Deputy Finance Director

Equifind are supporting an award winning International Financial Services company to recruit a Head of Finance to lead the finance function in Paris. The successful candidate will report in to the COO and the work covers the French and German operations.

Purpose of the role

To oversee all financial activities for the Paris and Cologne operations.

Responsibilities

Accounting, finance and tax

• Work closely with the local team, group finance and third-party accounting providers across all financial accounting, ensuring timely settlement and booking of transactions for the Paris and Cologne offices
• Manage insurance cash postings, collaborating with the Operations and Legal teams on pool accounting procedures including premium collection, claim payments, monthly closing, brokerage statements and intercompany transactions
• Maintain quarterly closing and financial reporting in line with internal and external requirements, including financial audits
• Consolidate and prepare the annual report in accordance with statutory requirements
• Prepare budgets and forecasts for agency expenses, including variance analysis
• Ensure timely filing of local taxes (VAT, Corporate Income Tax, CFE, CVAE and similar)
• Maintain a control environment for financial reporting and tax compliance
• Manage agency costs and expenses in line with budget, including tax filing, employee benefits and insurance schemes across both offices

Payroll and HR administration

• Produce monthly payroll using a cloud-based payroll platform
• Comply with mandatory reporting requirements (URSSAF, wage taxes, retirement and insurance plans)
• Manage pension schemes and employee benefits
• Work with head office on HR administration including onboarding and offboarding, staff training and general administration
• Train and develop apprentices and other staff as required

Treasury

• Manage internal and external cashflows, including cash settlement with head office and worldwide cash movements across group entities
• Bank account management and monthly reconciliations in line with internal requirements
• Manage the investment of insurance cash and agency cash with external managers

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance, or a similar professional accounting qualification
• Proven track record in finance and/or accounting, preferably within financial services
• Strong understanding of core financial concepts, financial planning and analysis
• Advanced systems and accounting software skills
• Commitment to managing and developing a small team
• Resilience and a pragmatic approach
• Professional written and spoken communication in both French and English

Requirements:

• Ideally a qualified accountant or Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Masters
• Experience or managing a team
• High degree of commercial acumen
• Effective communicator, drive and professional

What's on Offer:

• Discretionary bonus
• Other benefits such as travel allowance, phone, health and life insurance