Banking & InvestmentAccounting & FinanceContract
1 Sept
Head of Accounting
Bucharest, Romania
Contract
About the Opportunity
Our client, a leading financial institution in Romania, is strengthening its Finance organization and is seeking an experienced leader to take responsibility for the Accounting function.
The position has a broad mandate across statutory accounting, financial and regulatory reporting, tax compliance, accounting methodology, internal accounting operations and financial controls. The role sits within the senior Finance structure and works closely with the CFO, Group Finance and multiple business and support functions across the bank.
The Accounting organization comprises up to 15 professionals and includes financial reporting, accounting methodology and internal accounting activities, together with tax expertise. The successful candidate will inherit an established team while having the mandate to strengthen its capabilities, clarify responsibilities and build a strong, self-sufficient structure over time.
This is not primarily an expert role. It requires a leader who combines strong technical accounting knowledge with sound judgment, resilience, structured execution and the ability to mobilize experienced professionals around common standards and objectives.
The successful candidate will be expected to understand the economic substance of transactions, challenge superficial conclusions, share knowledge openly and create an environment in which people take ownership and collaborate effectively.
Role Purpose
The Head of Accounting will ensure the integrity, accuracy and timeliness of the bank’s accounting records, statutory financial statements, tax compliance and relevant regulatory reporting, in accordance with National Bank of Romania requirements, local legislation and IFRS.
The role will provide technical and managerial leadership to the Accounting function, ensuring that accounting policies, controls, systems and processes support both regulatory compliance and the evolving needs of the business.
A key part of the mandate will be to develop the existing organization into a strong and dependable team, able to operate with a high degree of professional autonomy, sound judgment and disciplined execution.
The role requires a hands-on strategic leader: someone able to go into the substance of complex transactions when required, while building the people, processes and governance needed for the function to perform consistently without excessive dependency on the Head of Accounting.
Key Responsibilities
Statutory Accounting and Financial Closing
Take overall responsibility for the quality, accuracy and timely execution of statutory month-end, quarter-end and year-end closing processes.
Ensure the timely and accurate preparation of statutory financial statements, including Balance Sheet, Profit and Loss Statement and Cash Flow information, in accordance with local legislation, NBR regulations and IFRS requirements.
Oversee the completeness and accuracy of accounting records and ensure that transactions are recorded chronologically and in accordance with applicable accounting principles and internal procedures.
Maintain effective oversight of general ledger integrity, reconciliations, accounting adjustments and the resolution of material accounting issues.
Ensure reliable reporting to Group Finance, the National Bank of Romania and other relevant authorities within agreed deadlines.
Tax and Regulatory Compliance
Provide oversight of the bank’s tax compliance framework, including corporate income tax calculations, tax returns and other statutory fiscal obligations.
Ensure that tax positions and accounting treatments remain aligned with current Romanian legislation and relevant regulatory requirements.
Provide direction and support to the tax specialist within the Accounting organization and ensure effective cooperation with external tax advisers where required.
Maintain professional working relationships with fiscal authorities and other regulatory bodies and support the bank in complex tax or regulatory matters.
Accounting Methodology and Product Support
Oversee the definition, maintenance and mapping of the chart of accounts and ensure consistent accounting treatment across products, transactions and systems.
Develop, review and validate accounting policies, methodologies, procedures and accounting monographies in line with local and Group requirements.
Provide internal accounting and tax advisory to business and support functions, helping colleagues understand the accounting substance and implications of transactions.
Provide functional specifications and accounting input for the launch or modification of financial products, ensuring that new products are correctly reflected in accounting and reporting processes.
Promote disciplined analysis of complex transactions, with emphasis on understanding their economic substance rather than relying solely on established routines or system outputs.
Systems, Controls and Process Improvement
Oversee the adaptation, validation and continued development of financial ERP and accounting-related IT systems to ensure data integrity and efficient processing.
Work closely with IT and relevant business functions on system changes, interfaces, product implementation and automation of accounting entries.
Ensure that the accounting environment remains appropriately integrated with the bank’s core banking and supporting systems.
Define and maintain robust internal controls, preventive financial controls and risk mitigation procedures across the Accounting function.
Identify opportunities to simplify, automate and strengthen processes while maintaining appropriate governance and control.
Audit and External Relationships
Coordinate the statutory audit process and ensure that audit requirements are addressed in a timely, transparent and well-organized manner.
Maintain effective professional relationships with external auditors, tax consultants, regulatory authorities and Group Finance stakeholders.
Ensure appropriate follow-up on audit observations and support the implementation of corrective or preventive actions.
