Corporate Accounting Expert

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE JOB!
You report to the Accounting Manager and will service Shurgard’s operations businesses in your market(s) with accounting and other admirative services.

You will be responsible for maintaining accounting principles, practices and procedures to ensure accurate and timely financial statements. These accounting activities will mainly include the commitment follow-up reporting on leasing, housekeeping, payroll, travel expenditure, the preparation of tax returns, but also some more general duties such as general ledger preparation, financial reporting, year-end audit preparation and the support of budget and forecast activities.
Furthermore, you will ensure the integration of newly opened/acquired stores in the accounting processes.

You will coordinate in a fast-paced environment the flow of information from multiple departments (i.e. Real Estate, Operations, Human Resources, FP&A, Tax...) and maintain relationships with external service providers (surveyors, accounting firms, domiciliation agents, ESG service providers...).

You will assist the Accounting Manager to coach the team of Accountants and to ensure that work is properly allocated and completed in a timely and accurate manner

LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES!
About your Accounting and Finance responsibilities:

• You ensure the daily coordination of the administration on the invoice and commitment cycle for leasing, housekeeping, payroll, real estate taxes, travel expenditure.
• You ensure the tracking of the company's leasing, housekeeping, payroll, real estate taxes, travel expenditure against budget.
• You overlook the communication with suppliers, municipalities, surveyors etc. where needed.
• You coordinate the external audit process.
• You manage the services provided by the domiciliation agents.
• You review the preparation of the reconciliation files (e.g. accrual accounts, prepaid accounts, suspense accounts)
• You review the reconciliation of payroll data in close collaboration with the Payroll Manager.
• You ensure analytical review and delivery of management reporting by reviewing recurring transactions during month-end closings and commenting on account fluctuations.
• You ensure accurate inter-company accounts and recharges.
• You ensure the preparation of internal and external audit samples.
• You ensure that all tax declarations (VAT, Real Estate Taxes) and tax compliance activities are met in close collaboration with the Tax department in your area of expertise.
• You ensure ESG program by ensuring qualitative data.
• You ensure the preparations of budgets.
• You support all aspects of accounting and financial reporting of the subsidiaries in your area of expertise in accordance with IFRS and local GAAP in order to meet local statutory and group reporting requirements
• You support and review the preparations of annual (local statutory) accounts.
• You support the execution of mergers, acquisitions and the integration as necessary.

• You coordinate the preparation and approval of relevant local GAAP accounting memos.
• You offer assistance in various ad-hoc projects

About your process and systems responsibilities:

• You ensure the implementation procedures and systems necessary to maintain proper records and to afford adequate accounting controls and procedures for all business cycles in accordance with Shurgard’s standards.
• You ensure the implementation of the roll out of various control systems in your area of expertise.
• You actively participate to European projects: systems, integration of new entities, IFRS migration, maintenance of policies and procedures.
• You support the Accounting Manager with special projects and workflow process improvements.
• You ensure the application of and compliance with control processes.

About your people responsibilities:

• You assist in managing the Corporate Accounting team to deliver timely and accurate accounting and financial reporting services.
• You collaborate with the other finance department managers to support overall department goals and objectives.
• You advise team members regarding the handling of non-routine reporting transactions.
• You provide training to new and existing staff as needed.

LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR SKILLS!

• You understand the company strategy and the strategic context of own work.
• You show flexibility and are open to change.
• You have a problem-solver attitude.
• You actively seek opportunities for self-development and learning.
• You recognize commercial opportunities in own work as they arise.
• You are aware of the customer’s needs (internal or external), put them first in own work.
• You show awareness of and commitment to business performance targets in own job.
• You show market and business awareness in own work/own immediate area.
• You express yourself clearly and professionally, and can influence customers using the available tools.
• You prioritize own tasks, complete work to deadlines and work independently.
• You work effectively as a team member.

LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR PROFILE!

• You have a bachelor/master’s degree in accounting, finance or economics, or similar through experience
• You have at least five years of experience in Accounting.
• You have experience in the preparation of financial statements.
  Exposure to a multi‑country/shared services environment is a strong plus.
• A first management experience is a plus.
• Experience in the Services or Retail sector is required.
• Experience with IFRS and local GAAP is required.
• Experience in CRM/ERP migration/upgrade projects (with focus on UAT, acting as key user/trainer).
• Experience with SAP is required, while familiarity with SAP S/4HANA is considered a plus
• You are fluent in English and French. Good German language skills are considered a strong asset. Any other market’s language is considered a plus.
• You have a working knowledge of Microsoft applications and an advanced level in Excel.