Job Description

Job purpose

We are seeking an experienced and hands-on Financial Controller EU who will be responsible for the financial control and reporting of the European entities within a recently merged, internationally operating organization (21 entities globally).
In this role, you will work closely with two other Financial Controllers, with responsibilities divided geographically. As Financial Controller EU, you will have full accountability for the European entities and ensure the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of financial figures within your region.
You will lead the team responsible for processing financial transactions (AP, AR, and bank) and ensure a solid financial foundation. At the same time this role will contribute to and participate in finance-related projects, including the current post-merger integration, and the professionalization of processes and reporting.
This role sits at the intersection of accounting, process optimization, and leadership, requiring a strong combination of technical expertise and execution power.

Responsibilities

1. Accounting & Reporting (EU Scope)

• Fully responsible for the financial administration and reporting of the European entities
• Ensure timely and accurate month-end, quarter-end, and year-end closing processes
• Prepare consolidations and alignment between local entities and group guidelines
• Ensure compliance with BE GAAP and relevant laws and regulations
• Coordinate audits and manage relationships with external auditors and advisors

2. Team Leadership & Operations

• Lead and develop the accounting team (AP, AR, Bank)
• Ensure quality, efficiency, and ownership within the team
• Maintain a stable and predictable financial operation
• Drive continuous improvement and professionalization

3. Business Partnering

• Work closely with Business Unit Controllers (responsible for project reporting, revenue recognition, forecasting, and budgeting)
• Act as the link between accounting and business control
• Ensure consistent financial steering and alignment between financials and business reality

4. Systems & Process Optimization

• Play an active role in the implementation of Oracle NetSuite across the European organization
• Optimize the NetSuite setup and related financial processes
• Drive standardization, automation, and data quality improvements
• Contribute to scalable and future-proof financial structures

5. Integration & Change

• Support the integration of financial processes following the merger
• Harmonize ways of working across multiple entities and countries
• Contribute to building one consistent financial organization across Europe

Key Deliverables (first 6–12 months)

• Successful integration of financial processes and structures across the European entities
• Implementation of Oracle NetSuite and initial optimization of processes and system setup
• Improvement of data quality, closing processes, and reporting structures
• Strengthening of the accounting team and increasing ownership and performance

Experience - the ideal candidate will have

• Bachelor degree in Accounting, Finance, or Economics
• Minimum of 8–10 years of relevant experience in accounting/controlling within an international environment
• Proven experience with multi-entity structures and consolidations
• Strong knowledge of BE GAAP; IFRS knowledge is a plus
• Knowledge of Belgian and Dutch laws and regulations, as these are the two main operating entities
• Experience with ERP systems, preferably Oracle NetSuite
• Experience in a project-driven organization and knowledge of revenue recognition
• Strong analytical skills and hands-on mentality
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• Experience in leading and developing teams
• Practical and hands-on approach
• English speaking required

Experience - you must also have these skills

• Preferably based in Belgium or Netherlands
• Dutch speaking preferred

Why us?

You will join a young, very dynamic, and fast-growing private research organization. Our passionate, truly multicultural, and diverse team of nearly 500 colleagues and nearly 40 nationalities include epidemiologists, clinical operations, CRAs, CTAs, data scientists, statisticians, data analysts, medical writers, safety and pharmacovigilance specialists, project managers and business support professionals spreading over 20 countries. 

We all work remotely, setting our own time schedule, based on a “getting the job done” mentality. This has a positive impact in our work-life balance. Our headquarters are in Leuven (Belgium) as well as in Zeist (Netherlands), but we also have local and regional offices located in Bogota (Colombia), Johannesburg (South Africa), Bangkok (Thailand), Paris (France), Casablanca (Morocco) as well as Marietta and Durham (United States). You may need to travel occasionally.

At P95 & JC, we are a collaborative and international team that works on diverse projects, topics, and clients and faces interesting challenges. There is a high level of empowerment, flexibility, autonomy as well as opportunities for research and development, to make things happen. We have an open culture of respect and inclusion. Consequently, we value self-reliance, initiative, and responsibility of everyone in our team to meet our internal and external customers’ expectations. Finally, our colleagues experience a strong sense of meaning and purpose driven by the scientific nature and impact of our work.