Leadership and Organizational Development
Lead, coordinate and develop an Accounting organization of approximately 12 professionals across financial reporting, accounting methodology, internal accounting and tax-related activities.
Provide direction to existing team leaders and specialists, clarify responsibilities and create effective collaboration across the different areas of the department.
Build a culture of accountability, knowledge sharing, professional discipline and constructive challenge.
Encourage team members to work independently, form well-reasoned professional opinions and bring forward solutions for validation rather than waiting for answers to be provided by senior management.
Identify capability gaps, coach and develop high-potential professionals and progressively build a strong and sustainable team structure.
Create the conditions for the Accounting function to become increasingly self-sufficient and resilient over the first two years of the mandate.
Stakeholder Management
Develop strong working relationships with the CFO, senior management, Group Finance and relevant business and support functions.
Collaborate effectively with Planning & Controlling, Treasury & ALM, Risk, Operations, IT, Procurement and other functions whose activities have accounting or financial implications.
Act as a trusted internal adviser on accounting and tax matters, communicating complex issues clearly and focusing stakeholders on practical, compliant solutions.
Build consensus and cooperation across functions while maintaining professional independence and the integrity of the Accounting framework.
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate is an experienced accounting or finance professional who combines strong technical knowledge with proven leadership capability and the potential to build a high-performing function.
The person should be analytical and structured, curious about the substance of transactions, willing to learn continuously and comfortable operating in situations where not every answer is immediately available.
Required Experience and Capabilities
University degree in Economic Sciences, ideally Finance, Accounting or Banking.
Professional qualifications such as ACCA or CECCAR are considered a strong advantage.
Proven experience in managing or coordinating an accounting, financial reporting, accounting methodology or tax compliance function within banking or another highly regulated financial environment.
Strong knowledge of Romanian statutory accounting, NBR regulations, local tax legislation, regulatory reporting requirements and IFRS.
Practical understanding of financial closing, financial statements, general ledger integrity, tax compliance, audit and internal controls.
Experience with accounting methodology, chart of accounts, accounting policies or product accounting is highly relevant.
Experience working with financial ERP, core banking or other accounting-related systems, including implementation, validation, integration or automation initiatives.
Ability to evaluate complex information quickly, identify the essence of transactions and make sound decisions in dynamic or ambiguous regulatory environments.
Experience leading professionals, developing capability and driving performance through clear expectations and constructive follow-up.
Strong stakeholder management skills and the ability to work effectively with senior management, Group functions, auditors, regulators and internal partners.
Fluency in Romanian and a strong command of English.
Leadership Profile - The successful candidate will demonstrate:
A structured, analytical and performance-oriented leadership style.
Persistence and resilience when dealing with complex problems, demanding closing periods or regulatory deadlines.
The patience to understand the organization before making changes, combined with the energy to deliver visible progress.
The confidence to form independent professional opinions and to ask for validation when appropriate, rather than relying on others to provide the solution.
A strong learning mindset and the capacity to develop expertise continuously.
The ability to mobilize experienced professionals, encourage ownership and create a culture in which information is shared rather than retained.
Sound judgment, attention to substance and the discipline to avoid superficial conclusions.
Strong listening, communication and influencing skills.
A collaborative and constructive approach to disagreement.
Personal accountability for both technical quality and team performance.
Indicators of Success - Success in the role will be reflected through:
Accurate, timely and reliable statutory closing and financial reporting.
Consistent compliance with NBR, tax, statutory and Group requirements.
A strong accounting control environment with clear ownership and effective preventive controls.
Improved quality and consistency of accounting methodology, product accounting and financial system integration.
Effective cooperation with auditors, regulators, Group Finance and internal stakeholders.
A stronger, more autonomous Accounting organization with clear roles and capable team leaders.
Visible development of high-potential professionals and reduced dependency on individual experts.
A culture of knowledge sharing, professional curiosity, accountability and solution-oriented execution.
Within approximately two years, a stable and high-performing Accounting team able to manage the function with confidence and resilience.
Career Perspective
The position offers the opportunity to lead and shape a critical Finance function within a stable and professional banking environment.
The successful candidate will have meaningful autonomy to strengthen the organization, develop people and improve accounting processes and controls within the bank’s governance and operational framework.
The role provides significant exposure to senior local management and Group stakeholders and represents a strong career step for either an established Accounting leader or a high-potential Deputy Head / Team Leader ready to assume broader responsibility.
Confidentiality
The identity of the hiring organization and further details regarding the team structure, operating environment, selection process and remuneration package will be shared with selected candidates during the recruitment process and subject to appropriate confidentiality.