Head of Accounting

Head of Accounting - Finance Transformation

Working model: Hybrid - 2-3 days per week in the office

We are supporting an established international business in the St. Gallen area as it goes through a significant transformation of its finance function.

This is not a traditional Head of Accounting position focused purely on statutory reporting and maintaining existing processes.

Working closely with a hands-on CFO, you will have the opportunity to lead a team and help modernise the finance function
, with a strong focus on digitalisation, automation, systems and continuous improvement.

The business is investing in the way it uses data across finance and operations, including the development of its data warehouse and the integration of financial and non-financial KPIs. There is also a genuine appetite to explore how AI can be practically applied within finance
, with tools already being used to support areas such as account reconciliations and variance analysis.

For someone who enjoys improving how finance works, this is an opportunity to have a real impact.

• Take responsibility for key areas of group accounting and consolidation
• Support and develop the wider accounting team
• Oversee consolidation topics including valuation, currency translation and intercompany matters
• Drive the continued digitalisation and automation of finance processes
• Identify opportunities to reduce manual and paper-based processes
• Help improve finance systems, reporting tools and data quality
• Work with the CFO to develop reporting that combines financial and operational KPIs
• Support the continued development and use of the company's data warehouse
• Explore practical applications of AI and automation within accounting and finance
• Improve accounting, reconciliation, reporting and closing processes
• Work with external tax and accounting advisers on specialist technical matters when required
• Partner with operational functions including procurement and production to make financial information more relevant and accessible
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement across the finance function

We are deliberately keeping the profile broad.

You do not need to already be a Head of Accounting
. This could be an excellent next step for an ambitious:

• Group Accountant
• Senior Group Accountant
• Accounting Manager
• Consolidation professional

You should bring a solid understanding of accounting, ideally with some exposure to group accounting and consolidation
.

More importantly, we are looking for someone who is curious, commercially minded and comfortable with technology
.

Experience with ERP systems, finance systems, BI/reporting tools, process automation, data warehouses or finance transformation would therefore be particularly valuable.

We are looking for someone who:

• Understands the fundamentals of group accounting and consolidation
• Has an interest in systems, technology, AI and automation
• Naturally looks for ways to improve inefficient processes
• Can understand finance in the context of the wider business, rather than purely from a statutory accounting perspective
• Is comfortable working with both financial and operational data
• Has the potential and ambition to lead and develop a team
• Is curious and willing to continuously learn
• Wants to take ownership and make a visible impact on a transforming organisation

Deep local GAAP expertise is not the priority. Strong systems capability, learning ability and an improvement mindset are more important.

The attraction of this opportunity is the scope to build and improve
, rather than simply inherit an established finance function.

You will work closely with a CFO who is passionate about technology and believes finance should continuously evolve.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Take a genuine step into finance leadership
• Lead and develop a team
• Influence how the accounting function operates
• Drive systems and process improvements
• Explore practical applications of AI
• Gain broader exposure to the operational side of the business
• Develop alongside a business undergoing significant change

For someone who regularly looks at an existing finance process and thinks "there must be a better way to do this", this could be a particularly interesting next step.