Director of Accounting

Who you are

• 10+ years of progressive accounting experience, including at least 3 years in a senior leadership role
• Deep, hands-on expertise in German GAAP (HGB) — you can navigate a Jahresabschluss yourself and coach others through it
• Strong working knowledge of IFRS, in particular IFRS 15 and IFRS 16
• Demonstrable experience with SaaS or subscription-based revenue models and the accounting nuances they bring
• Qualified accountant (WP, CPA, ACA, ACCA, or equivalent); Big Four background is a plus
• Proven track record of building or materially overhauling accounting processes — not just inheriting and maintaining them
• Designed a close process from scratch or reduced close cycle
• Implemented or optimised an ERP/accounting system end-to-end
• Built a team or function in a high-growth or scale-up environment
• Intellectually curious about automation and AI — you actively seek opportunities to replace repetitive work with smart tooling
• Comfortable with ambiguity: you can define the path forward even when the map doesn't exist yet
• You lead with clarity, not hierarchy — your team knows what good looks like and why it matters
• Fluent in English and German
• Able to translate complex accounting concepts into crisp, jargon-free narratives for non-finance executives

What the job involves

• Who is equal parts technical expert, builder, and change agent. This is not a “maintain the status quo” role
• You will inherit a solid foundation and take ownership of transforming it: modernising our close process, embedding AI-powered tooling into day-to-day accounting workflows, and professionalising the function ahead of scale
• Reporting to the CFO, you will lead a team of experienced accountants and work closely with Finance, Legal, and the Executive team
• You're joining at an inflection point — the processes you design today will be the backbone of a public company tomorrow
• Finance leadership actively supports AI adoption. You'll have budget, tooling, and executive air-cover to experiment and implement
• Direct line to the CFO with genuine scope to shape how the accounting function operates globally in Europe
• Work on a platform used by millions of employees across Europe — your work has visible, meaningful impact
• Own and continuously improve the end-to-end monthly, quarterly, and annual close process — driving speed, accuracy, and automation
• Ensure timely and accurate financial statements under both HGB (German GAAP) and IFRS
• Lead statutory reporting, external audit management, and tax compliance for German entities
• Oversee revenue recognition in accordance with IFRS 15, with specific expertise in SaaS subscription and multi-element arrangements
• Redesign legacy processes from first principles — if a manual step can be automated, automate it
• Partner with Finance Systems and IT to deploy and optimise ERP capabilities (Workday)
• Drive AI tooling adoption across the accounting function: smart reconciliations, anomaly detection, AI-assisted journal entry review, and predictive close analytics
• Build scalable controls infrastructure that supports IPO-readiness without adding bureaucratic overhead
• Lead and mentor a team of accounting professionals; recruit top talent as the function scales
• Serve as the primary point of contact for external auditors, tax advisors, and banking partners
• Partner closely with FP&A, Legal, and Revenue Operations on business transactions, new product launches, and commercial models
• Provide clear, decision-relevant accounting guidance to the CFO and executive leadership team

Benefits

• Receive a competitive reward package – reevaluated each year – that includes salary, benefits, and pre-IPO equity
• Enjoy 28 days of paid vacation, plus an additional day after 2 and 4 years (because we love what we do, but we also love vacation!)
• Make an impact on the environment and society with Impact Days
• Receive generous family leave, child support, mental health support, and sabbatical opportunities with PersonioCares
• Connect with your fellow Personios at regular company and team events like All Company Culture Week and local year-end celebrations
• Engage in a high-impact working environment with flat hierarchies and short decision-making processes
• Find your best way to work with our office-led, and remote-friendly PersonioFlex!