Environment undergoing significant AI-driven transformation, with opportunities to explore new ways of working and automating finance processes.