Senior Accountant - France (French Speaking)

Overview

This role is the first dedicated French accounting hire, responsible for delivering French accounting services and establishing the operating model for how they are performed. You will own full-cycle accounting for a portfolio of French entities and ensure French statutory requirements are met while aligning with global delivery standards.

Responsibilities

Delivery & Client Ownership

• Own full-cycle accounting for a portfolio of French entities, including bookkeeping, month-end close, reconciliations, management reporting, and supporting schedules.
• Deliver according to each client’s reporting calendar and template, while meeting tight statutory and client close deadlines.
• Run the payment cycle for your entities, with sound controls.
• Prepare VAT (CA3) returns and the schedules supporting CVAE, DAS2, CFE, the liasse fiscale, and the annual accounts.
• Own e-invoicing setup and compliance under the French mandate.
• Serve as the day-to-day contact for clients in your portfolio.
• Represent the organization with clients, auditors, and French authorities in French.
• Explain French requirements in ways a non-French finance team can act on.

Client Onboarding & Transitions

• Lead onboarding of new French clients, including data migration, opening balances, chart of accounts, and system setup through to their first close.
• Agree scope, timelines, and deliverables with the account team and own the engagement plan.
• Design each engagement so it can scale as the French portfolio grows.

Technical Authority for France

• Act as the French accounting authority, covering the plan comptable général, FEC, and statutory reporting.
• Advise global and regional product teams on French accounting, compliance, and operational requirements.
• Track regulatory change, determine implications for clients and processes, and recommend what must change.
• Evaluate, recommend, and implement local accounting, compliance, and reporting tools needed for delivery.

Building the France Model

• Document and standardize French processes, controls, and working papers in line with global standards.
• Build and maintain a France knowledge base and share expertise across the business.
• Support growth of regional delivery capability for France as the portfolio expands.

Requirements

• 5+ years in French accounting gained in practice at an outsourced provider or in a shared-services environment.
• Hands-on experience preparing full sets of accounts under French GAAP and the plan comptable général.
• Working knowledge of French VAT and the statutory reporting cycle, including FEC, liasse fiscale, CVAE, DAS2, and CFE.
• Fluent French and business-level English.
• Experience building processes, controls, or ways of working from scratch in a new market, new service line, or start-up environment.
• Proficiency in at least one French accounting platform (Sage, Cegid, Pennylane, or similar) and comfort working inside a client’s system.
• Experience managing your own client portfolio.
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• DCG / DSCG, CPA, ACCA, CA, or equivalent professional qualification preferred. Expert-comptable membership is not required.
• Comfort with AI-assisted tools and interest in using them well.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience moving a client’s accounting from one provider to another.
• Experience selecting or implementing accounting, compliance, or reporting tools.
• French e-invoicing / PDP readiness experience.

Compensation & Benefits

• Remote work is supported, with hybrid options in some countries.

Location

• Fully remote work; hybrid options may be available in some countries.