Head of Finance & Accounting (f/m/d)

Role overview

Clariness is hiring a Head of Finance & Accounting (f/m/d) for its Berlin or Hamburg base. This is a full-time, open-ended position in an international, project-led setting. In this role, you will take ownership of the finance function across Germany and several overseas subsidiaries, with a focus on strong financial governance, reliable operations, and scalable processes that can support continued growth.

Working alongside the CFO, the international finance team, and senior leaders, you will be accountable for accounting, financial reporting, treasury, compliance, and project-level financial performance. The position blends strategic finance leadership with hands-on execution and a strong focus on process, systems, and control improvement.

Key responsibilities

• Steer finance and accounting activities across Germany and multiple international legal entities, maintaining accurate reporting, statutory compliance, and sound governance.
• Own the monthly and annual closing cycles, group reporting, consolidation, and reconciliation of intercompany balances across the entity structure.
• Ensure adherence to German and international accounting, tax, audit, and regulatory obligations, and coordinate with external auditors, tax specialists, banks, and authorities when needed.
• Manage treasury, liquidity and cash planning, financial controls, and project financial performance to support stable and sustainable growth.
• Improve and align finance processes, ERP tools including Sage, reporting standards, and internal controls across the international entity network.
• Contribute to strategic initiatives such as finance transformation, ERP rollout, acquisitions, post-merger integration, and international expansion.
• Serve as a key partner to the CFO and senior leadership by turning financial data into actionable insights and recommendations.
• Lead, coach, and develop the Finance & Accounting team while building a collaborative and high-performance culture.

What they are looking for

You should bring a finance, economics, controlling, or similar degree plus at least 7 years of progressive leadership experience in an international finance environment. Strong command of German accounting, statutory reporting, tax compliance, and international standards such as IFRS or US GAAP is expected.

The role also requires experience with multiple legal entities, including group reporting, consolidation, and intercompany accounting, as well as strong analytical and project controlling capabilities. Advanced Excel skills and practical exposure to ERP, accounting, and reporting systems are important; Sage ERP and/or DATEV experience would be a strong plus.

Experience with finance transformation, ERP implementations, system harmonization, acquisitions, post-merger integration, or international growth projects is highly desirable. You should also be an effective communicator and stakeholder manager who can explain complex finance topics in clear business language, and you should combine strategic thinking with a hands-on, resilient, and ownership-driven approach.

Benefits and culture

• Interesting and varied work with significant personal responsibility in an international company.
• Opportunities for professional and personal growth, including a personal development budget.
• Flexible working hours and mobile working options.
• Regular team events and a culture that encourages open feedback.
• A broad scope of work with challenging and diverse projects.
• Supportive, open culture with the chance to work alongside a diverse and professional team.
• The opportunity to contribute to healthcare impact by helping accelerate medical innovation and improve access to clinical trials.

Application process

• Applications are to be submitted with a CV only; no cover letter is required.
• The hiring journey includes an introductory call of 30 minutes, a technical interview, a take-home test, a demo day with a senior leadership interview, and then a final decision.
• The company aims to proceed quickly and keep candidates informed throughout the process.

Equal opportunity and confidentiality

Clariness states that it is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or age. The company also notes that applicant information will be handled confidentially and in line with applicable data protection requirements.

Additional information

Applicants are asked to include their desired salary and possible start date. A contact address for recruiting-related questions is also provided in the source information.